Roger Blanton

Running Through the Storm Roger Blanton

Everyone on earth experiences storms in life. These storms bring
upheaval to our everyday lives and may be good or bad. Man seems adequate to deal
with moments that bring him joy - the birth of a child, a marriage or a huge promotion.
Yet, moments that challenge us have the ability to destroy our lives - the death of a
child, divorce or loss of a job that leads to destruction of the family. How we respond to
these events depends on who we listen to. If we rely on secular culture, we'll often
receive counsel like, "get tough" or "time will heal all wounds." I'm especially fond of the
counter-punching strategy, "don't let the bastards win." I think I've even said that one.
No doubt using these strategies is the reason that modern secular culture suffers from a
high divorce rate, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and countless health problems
that result from our inability to deal constructively with stress.
We make life so difficult when we try to do "crisis management" by ourselves. This
approach is espoused in one of Frank Sinatra's most famous songs.
"Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way."
It is the way that secular culture tells us to deal with our worst storms, but it is not the
only way.