Lewis or Mike?

In my younger days I thought going through any adversity was a result of bad choices.  I was ashamed of any crisis I went through.  This could be true.  We are all only human and make mistakes.  Life is a learning process.  We should all learn from our mistakes.  What I am talking about is life.  Life happens to all of us; life is about how each of us deals with adversity.

There are many recorded lives of people in the Bible.  Daniel, Elijah, Elisha, Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego, Esther, and Paul are examples of people who had great faith and trust in God during their time of crisis.  Each of their lives was recorded for a purpose.  I believe that purpose is to help each of us to understand that everybody is either in a crisis, headed for a crisis, or coming out of a crisis, and has an opportunity to grow into a stronger person and to become a better Christian.

I am describing two different people I have encountered in this world today.  I can describe and share about them because have displayed similar characteristics in my life.  They have been given fictional names, Mike and Lewis.  Mike says, “I do not need anything, and I do not want anymore for me, or my family or friends.”  When Mike faces a storm, large and small, he grumbles, grips, and complains.  “Lord, just take this storm away!  I do not want to deal with the inconvenience.”  Later, when Mike realizes that God isn’t going to take the storm away, he just asks God to help him get through the storm.

Lewis, is grateful to God for meeting all of his needs.  When Lewis, faces a storm, Lewis finds something to be grateful for.  He says, “I know I am growing from this adversity.  I want God to mold me into the person He wants me to be, so that I can help someone else.”    Lewis is going with the storm. He chooses to be happy everyday. 

Someone I admire in the New Testament is Paul.  We read of a storm and shipwreck in Acts 27:13.  It say, “And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.  But not long after, there arose a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. When the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.  And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat; Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quick sands, stake sail, and so were driven.  And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship, and the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackle of the ship.  And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest, lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, “Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.  And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.  For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, ‘Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar; and, lo, God hath given thee all them, that sail with thee.’  Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”

I have no idea what it is like to experience such a storm as not seeing the sun nor stars for many days and being tossed on the ocean.  The only comparison I have would be when my family traveled to Fort Jefferson on an Island in the Dry Tortugas.  It was a beautiful day traveling on the Atlantic Ocean, but the Atlantic Ocean is very rough and we were being thrown around.  One passenger was so scared she was hyperventilating.  She had lost her father and she lived life in constant fear.  This was one way for her to face her fears and help her to become stronger mentally.

Through the great storm, Paul trusted God to take care of him. 

We read in Acts 28:1-10 the following.  “And when they were escaped then they knew that the island was called Melita.  And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.  And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.  And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.  And hs shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.  Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly; but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.  In the same quarters where possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.  And it cam to pass, that the father of Publius la sick of a fever and of a bloody flux; to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.  So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed: Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.”

I, also, cannot imagine what it would be like to be shipwrecked on a island with people you have never met before.  Are they friendly?  The closest I can relate would be a time Steve and I planned to attend an event in Atlanta, Ga.  Steve had forgotten his dress shirt, so we decided to travel by subway to Five Points in Atlanta.  When we walked off the dark subway to the bright street, we were a minority.  There were people just standing on the street.  I felt out of place.  We pretended to know exactly where we were going.  In a few minutes we found the shirt shop, bought the shirt, and traveled back to our motel.

Paul trusted God, when the viper bit him.  Because of Paul’s great attitude and faith, he suffered no harm and was able to heal many people on the island.

Are we put here on the earth just to enjoy life?  Don’t get me wrong, we are to enjoy life; it is not to be drudgery.  We are no different from Paul.  God had a plan and purpose for Paul.  I do believe that God has a plan and purpose for each of our lives.  How many people truly find their God given purpose?  Have you?  I am only now discovering mine. 

Are we a Lewis or a Mike?  Life is a journey filled with choices: we can complain or be thankful, we can be sad or we can be happy, we can have doubts or we can have faith.  Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”