(Pastor Andy Cook shares this thought . . . )

In part of this country in the 1980s, when wolves were in danger of extinction, there was a special bounty offered for wolves caught alive. Each live wolf brought into captivity would bring $5,000! That turned two men, Sam and Jed, into fortune hunters. They headed for the forest. Day and night they looked for their $5,000 wolf, but they couldn’t find him. It was hopeless. One night, as they camped in a clearing, Sam awoke to find more than 50 wolves surrounding the camp. Their eyes were flaming and their teeth were bared. He nudged his friend and said, “Jed, wake up! We’re rich!” That’s a pretty good attitude!

Or what of the two men who were sent by a shoe manufacturer to a remote country to sell shoes? One wrote back: “I have terrible news. This is a God-forsaken country. Nobody here wears shoes. I’m coming home.” The other man wrote: “This is a wonderful country. I am so grateful you sent me to this territory. Nobody here wears shoes. Send me 5,000 pairs.”

What about the day when attitude won’t carry the day? What of the day when life’s circumstances are simply overwhelming? That’s when you need encouragement the most. Thankfully, that’s also the moment you might realize that encouragement like that is actually available!

The peace that passes all understanding is one of the most precious forms of encouragement that God has ever given us. It’s the solution for the pursuit of peace. It’s the peace that comes when we avoid impure actions. And it’s the satisfying answer in our chase for contentment, for the ability to actually enjoy life.

Florence Chadwick was an American swimmer known for long-distance open water swimming. She was the first woman to swim the 26 mile Catalina Channel, but actually failed on her first attempt. Why? Towards the end of her attempt she was tiring quickly, and a thick fog obscured her ability to see the coastline. She gave up and asked to be pulled into the boat, where she found out that she was actually only a mile from her destination.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth “We’re not giving up. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day. For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever. (II Corinthians 4:16 & 18)

Things around us can look pretty bleak. But what we see is not the full picture. Trust the One who sees AND controls it all to carry you through the long haul, because “this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble.” (II Corinthians 4:17)

Psalm 23 is probably the most familiar Psalm in the Bible.  To those who see God as nothing but an angry grumpy tyrant, ready to blast us out of existence for any mis-step, this picture of a tender and attentive shepherd can come as a surprise.

Surprises – they pop up in our lives all the time.  Everyday surprises are not always as obvious or extreme as these, but here are some examples.

The truth is, God was good the whole time.  He delivered on His surprise.  Israel just had to work through the rough wrapping to get to the treasure inside.  So it is with us.

As a young adult, I remember vividly my mother listening as I poured out my fear and concern about a crisis point in my life, one that could shape my whole future.  What if I fail?  What’s going to happen?  She listened and then said this to me – “God is not sitting on His throne, wringing His hands and wondering ‘Oh, no, what am I going to do’?  When I think about that, I almost always chuckle.  It is indeed a ridiculous thought.  God’s got this.  He knows what’s going on with the great surprises.  He knows what’s going on with the unwanted surprises. 

Either way, it can lead us to the gift that was hidden inside the roughly wrapped package. 

It might be fair to say that sometimes our loved ones have brought some unwanted surprises, especially as they became less well and more dependent on others. As loved ones and friends we’ve worked to comfort, to help, and have done our best to prepare for and prevent unwanted surprises. And yet . . . they still come. Those unwanted surprises can be challenging, exhausting, and sometimes devastating.

But if we take our cue from the Israelites, we’ll look a little farther, and see a little deeper.  We’ll discover and remember the events that are nuggets of blessing.  We’ll reflect on the times when, despite all the challenges of the situation, we’ve shared a moment we’ll never forget, and possibly that will influence us for the rest of our lives.

In that moment the rough wrapping of unwanted surprises can be laid aside, and we can discover one nugget of treasure among many –  the assurance that no matter what has come before, God is not surprised and He is in control.  It’s a reminder to make all of our interactions with others the wonderful surprise that God intends our lives to be.

That seems to be the way every commercial or newscast begins lately.  Okay, they might use the words “anxious” or “unprecedented” instead of “uncertain”, but here’s what they DON’T say:

“This Coronavirus STINKS!”.

And it does. The threat of physical suffering is real, but the overwhelming burden that most of us feel, including our residents here at The Gardens, is really separation. We can’t meet our friends for dinner somewhere, we can’t greet loved ones with a handshake and a hug, and we can’t cuddle our grandbabies. And the question on our minds more than any other is this:

When will it end?

During our morning breakfast devotion at The Gardens we concentrate on and cultivate one fruit of the Spirit each week. Want to guess what this week’s fruit is? It’s patience. Overlooking the inconveniences of the world. Instead of complaining about a delay, thanking God for an extra moment to pray. Choosing to face new challenges with joy instead of cursing and clenching our fists.

Paul wrote in Romans that everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope. Max Lucado writes that these scriptures show “historical moments in which a real God met real pain”.

So it helps us to remember that the same God who comforted the children of Israel through every exile, who wept with grieving sisters before he raised their brother to life, who whispered hope to two bereaved and bewildered believers on the road to Emmaus . . .

 . . . this same God waits with you today as He repeats the words He uttered to the Israelites: “Be still; the LORD your GOD will fight for you.” This same God “will cover you with His  feathers and . . you will not fear the pestilence . . or the plague”. 

Your Father cares, and He will protect you.

Neil Stephens, Chaplain