It doesn't make a difference if you're five, fifteen, twenty-five, or ninety-five, life will keep throwing you curve balls. I don't say that to be negative, I say it because it's true.
Yesterday, I dried the tears of a second grader on the playground after an everyday mishap. His alligator tears over what was perceived as cruelty, could have been avoided had he only come to me for help earlier. At that moment I found myself saying something to the effect of, "You need to come tell a teacher the minute something like this happens. A teacher can help you understand what's going on, and fix it. Do you think you can do that?" The child nodded between sobs and continued into the building.
This little kid's problem stuck with me. I knew what I'd said, "A teacher can help." Hours later, however, I found myself wondering...aren't we all just trying this life thing out for the first time? Isn't every new situation, new to us, scary to us, unfamiliar to us, and sometimes overwhelming? Why is it that no matter how long we live, or how outgoing and adventurous we might be, there will always be a day we feel uncomfortable, sad, hurt, lonely, or just down-right anxious? You cannot tell me that some of the bravest men in the world were not scared as they witnessed flames of enemy fire. You cannot convince me a young mother who sees her toddler tumble down the stairs is not frightened to pieces on the inside while her voice remains calm. We all have fears to face for the rest of our lives. Life wouldn't be life without fear.
The truth is, Void, we all need a teacher. Young or old, we all need someone with experience to tell us what to do - or someone to make some kind of logical suggestion. Problems in this world will never go away. The world is imperfect. As a result of its imperfection, our world is soiled with jealously, lust, hate, greed, ugliness, obsession, unhealthy lifestyles, hurt, pain, laziness, meanness, and all other forms of malice. Finally, you throw your hands up and cry with alligator tears streaming down your face, "Why do I even try to fix things?" That's when your Teacher comes into the picture.
The Teacher says to you, "Do not worry. You don't have to fix this. I will. It's been my plan from the start. I've called you by name, you are mine, and I can make this go away."
At first you are surprised, "I wasn't expecting or asking for someone to help me. I just want to sit in my sadness, fear and confusion and try to figure it out for myself."
"No," He says to you. "I won't let you do that. You see, I love you and want you to be okay. Even when you don't ask for help, I'll come running. That's just the way it works. Now stop worrying and let me fix this."
So you do. Like the little boy on the playground, you wipe away your tears, swallow your sobs, nod and go back to what you were doing before. You go about your daily life waiting for the next opportunity to take your worries and struggles to your Teacher, because you know he has the answers. You know he's got the perfect resolution already in mind. You know your everyday mishaps, your unfinished tasks, your uncomfortable situations, your feelings of hate and greed, can all be fixed with the powerful Word of your Teacher - Jesus.
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." ~Isaiah 43:1-3
