Hope Floats on the River Wild

Grandma always said "$h!+" happens, get on wit' it". The theological directive in her brusqueness doesn't exactly jump out at you.

Did grandma not take Madonna at her word-- that heaven is a place on earth? Some of us operate as if there is little distinction between the present earth and the New Earth yet to come. We tend to expect some form of perfection or smoothness on this rock. Short lines and healthy kids and clean carpets. And with the (subconscious) heaven-on-earth mentality, we get upset when the streets aren't gold enough.

Personally, I often feel the need to take matters into my own hands. I see the cracks in my life and rush to fortify my kingdom. Sometimes I buy more stuff to place in front of the cracks (i.e., rugs to cover the lacerations in our hardwood floors), so I won't have to think about them.

I've heard people say that they just need more insurance, be it life, health, car, or home. Is that the answer? In a spell of reckless mutiny this past week I declined opportunities to purchase package insurance at the post office and an electric screwdriver warranty at Home Depot. I can see the merit in those things, but do you ever have the feeling that insurance and faith function in opposition? Or that you are transferring the location of your faith from God to Geico? I'm not saying insurance or warranties are orange cones to spiritual growth. But is there a limit? If the lizard offers you a new plan that covers a bad day, would we be first in line?

I heard a few days ago that the word "bailout" beat out "maverick" and "misogyny" for Merriam-Webster's 2008 "Word of the Year", for its obvious overuse the past 2 and a half months. Assuming you’re a normal person, like me, and not a mega-corporation, how would you feel if the government offered you a personal "bailout"? I've had the occasional tight financial spot lately. At 6'4", I feel I'm too big to fail. Shorter people are depending on me.

I suspect happier people take grandma's attitude.

They have the experience to know that Murphy's will never get demoted to Theory.

Let's face it; I will always lock my keys in my car on the morning of my first day of a new job (circa last month). I will always think I am more or less attractive than I really am. I will always end up in the longest line at the store and my debit card will not be in my wallet when it's time to pay for my groceries. My kids will always fall on their face. I will always vote for the losing presidential candidate.

So, if I expect these things to happen, then life will be less painful, right? If I make this part of my paradigm, I can give people who wrong me the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I can even smile at the dude who cut me off on the highway. "I'm sure he's not a jerk in normal situations. Maybe he's just drunk". My road rage has never worked yet, anyway.

Okay, the above approach (anticipating a little "hell on earth") may be an okay approach for some people. But aren't we called to do more than that? Sure, bad things will happen. Scripture says that, as Christians, we are being "killed all day long". That's more than "$h!+ happens", that's "death prowls".

"Bad days" can take the wind out of you, definitely. There have been days coming home from work when I feel like saying to my wife, "Please just let me go upstairs so I can lay fetal in bed and stare out the window while listening to R.E.M's "Everybody Hurts". But in His grace and goodness, God always intercepts my plea. Such as, my daughter running up to me holding the picture she drew of a "pretty lady". Wait, isn't that a monster with no torso. I hear God telling me to "get over yourself". You're missing it. Don't dwell on the temporal (i.e., this ailing earth, your broken vessel of a body, and the other sin-birthed issues enveloping my little world).

So, God…the idea that everyday I'm like a "sheep being led to the slaughter" (a la Psalms 44 and Romans 8) is supposed to make me want to paint rainbows and sunshine on my bedroom walls and grab my vapor clogs for a stroll on cloud 9?

That is nonsense unless you are truly among those who are new creations, born of the Spirit, aliens of this world. In which case you are deemed "overcomers" or "more than conquerors", not through our own strength, in which case we could boast, but through Him who loved us.

So, as overcomers, life's problems don't affect us and bad days are history, right? No, "s+uff (still) happens". Sin still keeps Murphy, esq., in practice. But only for a definite time. Murphy will retire. Christians, through Christ's atoning work, will live on, unaffected by the eternal damning effects of sin.

With this realization, how should we live while in these decaying bag-o-bones on this crumbling rock?

Like a woman in labor.

Pain for pain's sake is wretched. Arthritis is not orgasmic. A woman in labor is altogether different. She may scream at new octaves because of the horrific pain. But in that, she knows how it will finish. In a short time she will be cradling a beautiful miracle. All will be peaceful for a time. People will celebrate. Her wounds will heal.

Apostle Paul puts this all beautifully in perspective in Romans 8:18-25 (see below). Read it often.

People on Earth without this hope are laboring in vain. Their's will produce only a stillbirth. Their tears won't end. Their bodies won't heal. And we need to tell them the reason for the hope we have, namely Jesus.

But first you have to truly cling to this hope (Hebrews 10:23) and let it generate a new vivacity and joy that holds more amperage than the mere "Power of Positive Thinking".

Romans 8:18-25
18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.