The storms of this life

Peter Parker once said these words: “Life is like a thunderstorm.  It’s unpredictable, uncontrollable, sometimes even dangerous.  We’d like to think we have a handle on life, that we are in charge, then without warning, we find out how wrong we really are.”  The context of this quote might surprise you.  It’s from an episode of “Spider-Man: The Animated Series”.  The storyline is that Peter is framed for a crime he didn’t commit.  In fact, the episode itself is simply entitled “Framed”!  Where’s Perry Mason or Ben Matlock when you need them?  No, Peter isn’t defended by either one of them, of course, but he is able to have the capable Matt Murdock (alias the masked hero, Daredevil) as his defense attorney.

Having given you that background, I want to return to the quote itself because I think it’s an important one.  Peter said, “Life is like a thunderstorm.  It’s unpredictable, uncontrollable, sometimes even dangerous.  We’d like to think we have a handle on life, that we are in charge, then without warning, we find out how wrong we really are.”  Have you found that this is true in your own life?  I sure have.  As much as we believe we are in control of the developments of our lives, we find out we don’t have near as much control as we thought.  Let me give you an example of this.

Recently, during a snowstorm (something we have to deal with regularly in Colorado), as I was trying to drive home from work one night, I found that my faithful car wasn’t performing as well as it normally does in snow.  It was sliding around in ways that I’m not used to.  Furthermore, several cars were honking at me; they were all trying to tell me that something was wrong.  I finally pulled over to the shoulder of the Interstate.  In that moment, I was quite aware that I was not in control.

To wrap up the story (and just so you know, I’m giving you the abridged version), ultimately, it was discovered that a piece of the brake shoe had broken off and had somehow managed to lodged itself in the tire.  This made it so the tire wasn’t moving at all; it was basically locked into place, immobile and unable to turn.  No wonder it felt like I was ice skating out there!  It was certainly snowy and icy, but under normal circumstances, my car would have traversed it just fine.  “We’d like to think we have a handle on life,” Peter Parker said, “That we are in charge, then without warning, we find out how wrong we really are.”

Why am I telling you this story?  Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33).  To live is to endure tribulation; such is the nature of living life on this speck in the universe called Earth.  I endured a crazy episode regarding my car’s tire, but maybe you are going through a painful ordeal as well.  I empathize with you.  We all know what it’s like to endure the challenges that life can throw at us.

If you are in a particularly trying situation right now, I hope this passage from the Word of God will be a healing balm for you today.  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the Earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3).  There is a safe haven from life’s storms: the amazing God of the Bible. 

Kevin