Romans 8:28
Life has an interesting way of dumping garbage at our doorstep. It seems that we wake up some mornings and there it is suddenly and without warning. Without a doubt, it’s there. We didn’t want it and we don’t know how to get rid of it. However, the choice of what to do with it is ours to make.
There are three basic choices we can make. We can choose (and don’t forget it is a choice) to let it pull us down, perhaps even destroy us. Or we can choose to ignore it, which is often hard to do when it is so close and smells so strong. Or we can actually choose to use the garbage to make something useful for our lives.
As a young child, Glenn Cunningham was stricken by polio and was told he would never walk again. He refused to accept the garbage that was dumped on him and was so determined to walk that he held on to the plow on the back of his father’s mule and let the mule pull him around while he tried to walk. There were times when his knees bled from being pulled in the dirt but he kept on keeping on until he could walk alone. Then he started to run. In case you didn’t recognize the name, Glenn Cunningham went on to set a new world record for the hundred-yard dash and was known as the fastest man alive. His effort to dump the garbage gave him the determination to move forward in life. Without the garbage, it’s unlikely that he would have achieved his world record. Had he just accepted the doctor’s diagnosis that he would never walk again, he might never have been able to even walk. His tragedy, if you still want to call it that, actually propelled him into a challenge that made him successful and world famous. His polio was actually a blessing in the long run.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”. It’s so easy to quote this verse to someone who is going through tough times but much harder to apply it to our own lives. The promise is for those who love God. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for you life but we don’t always recognize God’s plan as wonderful. We can praise Him for the good things but when it comes to the garbage we question God and may wonder why He did this or if what has happened is from Him or Satan. The bottom line is that it doesn’t really matter who it is from. What does matter is what you will do with it. Do you want to sit in the middle of the garbage and smell it all day long or do you want to get away from it, perhaps even make something of it. IT’S YOUR CHOICE!!
It’s easy to say, “But my situation is different.” Yes, all of our situations are different. Some people have had tragic events happen to them and they went on to make something out of their lives. Joni Erickson Tada had a terrible diving accident when she was in her twenties and became a paraglegic. She refused to accept the garbage as the end of her life. She was determined to overcome her difficulties and now has a dynamic ministry. Her accident could have devastated her life and immobilied her completely but like others who have to work harder to overcome their tragedies, she gave it all she had. When we have to work harder to overcome difficulties, it causes us to use abilities we didn’t even know we had and may open up opportunities we otherwise would have never discovered.
Amazing things can happen when we recycle our garbage. When life gives you a lemon, make lemonade. Do not let any event devastate your life and keep you from being all God wants you to be. Use whatever He sends your way to His glory and He will bless you. Make excuses for what has happened and you will miss undiscovered blessings.
Father, teach me how to make the most of everything in my life. Grant me the wisdom to know what I can change to improve my life and make it more like Jesus. Convict me when I start to feel sorry for myself or try to blame others and enable me to take the responsiblity for my choices. I cannot change what has happened but I can change how I will respond to it. Let your power work in me to give me courage to overcome any obstacle that I encounter. The most tragic event that has ever occurred was the death of Your Son on the cross yet the results of that death have brought the promise of eternal life to millions. Thank You. Amen.
