Under Attack

Do you ever feel that you are under attack?  Under attack from your spouse or your job or that life is just out to get you sometimes?

There is no doubt that we all end up with some kind of attack on us at all times.  I think that is what we call life!  There are humans involved and we are still this side of eternity in an imperfect world so it should be expected.  It is not really what is thrown at us that matters but how we respond and deal with those situations. Is the way we respond glorifying to God or is it self-serving and spiteful.

A Shark Circling

The last 4 days have not been the most pleasant in my life both professionally and personally.  After a good week at work I arrive home on Friday afternoon, ready to enjoy a weekend with the wife, family and friends.  When I get to the house my wife informs me that I have packages that were left at the door for me.  Given that I had not ordered anything nor was I expecting anything I was quite curious…

Well curiousity quickly turned to anger and disappointment as I read the letters which are a regulatory complaint from a former client.  My first response was to be mad that my integrity was being attacked and then to disappointment that there are people giving bad information and half truths to this person and they are now attacking my livelihood.   Didn’t handle it to0 God glorifying at the start.  But I have had time to digest the situation, pray about it and hand it over to the Lord to guide me in my responses that will be right, just and appropriate given my faith in Him.

Death at the Doorstep

Just yesterday after church a group of friends went to eat at one of our favorite BBQ joints.  Unexpectedly another friend came in and we asked him to join us for lunch and visiting.  He was alone and would have been eating by himself so it was the right thing to do.  We had a great time talking, joking and discussing his brand new job at the school district.

He was so happy and thankful for his new job driving a bus at the new school district.  It gave him flexible hours, better pay and more guaranteed hours to supplement other retirement sources.  I am so glad that we got to visit and even commented so to my wife as we were driving home after the event.

This morning, before picking up any children (thank God), his bus was broad sided by an 18 wheeler and crushed into some other unknown object and killed trying to perform the job he had spoken about so highly the day before…what a shock.

Thanks to God

God puts people in our lives at the right place and the right time!  I am so thankful that I got to spend a final hour or so with Jerry, we had not been able to visit in depth for some time.  He brought joy and laughter to us all one last time before the Lord called him to glory and I give praise for that.  He had had much sorrow in his life in the past 5 years but always was a smiling face with a ready joke when you saw him.   He will be missed by the many that he touched.  I am sad today but give thanks to God for the time I spent with my friend and for his peace and strength that He gives us always to handle all of the attacks that come our way navigating this world.