Where Can You Go For Help?

I think about some of the problems we face. I am not speaking about irritations like not having a 4G signal, running out of hot water, or waiting in long lines to get a cup of coffee.  We have real problems. 

At some point in our lives, we all face discouragement. Things do not always go according to plan. Setbacks happen everywhere you turn. You cannot find the right job. The right person for you to be in a relationship with seems to be hiding. Maybe you watch the news or an election and lose all hope for the future of humankind.

Fear is another big issue. Sure, there are many irrational fears such as the fear of heights, spiders, or birds. (That last one in mine.) However, there are some real fears. The fear of pain, being lonely, and losing your job is terrifying for some people. 

Lack of opportunity seems to be a big problem. Some people do not have the necessary skills to find a job that will allow them to be self-sufficient. Education costs have skyrocketed making it difficult to make yourself more attractive to good-paying jobs.

Healthcare is a tremendous issue. There are so many health issues. If you are sick, there may not be a cure. If there is a cure, the high cost of prescriptions and insurance make it nearly impossible for some to afford it.   

Safety is another big problem. People worry about personal safety with murder rates, robberies, and rapes being reported by the news every night. We want to be able to go outside without putting ourselves in harm’s way. We want our children and grandchildren to have a safe place to play. 

So where do we turn for help? Psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors can be helpful. However, many of them disagree with each other’s solutions. They may help give you a way to voice your problems. However, can they replace your despair with joy? 

Some government agencies or banks can help finance your education, but the rules change so often it is almost impossible to keep up. If you do get the education, to whom do you turn for a job? Agencies help occasionally, but by the time you finish your degree technology has replaced those jobs to some extent. 

Doctors and hospitals can help with many medical issues, but there are too many diseases with no known cure. 

We should ask God for a miracle, but God does not believe in miracles. I know that sounds unbelievable, but it is the truth. People would argue that God healed the sick, raised the dead, and even parted the Red Sea so he must believe in miracles. However, he does not believe in them. He simply performs them. 

A miracle is defined as a wonder, a marvel, and a mystery. The problems we face require a miracle for us, but for God healing someone with cancer is as simple as us tying our shoes. We face impossible situations all the time. With people, these things are impossible, but with God, all things are possible. God does not provide for our needs and wonder how he did it. He is not amazed at his accomplishments. He simply does them because, as our Father, he loves us. He responds to our faith when we ask. Our problem may be a lack of faith. If so, ask him to help you believe. He will help you with that, as well.

To whom do I turn for help when God does not believe in miracles? I go to God because he performs them anyway. 

47 Meters Down

A friend suggested that we see a movie, so my wife and I joined him. To be perfectly honest, I had no intention of watching this particular movie. I held very low expectations for it.  The movie was not as bad as I believed it would be. It was, however, very predictable as most movies of this genre appear to be.

As the movie progresses, it is abundantly clear that the reason for the main characters to be in such a bad situation is because of a ridiculous motive. Once they started on this expedition, one bad decision after another created more hazards. At some point, you hoped the characters would at least make one sound decision and not respond out of fear every time. This would not be the case. It actually got to the point where I began wishing that more bad things would happen because, with the decision-making, they must have wanted more terror. If only they would have listened to the simple directions, they were given.

Sometimes we make decisions based on the wrong motivation. We may be trying to impress someone. We may be trying to feel better about ourselves. We may even make a decision just because we do not know what else to do. Before making any decision, ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” If the answer you give yourself seems to be a shaky excuse, you may want to rethink your path before taking the first step.

Some situations look bad before we get into them. Avoid bad situations. We put ourselves in harm’s way by being at the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people. Investigate your path before starting it. Understand the dangers and what to do if more arise. 

Fear is also a problem. When we start making decisions based on fear, we tend to make the wrong decisions. You can always plan for problems to arrive, but we should base most of our decisions on a positive outcome. Expecting bad things to happen normally result in bad things happening. Obviously, even the best-laid plans can result in failure, but as plans fail, then we can adjust. Fear causes us to adjust before they fail and more often than not, lead to failure.

Just like in the movie, listening to sound advice is the way to go. Obeying it is even more important. Not every decision we make is life threatening, but following directions can save you from many terrible outcomes. The “I’ll do it my way” approach rarely works when you are out of your experience level. Listen to people who know. Follow their lead. Make sure you trust the person to whose advice you are taking.

While the saying “Doing something is better than doing nothing” has some credible thinking behind it, doing the wrong thing can have some incredible consequences. Do not be afraid to do something, but plan and do the right thing. Do not let fear hold you back. More importantly, do not let fear guide your decisions.  

