These Three Words

At the conclusion of yoga practice today, my teacher left us with these three words: IT IS OKAY. She knew everyone in the class had some sort of problem or situation making them unsteady. For some of us those problems are manageable; others might be facing something that threatens their balance enough to knock them down.

Do you remember when you were a child and you fell and scraped your knee and ran home to Mom?  

I do.  

The closer I came to the side door, the closer my tears would come to the surface, becoming a complete wail as soon as I saw her. Mom's calming embrace, some salve and a band-aid would bring reassurance that it would be okay, mostly because I knew someone bigger and smarter was in charge. 

Eventually, we learn to cope with the tumbles and scrapes of life.

Mostly.

But sometimes we can't cope. Then what? As adults facing situations beyond ourselves where do we run for consolation? In my case, sometimes it is still Mom. She's always got 30 years of wisdom greater than my own. But she no longer has band-aids and salve for all of life's bruises.  

The big problems send me sprinting to God.

It is not his job to prevent illness or injury, though he often does. It isn't his job to fix every problem, though he can.  He is there to give reassurance that in the end, all is well. 

He is bigger than our problems.

Back in the 1870's the writer of a famous hymn had suffered the loss of his only son to scarlet fever at age four. Not long after this, his vast investments burned to the ground in the Great Chicago fire. He planned to take his family to England, but last minute, he was detained. His wife and his four daughters went without him, and were shipwrecked. All the girls perished. On his voyage to meet his bereaved wife in England, the captain told him that they were at the location of the wreck. He returned to his cabin and wrote this hymn:

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

  When sorrows like sea billows roll;

   Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

     It is well, it is well, with my soul."

God did not spare Horatio G. Spafford from sorrow and pain. But when this Chicago lawyer sought God, he received assurance and hope from the One who knew his pain. And when he did so, Heratio brought consolation to many people through his song.

When you face difficulties beyond your ability to cope, it doesn't matter where you live or what your trouble is; run up the stairs to the side door, and into his arms.

Day 9