It Could Be Worse

Sitting in the Emergency Room waiting on the x-rays to come back, my nerves were a little on edge, but I was staying as calm as possible. When the doctor finally returned his words were, “The only way it could be worse is if it had broken through the skin.” At that, the room started spinning and I had to put my head between my legs to keep from passing out and adding to the patients in the room. My kid was about to have surgery when he was just a happy rambunctious five year old moments before.

Thinking through my life, there’s been plenty of instances that could’ve been worse, but they were pretty darn rough just as they were. Could I have handled them at all if they had been worse? Why weren’t they worse?

Every day we face something new. We don’t know what the day will bring once we start moving through it. Life can literally change in an instant and there are times I cautiously move forward, waiting for the “other shoe to drop”. When things are going smoothly, I often wonder when the bottom will fall out and I feel a bit guilty that the planets seem to be aligned in my world.

When I hear of someone going through a rough patch, it may be appropriate to say it could be worse, but sometimes that’s the last thing they need to hear.

There are things that people are dealing with that are so tough to handle, they’re barely holding together as it is and from our perspective it may seem that it could be worse, but for them, it’s as bad as they can take. We don’t know what they’re really going through because we aren’t them. Right now, it may not be fathomable for life to be any worse for them.

So, what to do? Do we go around anticipating what’s around every corner? Do we refrain from living for fear of dying? Does everything become a risk that we aren’t sure we can take?

For me, I’m learning to trust. It’s a hard thing that I’ve battled with for a lifetime and will probably continue to deal with until I’m outta here.

I know things can’t be rosey all the time, we wouldn’t appreciate the beauty of peace if we didn’t have turmoil. But I can’t live in fear all the time or I wouldn’t enjoy the blessings of the good days. So, I savor the good and pray for the rest. I’m not charmed or naieve enough to know that there won’t be “bad” times and I know that it could always be worse, but I trust that when it does get worse I will have help to get on the other side of it. I will get past it.

God has already been where He’s taking me, I just need to trust Him to get me there. And hear me-this is something I have to remind myself of constantly. I check the house for anything that could go wrong. Preventive measures are always underway: the animals are vaccinated, the food is rotated, washing machine basket cleaned and air filters changed! But, things happen. Animals get injured. Food goes bad. The washing machine has a mind of its own and who knows when the unit will cease up. I could fall down the stairs or in the shower or get kicked or run over any day. Someone I love could get sick, or have an accident...or choose not to accept salvation.

Time and time again the Lord promised to save. Throughout the old testament people doubted His leadership and promises; and they suffered because of their doubt.

Jeremiah tried to assure the captives of Jerusalem that they would be okay. He told them to stay steadfast in their faith and trust the Lord because He had plans for them. Jeremiah 29: 1-10 and He promised to bring them through to the otherside of this time of stuggle. Jeremiah 29: 11-14 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

This tells me: God has a plan. He’s working it out for me, I just have to stick close to Him and let Him carry me through the parts that I don’t think I can handle. The parts of my life where I don’t want to go on fighting. The days I wanna give up. Those are the times I need to be still. To sit, lay, fall on my knees...I DO give up-I pour it all out at the foot of the cross and offer it up to Him. Every. Single. Bit.

Yeah, I’ve been though some tough things, and in hind-sight they could have been much worse, but they weren’t. I’m grateful for that. And I can look back on those times now and think about whether or not something worse will come along, or I can move forward trusting that if they do I’ll be okay. As long as I keep my faith strong and stay close to the One that will get me to the other side of it all.

Otherwise, it really can be worse. Hell is forever too.