Explosions & Slip-N-Slides

To my reader,

Here is a story from this past Wed:

This was not the best way to start my day. You see, I was covered in watermelon from head to toe.  A XXL watermelon had exploded in my garage and another was about to follow suit.  All I wanted to do was put my hands over my face and yell my boss's name in vain, however I refrained.   Let me take a step back to a few days before.

We had bought twenty-five XXL watermelon to cut up and give to over 1,300 people.  With us cutting large slices, we not only had hundreds of slices left over, but ten untouched watermelons.  I decided to take them home and store them in my garage for Two42, however I stacked them on top each other. This would later prove to be a bad decision on my part. 

I woke to my family in chaos the next morning.  Apparently two of the watermelons had small breaks in the rind. Between this and the weight of the watermelon on top of it, the watermelon had exploded, thus creating the world’s craziest watermelon slip-n-slide in my garage.  It was everywhere. By the time I had finished cleaning it up, I looked as though I had been swimming in a pool full of watermelon.  The metaphorical poop had hit the fan.

Honestly, I was furious that the watermelon has exploded.  This was terrible timing. Why now? I was angry that I had slipped, several times, face planting into the watermelon painted concrete below.  I had about a million thoughts running through my head, none that I’ll repeat, but eventually I had to stop and take a deep breath. 

While I’m on my hands and knees, I remembered this passage in the New Testament where Jesus is talking with his disciples not long before he is betrayed. He tells them of these terrible things that will happen, and go on to say this:

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33, NLT.

I was upset because the timing was bad. I was upset that the watermelon has exploded. And if you really look at the situation, I was upset that something went wrong. It didn’t go as planed.  The truth is, Jesus doesn’t say there could be trouble one day. He assures them, you will have trials.  Essentially, the poop will hit the fan; watermelons will explode.

What separates this and a “get over it” talk, is what Jesus tells us to do when trials and sorrows comes.  Jesus tells us to take heart, to dig deep. Essentially Jesus is saying, “When (not if) trouble comes, don’t give up. Trust in me; I overcame this.” We can have peace in the junk in our lives; it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t affect us.  Injustice and sorrow should affect our emotions, but that doesn’t shake who Jesus is and his love for us.  Its in Jesus that we can have peace- not ourselves.  He overcame the world, and he reminds us that this should give us hope. If you need to mourn, mourn.  If you need to vent, vent. However, do it and let it go. Our God loves us enough he endured this world so we could have a relationship with Him and that we may overcome it.

Dig deep, keep moving forward.  Take heart, He overcame the world. 

How do you react when the troubles and sorrows come-when things don't go as planned?

Simply,

Tex G.M. Rule

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33, NLT.