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In the daily ebb and flow of the Christian life one paramount principle emerges; There is never a negative
outcome in any circumstance when one is learning and applying Bible Doctrine, as the Word commands. As simple as it may seem in the hearing, the actual ramifications of this principle are much more difficult to identify under "battlefield conditions". Learning a lesson from what my Pastor calls "Providential Preventative Suffering" isn't that complicated, such as having a flat tire that prevents you from having an accident down the road. The rationale that lends itself to patience in such a case is the omniscience of God. He is all-knowing, and His predisposition to bless His children assures us that what may appear to be a problem, or an irritating hapstance, is actually a Divine measure to spare us far more serious consequences. Narcolepsy is another matter. I have had this sleep disorder most of my adult life, and I can only summarize the far reaching effects that this condition has on an individual. Bottom line, I have been forced into early retirement because of it. In the litigious society we live in today the majority of employers will decline the opportunity to hire a narcoleptic because of the liability factor, among other things. Even though the liklihood may be remote that I will injure myself, or a customer in some jobs, the mere presence of the possibility is sufficient to compel them not to hire me. The result, from a human viewpoint, is disasterous. I am a young 59 with consummate skills in the engineering field, yet I am stigmatized, with little or no hope of finding suitable employment. I have a sheaf of turn-downs from every major firm in Omaha to prove it. Add to this apparent grim scenario the future prospects for Cindy and I. We have no savings, long ago spent to survive, no hope of aquiring a comfortable nest egg, and a bleak future just getting by on social security, at best. Yet, the inestimable power of God's Word paints a much different picture. God has used narcolepsy to maneuver me into the most desirous position I can imagine, one where I can bring the many gifts I was born with to bear with good effect. My writing is one such area. I will soon have my second book in print, and more to come, an accomplishment I would never had realized if I hadn't been confined to the farm with no job. But this is only a glimpse at the wealth of blessings that have come of my physical handicap. I am also free to pursue a number of interests that would have otherwise been just occasional hobbies; painting, stained glass, woodworking, and my latest passion, horology (tinkering with watches). Every one of these things give me great pleasure, and I have learned to make a little money here and there, on Ebay and elsewhere, with them. It amounts to playing for a living. None of this would have been possible, however, without the bouyant, irrepressible attitude that Bible Doctrine established in my soul. Instead of regarding my handicap with a morose attitude, and becoming resentful and bitter, I have thanked my Father many times for arranging my life thus. The certainty that He will provide for us relegates our understandable concerns to the trash heap. But there is another dark scenario lurking in the periphery....a danger that developes for all spiritually mature, and growing believers. One of my dearest friends in years past, an engineer, worked contract as a rule. He preferred contract because in lieu of benefits he was paid a higher salary. Mick was a mature believer, and this I can attest, for I was close to him after his wife committed suicide. She had meant for the landlord to find her, as she left a note in the apartment office, but alas the manager was busy at other tasks and didn't find her in time. We can only imagine the horror when Mick opened the bathroom door when he arrived home to find Suzy slumped forward in the bathtub, with her brains, blood and fragments of bone splashed across the walls and ceiling. Yet he was demure, calm. He surely wept in private, but in public he was the epitome of composure. You have to have a load of Bible Doctrine to endure such a tragedy with such grace and dignity. Mick married a younger woman, his secretary, and they seemed to be the picture of happiness. Then he lost his job and couldn't find work. Their financial situation became desperate. Driven by a feeling of guilt, for not being able to provide for his new family, he too blew his brains out. The point I'm making here, in the telling of this gory tale, is that a soul that is saturated with Doctrine must be careful not to stray too long into carnality, for Doctrine is the essence of reality, and as we grow in the Word we shed the usual devices that most people use to "escape", sublimations such as pleasure, spending money, entertainment, sex, etc. We rely entirely upon the Word of God for every need in life. As in Mick's case, when we fall into carnality, and stay there, the grace rationale we use to fend off the slings and arrows of this world are inoperable, and we may resort to the ultimate escape, or something of lesser consequence. A believer in extended carnality is naked, with no sublimation resources to blunt the severity of the Cosmos Diabolicus. There is no negative in God, nor in His plan for our lives. The seeming tragedies and problems of life are designed for our blessing, and our use of His Word is the fool-proof method He has given us to endure all things and yet maintain an attitude of thanksgiving and happiness. |