When Tomorrow Comes

The dictionary defines Tomorrow as the day after today. The very definition proves the proverb "tomorrow never comes." However, we know that tomorrow will come disguised as today. Sometimes we are ready for it. At other times, we dread its arrival. 

I once hated a job so much that on my first day of vacation I dreaded my return. I did not enjoy my vacation. I could not appreciate my time with my family. They deserved my attention, but my focus was the fear of going back to that awful workplace. The stress levels were so high that I struggled to sleep. There were days when I could not help but cry over my situation. My wife told me to quit my job, but how would I support my family? 

I feared tomorrow would come. In that circumstance, it always came too early. 

Many years later, I look back and am glad that I was able to get free from that place. It only took a phone call to a previous boss to get a position that allowed me to regain enjoyment in life. Had I not decided to make that call, I would hate to think of how things would have turned out.  

There are still times when I wish tomorrow would never come. Normally, those times are when I am enjoying today so much, I never want it to end. When I spend time with my family, I would love for that moment to be endless. This is especially true when that family time involves my granddaughter. While I do not dread tomorrow in these instances, I only wish for today to linger. I have a great family. I love each one of them. Time together is not necessarily rare, but it never seems to be enough. (They may or may not feel the same way about time with me.)  

I can hardly wait for some tomorrows to arrive. Just like not wanting to leave my family, I cannot wait for the time to come to gather with them. When that is tomorrow, it cannot come soon enough. 

Paydays, holidays and weekends are some of the days I love to see coming. Obviously, I cannot wait for more than these days to arrive. My wedding day was one such day. On Friday, Saturday could not come quick enough. Some people are nervous about their wedding day, but I was as calm as I could be. I knew I made the right choice. I knew what I wanted. My life would change, and it did so for the better. Who would not be thrilled to have something great arrive sooner than later?

  

Regardless of what you want, tomorrow comes. We cannot wait for something so eagerly that we do not enjoy the present. We also should not dread anything so much, that it ruins today. The manner in which we wait is just as important as what we anticipate.  

Prepare for tomorrow's arrival but realize that today is worth living. Sometimes it only takes a change of attitude or thinking that can make your current situation better. It may also take action, like a phone call. However, do not ruin your today but waiting for tomorrow.   

Enjoy today!

The Dog Chaser

Many years ago, I held a job as a meter reader. Going onto people's properties to get to an electric or gas meter could sometimes be an adventure.

I remember this one house that raised about two feet off the ground. It set back about one hundred feet away from the front fence. The electric meter was on the right rear side of the house. As any seasoned meter reader would do, I checked for signs of trouble before entering. I rattled the gate, saw no food bowls or animal tracks, and called out to alert anyone or anything that I was entering.

I cautiously approached the house and remained alerted for possible unseen danger. It was not until I reached the front corner before a full-grown German Shepherd came from under the house running full speed in my direction. He was not happy with my presence in his territory.

It is truly amazing how fast the mind can think. I went through possible scenarios of escape. I could not outrun the dog, at least not in the distance required. In those tenths of seconds that I had, I was struggling to get a reasonable idea. No good ideas came to mind.

Out of time and needing to act fast, I acted on impulse with what seemed like an incredibly stupid plan. I took my handheld device for inputting readings from the meters, lifted it over my head with one hand and ran at the German Shepherd full speed yelling.

What was I thinking? At this point, not a lot.

The result of my action was more than I could have expected. The German Shepherd's hair stood straight up on its back.  It turned and ran as far away from me as it could and hid. I was able to back out of the yard with the electric meter's reading. I was able to calm down and breathe again.

We all have problems that we face in life. Ignoring them does not make them disappear. Sometimes these problems are developed over a long time. Sometimes they present themselves suddenly.

I thought about this story when I read about David and Goliath. Goliath was a big problem for David, but he ran towards the problem to defeat it.

We certainly need to be watchful of possible troubles to avoid them from becoming catastrophic. I do not mean live in fear of everything just do not let your guard down. Do not run from the trouble in your life. Do something to overcome it.

Most of the time, we will have more time to think about what to do than just tenths of a second.  Use the time to prepare a winning strategy. Talk to people that have succeeded in dealing with the same sort of trouble. Some people are not looking out for your best interest. Make sure you consult with wise and knowledgeable people.

Like people have said, "Doing something is better than doing nothing." You can always check and adjust your plan later if needed.