When the Wheels Fall Off

On Monday morning, Duncan and I were talking about ABC, the students, our mission and the task of equipping students for ministry in light of what God calls us to be. He said, "What Jesus is really concerned with is how you react when the wheels fall off."

After my little car accident on the weekend, that was a particularity apt statement and I began to assess how I really did react (when the wheels nearly fell off) and how deeply Sundays service at Journey had, in fact, affected my outlook on my situation. There is no denying that on Saturday, even Sunday morning, I was frustrated and angry, not just about the inconvenience or even the cost of the accident but at the whole pattern of crappy events that I seem to be living in the midst of. Why can't something go right? Why am I here? Why me? I was frustrated and discouraged.

Going to church on Sunday, though, helped me put it all into perspective. Three main truths stuck out to me:
1. God is big, I am small.
2. He is worthy of praise no matter what my 'issues'
3. Life in community is better than life alone...and there are people at Journey who care for me.

Those things were important for me to hear. My car seems like a small thing when I think of all God sees. Even my finances, which seem like a big deal to me, really aren't that big a deal to him. In spite of all the stuff, he is still worthy of my praise and adoration. He is big and though I am small, I am not out of His eye.

So, when the wheels fall off, sometimes literally, I can respond in light of that, with that awareness. I can move with much more grace, peace and, yes, even joy, than I had initially started out with. I can find strength I didn't know I had - perhaps didn't have - and can move forward. When the wheels fall off, I can still move forward with Jesus because that's the way I proceed when the wheels are on! By setting habits like that when life is moving along smoothly, I can move forward the same way when the road is rough.