Simple as that
Hey, everyone!
Wow! What a week! It's really been quite a fall!
"Fall?! Dude! Winter's hopefully winding up! Especially after this week! Whaddaya mean, fall?"
Oh. I meant the one I took on Wednesday.
That was quite a fall.
I was out jogging in the winter wonderland, taking in all the wonders of falling snow on ice and meditating on the wonder of slumbering flowers under white frozen fields, just waiting for their moment to bloom in nature's wonderful arrangements, when suddenly something less than wonderful happened…
Opps!
Bam!!
Or as the song says…
"A slip!
A slide!
On my backside!
I think I mighta
bruised my pride!"
My first thought as I lay in the street, looking up at the wonder of snowflakes, each one wonderfully unique, landing on my face, was…
"I wonder if anyone saw that!"
Anyway, after about the ten minutes it took me to stand up, I thought, "Sumthin' ain't right. My right arm isn't supposed to just hang down like that…"
So I figured I better go to the ER and find out what happens when you break your shoulder off. Pottsie did ambulance duty and as we made our way out of the 'Springs, I thought, "Wow, Lord! How complicated did my life just get? Will this mean surgery? Or surgeries? Physical therapy? Arm transplant? WILL I EVER PLAY THE BANJO AGAIN?!"
When I registered, the lady asked, "What happened?"
"I slipped and fell while jogging," I said.
"That was stupid!"
"Falling? You can't help it if you slip on ice!"
"No. Not that part. The jogging on snow and ice was stupid."
"I see your point."
Thankfully, my bro' in Christ, Dave Drum was working back there! After he read the X-rays he said, "Nothing broken! Just a sprain! Let's throw it in this sling and in a couple of days, should be good as new!"
Wow! That was simple!
I thought I had a really complicated problem that would need a complicated solution but it would all be easy and simple!
What a wintery wonderful feeling!
Y'know, that wasn't the first time I had a simple answer to an intimidating problem this week!
I thought I was having major power steering issues in my car. There was this growling noise. Called another bro' in Christ, Julio…
"Do this. Stop. Turn the wheel as far left as it can go. Then as far right. Repeat. I think there are bubbles in the line…"
Left…right…left…right…FIXED!
Seven seconds and no bill!
"…And I said to myself, 'What a wonderful world!' "
While we're all stuck in this winter wonderland…
I wonder how many times we miss that wonder?
An easy fix when we thought the solution would be so complicated?
Here's a problem that has an easy answer…
Sometimes, folks live for weeks, months, or years with regrets and remorse for dumb choices or hurtful decisions made "way back there".
"How can I ever get past this? How can I ever lift my head again? How can I ever feel clean again?"
John wrote, "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
"Confess" means, "Just call that mess and wrong what God calls it. No making Him promises. No need to plead or beg. Just admit it!"
Bam! Clean and new!
That was easy!
How 'bout when you're filled with anxiety and worry about a thing you can't fix and you don't know what to do about it…
Answer? Listen…
"Be anxious for nothing (the Greek for "nothing" is the word, "NOTHING!") but in everything by prayer and asking, including thanksgiving, tell God what you want. And the peace of God that passes all understanding WILL guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!" (Philippians 4:6)
Did you hear that simple solution?
Tell God what you want Him to do about whatever makes you anxious, worried or nervous, thanking Him that He's awesome and full of love and power, and you WILL have peace!
It's a promise!
Simple as that!
Easy!
Here's another simple solution to potentially complicated problems…
If you're confused and don't know what to do, all you have to do is ask God yo tell you!
Check this…
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you!" (James 1:5)
Wisdom for James didn't mean understanding the philosophically intrinsically inscrutability of life's mysterious mysteries. It's a ton more practical. "James" was about the first thing in the New Testament written, when most everyone was Jewish in Jesus' movement. And for Jewish people, wisdom was a lot more Proverb-y, plain ol' everyday "What-do-I-do-now?" stuff. Advice and direction for the situations of life.
Don't know what to do?
That's easy!
Ask God to tell you and He promises He will!
If you do it, you'll save yourself tons of troubles!
"God, it's snowy and icy out there. Since I'm almost a senior citizen and falls ain't as easy on a feller like me as they used to be, do you think I should go jogging in this?"
"No, my son. That would be stupid."
That's it for the weather!