Sinking feeling

Yesterday a sink hole suddenly caved in an interior lane of the Interstate that loops around our city. It was estimated at 30' long and 10' deep. Amazingly, only a few cars were damaged by this, and no one seriously injured, though the traffic has been slo-n-go ever since in that area. With rain overnight, it may be tomorrow before crews can get the thing repaired. A water leak beneath the Interstate appears to have been the culprit.

This made me think that there are frequent unexpected obstacles and difficulties in life. Things seem to be going along pretty well for the most part, then "boom!" Things change. Maybe it's a health-related issue, or a misunderstanding in the workplace, or a family blow-up. You just didn't see that (whatever that is) coming.

In my own experience, most of the time these unhappy surprises eventually get worked through without too many lasting effects. Not always. There are those events which do have a permanent impact on us -- the loss of a loved one, a debilitating disease or disability, the closing of the company, and so on. When bad news comes, it's accompanied by a sinking feeling, a feeling of uncertainty, hopelessness, a feeling of "what do I do now?" At such times, even our faith may seem to be too weak or shallow to deal with the level of heartache that we're experiencing. Platitudes offered by others just anger us. The view from the sink hole isn't very good.

Yet the disciple of Jesus knows that he or she follows one who has been through the devastating experiences of life. And we know we are not alone, that there is indeed a Light beyond the darkness we may be in.