Is God an Egomaniac? Part 7: Getting the Wind Knocked Out Of You and Murphy's Law is "S" Happens

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." 2 Timothy 3:1 

Getting the Wind Knocked Out of You

One thing I have learned in facing the giants of fear in my life is that I can’t face them on my own.  Many times we try to accomplish things in our own strength and that will work for a time, but what I’m finding the more I go through this life and some of the trials that life throws at me is that I can’t live this life in my own strength.  The “will to” left me.  I was teasing awhile back that no one wants me on their “Die Hard” team like the movie with Bruce Willis because I "gave up the ghost."  I "gave up the ghost" as far as the drive to accomplish anything in life when my husband passed away.  When someone experiences that devastating of a blow in life, they will understand, but until you have the “wind knocked out of you, you won’t understand.” 

My brother played tight-end position in football at Pike High School and the last football game he got “the wind knocked out of him.”  He never played football again.  The football coach at Indiana State University tried to recruit him to be on the team, but he would not play.  It’s because he got the wind knocked out of him and it scared him very bad.  It was a devastating blow by a defensive player.  I and others like me have had the wind knocked out us in life.  What is similar is if you had a very bad car accident where every time you get behind the wheel you become very nervous about driving again.  When race car drivers have a serious race car accident some get back behind the wheel and some don’t.  For us who have had the wind knocked out, it sometimes is a daily discouragement, because of our circumstances in life.

I’ve heard different Christians talk about how God will strip you in life of people and things.  I disagree with that.  I believe it's God who gives us good gifts and it's the devil that strips us or sifts us.  Jesus was stripped down and naked and he bore that shame and public exposure.  We have been stripped of good. We have been sifted.  We had the wind knocked out of us.

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.” Luke 22:31-34

Murphy’s Law is “S” Happens

As a Christian, there is one thing I’ve learned is Murphy’s Law is “S” happens.  So when other widows ask me why life is unfair and they lost their husband younger than other people.  Well, all I can say is Murphy’s Law is “S” happens.

The main thing is that Satan likes to get glory for the castrophes and disasters in the world.  When Jesus was born what happened next?  A tragedy all the children two years and under were killed.  Those were innocent children and devastated parents.  When Moses was born all the male children were killed. 

A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." Matthew 2:18

Many times when something great has happened in my life, immediately the evil one comes to steal the joy of the great thing.  Right after my twins were born there was a time of testing in my marriage and my marriage was ripped off.  The same thing happens when you get saved the devil comes immediately to steal the word in our hearts.  When I was going to a house with Christians to pray for salvation, by boyfriend showed up and I know it was a distraction to keep me from praying.  

Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Luke 8:12

When my children and I were on vacation in Hawaii I was not careful enough in parking around a cement barrier and I ripped the bumper off the rental car.  My insurance is a $500 deductible so I ended up paying $600 for that.  I knew it was the enemy trying to rain on our vacation.  Satan likes to rain on our fun.  He rained on Job’s kids fun. My daughter told me, "Mom "S" happens, move on and let's enjoy our vacation."  That is true with vacations and that is true with life.

One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”  Job 1:13-16

God’s Will is Giving Thanks in Dumpy Circumstances

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom, Luke 12:32

My youngest daughter had piano lessons in the Mary Cable building which was an old school building on the IUPUI campus when she was small.  I was taking college classes in computer programming at the fairly new SL building at the time.  I remember thinking when I was in that building how I was so glad that I did not have my college classes in the Mary Cable building because it was “such a dump.” 

When my daughter told me she wanted to go to IU instead of Ball State – I started applying at IUPUI because they have l/2 tuition off for children if you work there.  It took me about six months to get a job at IUPUI.  I interviewed for several positions and have been at my job for ten years.  Guess where I started working?  The Mary Cable Building.  That is the building where the new school first began. 

I remember one time the Fire Department was called because they smelled gas but it was just the backed up sewer.  Many times there were ants that would come in my office or spiders when it rained since my office was by the front door.  They had boilers for heaters under my office so it was like an oven where I worked.  One time someone caught the mulch on fire by their cigarette outside my manager’s window where the air condition was and the whole office filled up with smoke.

Is that if you exalt yourself you will be abased?   Or did God want me to learn to be content in all my dumpy circumstances…LOL

We finally moved into a nice newer building and they tore the Mary Cable building down for a parking lot. 

I guess I need to watch what I call a dump! James 1:9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.

We laugh now about the Mary Cable building days here.  The students can tell you some great tales here since many of them camped out in their sleeping bags in the computer labs waiting all night for their 3D animation projects to render. 

I believe a God-kind of marriage has the attitude of come “hell or high water” ants or spiders I’m going to make this marriage work like I made my job work.   I think many times we should not leave a job because we are discontented or because we don’t like a boss.  We need to learn to conquer that job and leave it on good terms.  Jobs I’ve left because the “grass was greener” on the other side with more money when I got to another job I’ve found the grass was not greener. 

My trip to Australia part of the highlights of the trip was driving many miles and my daughter hitting bats, toads and a herd of cattle coming straight into our headlights.  It’s just these “adventures” in life even some of the trials that make us who we are today.   I had many adventures with my husband in the trials in marriage.

I am an adventurer with God.  During this adventure there is some "rough sailing" when it comes to going through this world and walking by faith in uncharted lands.

I run into a “give-up” attitude in relationships.  Some guys I meet the least little conflict or something I say wrong they “run the other way” early in the relationship.  What I’ve found and heard is many times people give up (go to one marriage counseling session) and when they find out they may actually be a person with problems and it is not all you, then they are going to throw in the towel and won’t go back to counseling.  I’m not the only person who had this experience in a previous marriage. 

The children of Israel (Jacob) moved to Egypt to avoid the famine.  They ended up oppressed.  God brought them out with a mighty hand.  The purpose of the Passover was for them to remember the mighty hand God brought them out of Egypt.  Unfortunately, they got stuck in the wilderness and did not go into the land of milk and honey so they could not look back at those “Mary Cable” building days and appreciate God’s goodness.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

It says that this is the will of God.  We give God thanks in our trials not necessarily for the dumpy circumstance but in the dumpy circumstance.

Sometimes depression hits me so hard I have no motivation to want to do anything.  Grief comes in my life in waves during certain periods in my life and I don’t want to get out of bed.  On those days, I’ve spent most of my time laying around the house and listen to the word or listening to praise music. God is faithful to encourage me and bring me out of it.  He understands our weaknesses and our failings.  We fail God, but his word does not fail us.  Many times in life I’ve been like my SUV in plowing through circumstances and life and I just “kept on trucking for Jesus.”  The problem was much of it was in my own strength.  I found that my own strength in life can fail.

He said to me, "'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'  "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, "I am strong!" Job 3:10

The same thing happened to my husband in a previous marriage.  He was very intelligent and he trusted in his own thoughts and ways for 13 years.  When he went through the death of a child and a divorce, he finally humbled himself realizing that he needed God.  What I’ve found even as a Christian that my dependence falls back on God.  Not on my experience, my faith or my good works that I do for Christ, but that it's God’s grace and him working in me to accomplish his God purpose and complete the work that He begun in me.   God has begun the good work in me and I’m trusting in Jesus to finish His work in me.  God is the one that is finishing the race of life in me.  In myself, like Peter and his disciples, I can fail God.  Through God’s grace, I can be the person that God wants me to be.  I can do the things that God wants me to do. 

For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will. Philip 2:13

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:10

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6