Jump Start # 3352

Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I have a regular morning routine. I’m not thrilled about it, but it is just the way it is. Early, around 5 AM our cat walks across me and starts crying. He does that until I am awake. He is persistent until I get up. I go to the basement and give him some food. And, since I am up, I usually stay up and start the day. This morning, same routine. But when I walked into the basement to feed him, I stepped in water. Water was everywhere. It wasn’t deep, but it covered a big part of the basement. Mops, rags, buckets and moving furniture began the day. A big rug had to be carried outside to dry. Fans were placed to dry out the floors. When I went to bed last night, I didn’t expect the next morning to start this way.

And, that leads to our passage today. Each day has enough problems. And, if you run out of problems of your own, there are enough in the community, the nation or the church family to fill your mind and worry your heart. My problems with the water heater was more of an inconvenience and an expense. Nothing was ruined and I had to adjust what I had planned to do.

For others, the day begins much, much more serious. A car accident. A run to the hospital. A loss of a job. A child that didn’t come home last night. Another medical scan. Another chemo treatment. A family member in prison. A storm destroys your home. An appointment with the funeral home to make arrangements for later in the week. Water on the floor is a problem, but it’s not nearly the trouble that some are facing today.

Some thoughts for us:

First, most often trouble comes unannounced. You don’t receive a text stating that tomorrow your car won’t start. It just happens. And, when trouble comes, you must make adjustments. What you had planned suddenly becomes unplanned. James says, “you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow”. We think we do. We make plans according to how we think it will be. But things happen. Things break. People let us down. Things beyond our control, controls us.

How can one prepare for the unannounced troubles in life? First, catch your breath and don’t make inconveniences more of a problem than what they are. Some things are big. Others are not. Second, build an emergency fund so when emergencies happen you can fund them. Third, do your best to keep your house in order, as Hezekiah was told. Get a will. Have your important papers all in one place and tell others where they are. Fourth, pray. There are some really big things in life. That’s when you especially need God’s help. As you are racing towards that hospital, be praying hard.

Second, troubles remind us that we do not sit in the center of the universe. As much as we want to be in charge, most times we are not. We can’t control the weather. Schedule a picnic or an outdoor wedding and you best have option B in mind, because it might rain. There are those who seem to be very flexible like the ole’ Gumby toy. Others aren’t. And for those who don’t do well with change, troubles will bother them the most. And, what happens is that inconveniences become major problems and major problems nearly shut the person completely down.

Third, troubles often do not come one at a time. They are not like airplanes circling an airport waiting their turn to land. One plane lands, clears the runway then the next plane lands. One at a time. Nice and neat. Troubles are not airplanes and life is not an runway. Troubles at home. Troubles at work. Troubles at church. Financial troubles. Health troubles. Neighborhood troubles. And those problems can hand on your front porch all at the same time.

This is where knowing how to prioritize is important. Focus on the big stuff. Keep close to the Lord. Not everything can be fixed in a day. When dealing with people, some will not see what you do, nor feel the way you do about things. Don’t be overwhelmed. Give your burdens to the Lord. Open your heart and your door and allow others to help. That’s what fellowship is about. Lean on one another.

Finally, don’t borrow troubles from others or from tomorrow. That’s what our passage states. Each day has enough troubles. You don’t need any more. You will see other people with troubles and you may not like how they are handling them. You may do things differently. Be careful and cautious about jumping in where you do not belong. Taking on the troubles of others can trouble your life. Respect boundaries. Offer help but if it is turned down, don’t keep pushing yourself on others.

Each day…wonder what tomorrow will be like? Don’t worry about it. Just get through today.

Roger