Today, we still miss Zach Weber who died at 19 when the wet earth fell out from beneath his feet while hiking in the Italian Alps in April 2007. Now consider, our son’s death was something we could not fight. And, I think it is good to remember that a lot of things are completely out of our control. So while we’re thinking about how we might *fight* life, I believe it is wise to consider the One who holds not only life but all of Creation in His power. I believe, and the Bible teaches, that He works all things for good, and this is the solid ground that I have stood on for a very long time and it has proven to be the very best choice I could make in dealing with those things that I might have liked to *fight* (and there have been many!)
Everything in life seems to have the potential to go wrong, from committing yourself in a marriage, to childbirth, your health, finances, decision-making, career and educational choices and on and on. We’ve all heard it said, “Life is a crap shoot!” And, yet, Wisdom sometimes rises from the ashes of all our failures. Ecclesiastes 7:12 (NIV) reads,
“12 Wisdom is a shelter
as money is a shelter,
but the advantage of knowledge is this:
Wisdom preserves those who have it.
Using wisdom to fight life might look like this:
o Not letting panic take hold nor overreacting.
o Focusing on what’s going well; not feeling you must fix everything.
o Being hopeful: expecting good.
o Forbearing grievances against one another.
o Realizing that out of great tragedy, goodness will take the stage.
(Consider the Crucifixion, for example. The Innocent One,
crucified for the sins of the whole world, allowing for the salvation
of all those who will but believe!)
o Finally, the application of grace and mercy to all who offend, grieve,
antagonize, attack, belittle, devalue, persecute and discredit us.
For, according to Kahlil Gibran, “Out of suffering have emerged the
strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”
