Down But Not Out

In the movie Forrest Gump, the main character, played by actor Tom Hanks, quotes his mother as saying, "Life is like a box of chocolate…you never know what you gonna get", and boy, isn't that the truth! It is not without significance that life is said to be a journey; a very eventful one in which we experience highs and lows, surprises and disappointments, sadness and happiness. That journey is broken down into days, and each day is given to us, wrapped like a present, and we have no idea what that package contains. Days of immense happiness can be followed by devastating tragedies, and somewhere in the mix of experiences is the realization that this life is not quite fair.

The tragedies we sometime experience, can often leave us feeling like we have been in a heavyweight fight with boxer Mike Tyson in his prime. We get broadside by the unexpected at times when we least expect them, or have no reason to expect them. Our individual experiences often overwhelm us, provoking some of us to feelings of anger, betrayal, disbelief, tears, frustration, helplessness, and if we are not careful, to shake our fists in the face of God at what we consider life's unfairness. I know; I have been there.

The Psalmist David realized this condition when he wrote: "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy" (61:2-3, KJV). By ourselves we cannot survive life's storms and the things that threathen to destroy us, but as long as we allow Christ to lead us to the rock that is higher than ourselves, we can find refuge and strength in the strong tower who is our Savior. It is refreshing to know that regardless of what we find in our 'box of chocolate', we do not have to become victims of those circumstances; we do not have to be knocked out, but like Bozo the clown, we will be back on our feet everytime the enemy thinks he has knocked us down.
Thank God! Though we may not know what life will throw at us, we know we have a place of refuge for the times when we are overwhelmed and need to be somewhere safe. Jesus being there makes all the difference. I know; I have been there.