-Turn On A Dime-

There’s an old saying someone coined (no pun intended), “Life can turn on a dime.” Boy is that true. There have been many phrases given to illustrate the same thought: “Some days a diamond, some days a stone.” “Into every life a little rain must fall.” “Gotta take the bad with the good”, etc. Someone said, “I used to have a handle on life. Then it broke!” Ever feel that way? Yep, life can turn on a dime.

Think of the Native Americans who were going about their lives oblivious…until the Pilgrims landed! When asked by an anthropologist what the Indians called America before the white man came, an Indian said simply, "Ours.". Life can turn on a dime.

Case in point, last week I spoke of whitewater rafting. I took a group of students to the Ocoee River on a whitewater trip & one of the students fell out of the raft. (We’re not talking about a little canoe trip here. This is the river they use in the Olympic trials.) Fortunately, for all concerned, the guide grabbed him & pulled him back on board. Thing is, the guide had been training for three months & was about to be certified to instruct solo. She had learned the chutes & undercurrents of the river stretch & was about to make river guide. She was immediately bounced back to square one. The student was having a great time but in a heartbeat could have lost his life. I would have had to go home explaining to a mom why I had lost her son!! Life can turn on a dime.

This past summer a family in our area was on a drive celebrating the holidays. A man, drunk & high, ran into them killing the woman. In a split second two families’ lives changed. A few years back a good friend was riding his motorcycle on a warm, sunny afternoon. He hit a rough patch & lost control. An oncoming driver swerved & hit him, killing the father of four. The next day his son turned 2. Life can turn on a dime.

I could fill up pages with stories of how transitory our time is in this life. You could probably fill in many more stories of a split-second that changed your world. It’s not just the actions & incidents of this life that make us, it’s our reactions.

This week you may have received bad news: a pink slip, a failing grade, a writ of divorce, a bad pathology report, a past due notice, _________ you fill in the blank! How will you handle the hit?

In probably the greatest sermon ever shared, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave some insight into how we should react to potential KO’s of life: “I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” Matthew 5:44-45 NLT

These trite little sayings & truisms offer little help in your hurt. I’ve walked with Christ, though not perfectly, the majority of my life now. I’ve found this to be true: I don’t have a pain-free life, but God has been my guide, my comfort & strength all along the way. It rains on us all. I simply want to be in the business of handing out umbrellas! Remember, life can turn on a dime, but that goes both ways. If today your life is the inspiration for a tragic, country song, tomorrow may be a soaring ballad! Contact me if I can be of encouragement to you… or you for me!

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Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Cell: 870-217-9376 Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com