Just In Time

A life that is not reflected upon isn’t worth living. It belongs to the essence of being human that we contemplate our life, think about it, discuss it, evaluate it, and form opinions about it. Half of living is reflecting on what is being lived.

-Henri Nouwen

I have discovered through the years that one of the strategies of the devil is to try to isolate us in the midst of our struggles by telling us that we are the only ones feeling the way we are feeling. The lie continues by suggesting that not only are we the only ones that are feeling this way but there must be something inherently wrong with us for having these problems. Shame and guilt act as walls around us to keep us from reaching out and discovering the truth that our battles are not ours alone. What a comfort to discover that others have walked and overcome the path that you now walk, and will, in Christ, overcome!

Reflecting on the past and dealing with it changes us for the future. A person who has come through the battles of life and reflected upon those battles does not remain the same…something foundational changes! I look at things in a different way now. I have more mercy and compassion to offer others. Nothing tastes sweeter nor adds to our strength like overcoming and surviving the assaults of life. Once you face the “Goliath” in your life and survive, you generally find out that you are stronger and more courageous than you thought you were. The reality is that “Goliath” has brothers…big brothers; more battles are likely to come. This thought has bolstered my resolve to stand in the midst of trials…if God brought me through ‘that’ then He will get me through ‘this.’ As over-comers, we have reestablished our foundation in a trustworthy God and indeed can stand, “in the world with head erect, solidly rooted in the knowledge of who we are…” -H.N.

When Corrie Ten Boom, the well-known Holocaust survivor, was a little girl, her father would take her on train trips to Amsterdam. One night, Corrie was sharing her concerns with her dad regarding something she was afraid of. Her dad asked her the question, “Corrie, when we go on the train to Amsterdam when do I give you your ticket?” She responded, “Right before I get on the train.” Her dad said, “That is right and God will give you the ‘ticket’ you need right before you face whatever you fear.” I have drawn on the simple truth of that story many times as I surrendered by faith to the unknown, trusting God to give me what I needed just in time!