Things happen but you go on

Things happen but you keep going on

Life is so-o-o ambiguous, but you have to live with what takes place. You never know from one moment until the next what's going to happen. Consequently, you can never allow yourself to get too comfortable or complacent.

In my last column, I talked about a niece named Ruby who was very ill with cancer. Thinking she might still get through the symptoms of the disease, my husband and I immediately began the journey to see her in Louisiana. But she died 45 minutes before we arrived. We were, of course, very saddened.

In addition to her death, Ruby's older sister, Tonya, who has severe heart problems, landed in the same hospital with pneumonia, so attention shifted from Ruby to Tonya. Someone had to stay with Tonya in the hospital, and the funeral service had to be postponed to accommodate the Mardi Gras Parade. The route went right past the church.

The point of telling this is that we were unprepared to stay for the funeral and Tonya's sudden bout with pneumonia.

However, just in case Ruby did not survive, my husband and I had thought far enough ahead to take one dressy outfit for each of us. Of course, we used them and had to stay much longer than we had anticipated. We felt like we were treading water during the time we had to wait to have the service. So, despite how we had planned, we still had to deal with unforeseen circumstances.

All things happen for a reason, though, and I saw many reasons why the funeral was postponed. Ruby's family avidly needed our help in making the necessary arrangements and to help care for Tonya. The family had spent so much time with Ruby that things were in significant disarray. Few relatives live in the area, so we were staunch supports for the family. Although we felt like we were swimming around for the elongated amount of time we had to spend in Louisiana, we could see the reason things happened as they did. Everything evolved for the good. The funeral turned out well, and Tonya was able to go back to her home the day after. Says Romans 8:28: "All things work together for the good for them that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose."

When life's happenings seem too much for you, you can certainly allow yourself to become angry and you can even be angry at God for a while. In this situation, many were disillusioned with God. They had prayed He would heal Ruby, but it didn't happen. It was another one of the things in life that you don't understand.

The only solution is to believe in your higher power. You must believe God is always with you regardless of what happens in life. "I am with you and will keep you in all places wherever you go," says Genesis 28:15a.

Experiencing struggles and difficulties makes you stronger. Without having to change, adjust and meet your obligations, you would never grow. Develop inner strength and base that strength on God, the rock that always remains the same. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)."

The world can be a scary place, and you must have a stronghold. You will also encounter periods when everything seems perfect and you can see nothing but bliss. Enjoy the oasis while it's present, but remember that change will always be part of life. Everything constantly revolves. People age, leaves dry and fall, and trees become barren. But the new and fresh always take their place. Rather than feel despondent when undesirable changes occur, remember that containers must be emptied before they can be refilled with the fresh and useful. Ambiguity, change and suffering free us become what God wants us to be.