English Radio Program

30 October 2008

JESUS STAYS AWAKE NIGHTS, TOO

I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand, You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. Psalms 73:23-25

I was standing in line at a market when I turned to the woman in front of me and asked, “Did you have a nice trip?” She was a stranger, but I couldn't help noticing that she was holding at least a dozen packets of photos which has just been developed. Very surprised she said, “Oh yes, it was a lovely trip,” and she proceeded to tell me about it, but then quizzically she asked, “How did you know I had been on a trip?” I smiled as I said, “I just happened to notice the packets of photos you have.” Uh-huh.

We talk about where we've been, what we've been through, and what is of interest to us. That's why grandparents need a wide berth if you don't want to hear about Ryan's five new teeth or the fact that he—like any other baby the world over about a year of age—is now taking steps on his own.

I do hope that when I get old, God may give me the wisdom not to tell everybody everything I know (or think I know) and where I've been. But there's one thing for sure: If you really want to know about some place, ask the person who has been there. If you want to know about someone, ask the person who has a friendship with that individual. Don't just read about it in a book. Firsthand contact is unbeatable.

Preparing for this series, I made an interesting discovery. The characters in the Bible who talked the most about darkness and the despair of being in a pit were David, Job, and Jeremiah. These men had been there. They had faced the long night hours when their companions were loneliness, despair, and doubt. Subsequently, they are individuals who have something to say when it comes to how you climb out of the pit and live to see the dawn of a new day.

It is also interesting to me to note that highest rates of suicide and alcoholism are usually found in places where there is the least amount of sunshine, and the greatest amount of cloudy weather and darkness.

I was just in my early 20s when Darlene and I visited the coal mining region of central Britain for the first time. It was on a rainy day when we came into a little town where the buildings were darkened by coal smoke. The day was overcast and damp. I vividly remember the laundry hanging on the lines appeared to be dirty and gray even though it had just been washed. Definitely, it needed a miracle detergent.

Turning to my host I said, “I'd sure hate to live here. I'd think these folks would be depressed all the time.” To my surprise, he said, “No, these are some of the happiest people in all England . They have learned to live above their circumstances.” I've never forgotten those words: “ They have learned to live above the circumstances.”

“Right,” you are thinking. “Just tell me how to do it.” Frankly, I know of only one way to really live above the circumstances, and that is to live on God's side of life—the upward side that realizes there is sunshine above the clouds, and that it will not rain forever, and that someway, somehow, God is going to bring me through the darkness of the long night.

Take time to read the account of the time that the disciples of Jesus were crossing Galilee , and the winds seemingly wouldn't stop blowing. You will find the story in Mark 6. Jesus came alongside the frightened disciples and climbed on board, and that's when the winds stopped blowing.

If we but knew even a small part of the Father's love and care, living above the circumstances would be much, much easier.

Resource reading: Mark 6.