Every once in a while we hear of a yacht plowing into some unsuspecting small boat or riding up on shore.
You know, the one where the proud owner is so amazed by the auto-pilot option that he can’t wait to get out on the open water, set the coordinates and head down to the galley to relax over a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
It doesn’t take much to imagine the interruption he will have at the first obstacle.
Isn’t that just like us in so many ways?
We work really hard to earn the extras and bring our life up to cruising speed. We strive to establish consistency and routine. And then we set the switch to cruise-control.
Which is fine — until the first obstacle.
It’s those interruptions to our lives that many of us find difficult to deal with. Maybe it’s the realization that you’re in a dead-end job. Perhaps it’s the awakening to the staleness of your marriage. Or maybe it’s even more sudden in the termination of your job or the death of a loved one.
Jesus said that while we are in this world, we would have trouble. That wasn’t a promise, just a statement of fact.
As much as we would love to live our lives on auto-pilot, the reality of the interruptions won’t allow it.
Which brings us back to the immediacy of dealing with those obstacles in our course.
I have been asked many times how this person or that one who had endured considerable stress over a long period of time could maintain a smile and a good attitude.
Knowing the individuals, more often than not, my response has been simply, “Their faith in Jesus.”
You see, just before he made that comment about having trouble in this world, Jesus asserted quite plainly that in him we could have peace.
Elsewhere, he beckoned to onlookers, assuring them that if they came to Him with their burdened, tired, stress-filled lives, He would give them rest. The kind of rest that goes much deeper than a good sleep.
The next time you see the rocks getting close or the sense of an obstacle approaching, why not reach out to Jesus.
This life will continue to bring challenges and trouble, in many ways, but Jesus will give us peace — even in the interruptions.
— Brian Robertson, Christian Fellowship Centre, Qualicum Beach
