There’s no escaping the irony.  I start this series of BLOG postings on the subject of loss…I have a great conversation with a new believer last night about losses in life…and this morning my car leaves us stranded along side the road.  (sigh)

Couldn’t you just picture me pulling my hair out.  Believe me I wanted to…but… (For those reading this who don’t know me I am bald-so this is where you would chuckle at that thought.)  I’m not immune to discouragement, and honestly felt and feel a little discouraged and worried about what is broken and how we will pay for this.  However, let me tell you where my primary focus has been. 

On the Bright Side

I know, sometimes you just want to deck the people who always seem to be “looking on the bright side.”  However, I can see so much of the “bright side” this morning that it is inescapable how even in the midst of this trial and trouble God is taking care of us.  I don’t know a lot of things (what exactly is wrong, how we’ll afford the repair, what we’ll do for transportation, etc) but what I do know is that what we are experiencing right not could have been so much harder.  Here is some of the bright side.

First, let me tell you what happened.  We had stopped for a cup of coffee because we woke up later than we had planned and didn’t take the time to make a pot at home.  As we pulled back out onto the highway from the convenience store we heard a couple of loud pops under the hood, and then there was absolutely no steering!  I had no control over the direction the car was going.  in that context these are the “bright side” things I consider:

• We were only going a few miles per hour and not at highway speed.
• We were within a mile from home and not in some deserted place or somewhere between Danielle’s place in New York and home
• The timing of the steering breaking was such that the car simply drifted slightly to the right and we were able to safely pull off the road.
• There were no other cars immediately around us that could have been affected
• I was with Andie and she wasn’t on her own
• Pat was available and able to give Andie a ride home while I waited on the tow.
• A few years ago I signed up with AAA and the tow was free as a result.

Listen, I know that it is really hard to “look on the bright side” when you are going through the trial.  I know that I’m going to have plenty of moments where I wonder, question, doubt, and fret over this.  But, I’m glad that God gives us the possibility and choice—it is a choice—to decide to focus on the “bright side” when we face things like this. 

Here was my moment of real testing and choosing this morning.  After Pat had picked up Andie and I was left there alone to wait for the tow truck I got a special invitation to my very own PITY PARTY.  At that moment I started to slide down the slippery hill of discouragement and despondency.  However, a verse from my Bible memory shot up and landed in the center of my thoughts.  Psalm 43:5 says this:

Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.

At that moment I had to choose whether I would be sucked in to the “dark side” or I would focus on the “bright side.”  So I chose the bright side and I’m glad.  Perhaps pausing for just a moment and looking for the “bright side” in some of the struggles you might face could make a real difference for you as well.

Blessings even in the Struggles!

Pastor Dave “Big D” Bentley