When the going gets tough...what shall we do?

Well, we’ve had about 5 weeks to get adjusted to the back-to-school routine.  How are you doing?  You may be thinking, “If back to school was the only change we needed to make, the adjustment would not be so difficult.  Add these things (in no particular order) to going “back-to-school”:  band, football, softball, track and field, soccer, cheer, fund-raisers, concessions, part-time jobs, dating…I could go on and on…in addition to our jobs, housework, laundry, shopping, cooking, lawn work, and our personal and collective responsibilities as Christians to the church and to the world.”  Whew! No wonder too many of us get sick this time of year! How do we get it done?  How can anyone explain how life works?  Opps!  We must not forget another thing that is very important:  sleep.  We have to sleep sometime.  And what about eating?  Oh, yes.  And what about taking a bath or shower?  I think I’ll stop here because my head beginning to ache. 

I guess the way I see it is this:  In order to get things done begin by taking a deep breath.  This is very important because if you don’t breathe, doing anything will be impossible.  Then we get organized.  This is also very important.  Next, we tackle one thing at a time.  Dad goes here.  Mom goes there.  Brother here.  Sister there.  Grandpa here.  Grandma there.  Somehow some way every day one thing at a time with the help of the Lord and people all around us, we all, working together make a way to get what needs to be done, done! We are part of a big family, humanity.  When things go wrong sometimes is isn’t hard to find out why.  All we really need to do is remember what God’s word, the Bible tells us.  We have an enemy; the devil, and sadly some people side with him.  When people side with the enemy, things get extra tough on us and on them. 

I have made a decision to follow the old adage: “When going gets tough, the tough get going.”  By “going” I mean, “going” to the Father in prayer for our needs and for help, strength, and courage to face the challenges of life.  If you are having a difficult time with balancing all you have to do, begin every morning with prayer and close every day with prayer.  Pray about everything and pray in everything.  You’ll be amazed what God can do for you and through you when you ask Him to.

By “going” I mean “going” to the Bible to read, study, think about, and apply what I read to my life.  When I do, I am stronger and can see more clearly.  You don’t have to read a lot, just some, maybe a verse or two every day.  I love Jeremiah 33:3.  Lately this verse has become one of my favorites.  God says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”  Now that is a verse that can help you and me all day long.  Just one verse from the Bible, and the Bible is full of verses just like that.  The Bible is God’s word for you and me, written to help us every day.  How about it?  Are you ready to “get going?”

By “going” I mean “going” to meet with my fellow Christian brothers and sisters for Bible study, worship, and fellowship on Sunday, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening for sure.  And I try to make meeting with fellow Christians a priority in my life.  In the Bible we can read from Hebrews 10:23-24 about why God asks every Christian to meet together every chance we get.  Read it.  “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.”   Have you been “going” when the going gets tough?  If not, begin as soon as possible.

May God bless you and me as we live our lives one day at a time!  The past is forever…well, past.  The future may or may not be.  Today is ours…24 hours to live the only life we have this side of heaven.  What shall we do?  I suggest that we “get going.”