Twists and Turns, Anyone?

Do you ever feel your life has just a few too many twists and turns in the plot?  With the devastation of SuperStorm Sandy on all our hearts and minds, I hesitate to write from the smaller stage of my life.  My prayers are continually with all those on the East Coast whose lives have been turned completely upside down.

But here on my homefront (and maybe yours?) the roller coaster of daily life is making me a little queasy.  More accurately, it’s giving me whiplash.  A house is sold—and then it’s not.  The schedule for the next few weeks looks under control—and then it’s upended by a conference cancellation, airline change fees, and unpredictable weather.   Yet another little boy in our family breaks a leg.  And unbelievably, this is Nils, the younger brother of Soren, who at almost exactly the same age broke his femur.  A long leg cast certainly does change things.  Throw in another jolt or too (try an inconclusive mammogram!)—and we’ve got ourselves a wild ride, ladies.

All of which has me living in Hebrews 12.  It’s a familiar place, this passage on a race and too much baggage and witnesses cheering us on.  Oh yes, and where we’re supposed to “fix our eyes.”    Hard to do on a roller coaster.  But all the more important, at least when the roller coaster is your life.

I’d be thinking of Hebrews 12 about now anyway.  Next weekend I’ll be speaking at the Hearts at Home conference in Rochester, Minnesota  (BTW, there’s still time to register—I hope I’ll see some of you there!)  One of my workshops, “In the Middle of the Muddle: What Matters and What Doesn’t,” focuses on Hebrews 12.  It’s a fabulous passage for moms—all that racing around.

But then there’s Hebrews 12:3, which talks about one huge benefit of fixing our eyes on Jesus:  “so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  Now there are 10 words to live on!  Did you know the words “we do not lose heart” also appear in 2 Corinthians—twice!  (2 Corinthians 4:1 and 2 Corinthians 4:16)   I learned that just last week when our Pastor spoke on 2 Corinthians 4.

So here I am, nursing my whiplash, hanging on for the ride—and thinking of all of you moms out there.  I’ll bet I’m not the only one experiencing a few too many twists and turns.  Life often feels out of control.  Maybe most of the time.  In fact, I know hardly anyone who would say life is turning out just as they’d expected.

Maybe it’s a good reminder that we’re not in control anyway.  And better yet, a great reminder of Who is.  When we fix our eyes on Him, it doesn’t necessarily prevent all the jolts.  But it does make for a different kind of ride.  And it helps us not lose heart.  Even those of us who are half-German first-borns who are high on the Myers-Briggs “J scale” and like peace and predictability.  Just in case there are any others of you out there!