When Things Are Dark & Undesired

Two people are on an escalator when the escalator breaks down and stops moving. One says, frustrated, “I don’t believe this,” while the other one starts yelling for help, “Hello? Anyone there? If you can hear me, there are two people stuck on the escalator!”

That’s right, an escalator.

It’s funny because they aren’t really stuck. But it does pose valid questions we all need to ask ourselves at some point: Are we really stuck? Are we the ones getting in our own way?

Are we seeing the start of something as negative before anything happens? Are we letting past experiences or feelings hinder new ones? Hinder a chance at redemption and good things? Are we so upset or distracted or caught up in another vision for ourselves that we don’t realize that our escalator becomes stairs? Are we beginning to believe things can’t be different? Are we realizing and taking advantage of other things that we have to keep us moving forward?

It’s easy to think we know better when we observe things with our mortal eyes and with the knowledge we have been given. We ask God why He is doing something a certain way with us and our situations when things don’t seem to add up for us. Like in Jacob, when the laborer asks, Why are you bringing that branch to the poorest soil? And we ask and wonder similarity, Why are you bringing me to this unwanted spot? What good could come from this?

What if Peter sinking as he tried walking on the water wasn’t just about doubt? What if there’s more to it that causes him to sink? When watching the Bible video of this, I love watching Peter right before he sinks. Wind comes and thunder cracks, and he starts looking around at his surroundings, then he loses focus and becomes distracted. Distracted from what he’s doing and distracted from Christ. Distracted by things we feel are worthy variables, when in fact, they aren’t. What if, like the laborer in the vineyard, we look around and become distracted by what doesn’t make sense and spend our time worrying about things that really only end up taking our focus off Christ and His ability to do the impossible and defy logical odds?

Are we trapping ourselves? Are we getting too distracted by all these other variables that we lose focus on the most important? Are we missing things to do or new opportunities coming up or resources available to see our escalator as stairs?

The next time we look around and things look dark and undesired and it seems we are working against the odds and logic, and we wonder how anyone could grow or continue under those circumstances, think of the olive trees. Little growth and a lot of correction comes to those who are in a desired place or a place of comfort, and the much growth and the much fruit came from those in the less-than-ideal spot.

When we feel like God has turned His back on you, to turn around. We can overcome thoughts from the adversary by knowing and saying what Christ said, “And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” And if we continue to move forward and see it all through and take advantage of a perfect God who knows every bit of us because He created every bit of us, our life will grow and blossom and we’ll be profoundly grateful things didn’t go how we had in mind. xoxAL

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