Some Won't Get ...

The older I get the more I realize walking with Jesus isn't always about getting rescued from difficult circumstances, getting wealthy, or having it easy. The prosperity gospel being preached in the last few decades bothers me to my core. Mainly because my life hasn't worked out all that great. When I was twenty, sitting in church being told everything was going to be wonderful in my life if I just did everything right and paid tithes, I couldn't have possibly imagined how bad my life could possibly get.

I admit, in my younger years I looked at happy couples with envy ... with their four kids, pets and dream house. The mom stays at home to home school the kids. She's thin and gorgeous, of course, healthy and able to go to the spa and gym as needed. Their idea of a real problem is deciding which gourmet restaurant to order dinner from. In my mid-thirties I still held onto that idealism that maybe someday it would happen for me ... my kids would have it all, and I would, too.

I'm not bitter or cynical, but realistic now. I'm no longer idealistic. Although those are the families we see highlighted most on social media, that's not the norm or reality for 98% of the people in the world, and it's certainly not the life promised by Jesus to us in His word. He said "In this world you will have trouble, but fear not, I have overcome the world." He goes on to say in the midst of that trouble, there are proper ways to walk out your walk of faith. He explains how to respond well.

I work for a Network Management IT company. Our job is to keep our clients safe from cyberattacks. And, we provide insurance just in case. We even write policies for our clients employees so they know how to respond in case of a breach of security.

How many young Christians are practically taught how to respond if they're unfairly attacked in this life? How many know how to handle themselves when they are assaulted by viruses, have their money stolen, have their reputation slandered, or have their lives turned upside down by a war they didn't see coming? Not many.

Not many know how to protect themselves from invaders, turmoil and the like. Not many know how to stay healthy, mentally and physically. Not may know how to set healthy boundaries and firewalls with certain types of people who could threaten their wellbeing.

We need to teach people how to respond in crisis. We also need to teach people how to walk out a Christ-like walk when the world is crashing down around us, all of our dreams are dying, all the people we love are suffering or being lost, and we don't understand why it's happening.

The older I get the more beauty I see in people like Kay Roberts (of Duck Dynasty) who loved her husband past his backslidden ways, even when she wasn't being loved in return. Even when it was unfair. I appreciate the beauty of parents taking care of disabled children, knowing things will never get better. The grace of single parents getting their children raised, only to have to take care of elderly parents.

Some people won't ever be loved by an Instagram-perfect spouse.

Some people will never have a nice body, dream house or sporty car.

Some people will be consumed by a loneliness so profound it causes them to only be able to see in shades of gray.

For some people, all they know is day-in-day-out pain. A physical pain that refuses to go away, no matter how many times they go through a prayer line or how many doctors they see.

Some will work jobs far too difficult for them for decades, with no one coming to their financial rescue.

Some will take care of disabled or mentally ill family members ... for decades ... with no help or end in sight.

Some will not live long enough to see wayward loves and children make it back home.

Some people will not get healed on this side of heaven. They will struggle against their own broken bodies daily without relief.

These videos are for those people ... to say these made me cry alligator tears is an understatement ...

The Chosen - Season 3, Episode 2 "Little James" clip

Jordan Peterson talking about teaching his daughter to walk through a hard life of chronic illness with grace...

It's easy to give up when there seems to be no end in sight, but if there's one thing I KNOW ... Jesus has never once let go of my hand, even when I didn't deserve it. He has a good, happy ending for us. Sometimes it is not in this life. It is in the next. But, the real reward is knowing Him as friend now, in the midst of the storm. Stop waiting for life to get better to embrace Jesus as Friend.