Life is made up of a series of random occurrences. It’s hard for us to understand this. Especially when it comes to health related issues. Larger families may be exposed to more. Small families less. Younger adults less. Older adults more.
Random occurrences tend to surprise because they generally occur unexpectedly. Their timing is never perfect. They could be major or minor.
Then there are “simmering” occurrences. Think here of relationship issues. Job related issues. Marriage issues. Children issues, Parent issues. While simmering occurrences also sneak up on us, they rarely are unexpected. They tend to linger over time with little resolution or progress. They usually involve others. Their volume varies from loud today to silent for weeks.
Both random and simmering occurrences feel like they are outside of our control. Certainly random ones are. Simmering occurrences are outside of our control when we are removed from the immediate participants. If we are participating in a simmering occurrence, our lack of courage to make different choices keeps us stuck in our helpless state.
Think of our life as if we were on a wagon train going down long winding roads. Random and simmering occurrences can be felt as changes in the weather during our journey. Neither of them desirable and both must be endured. Whether we are young or old, life’s texture (as the weather) is the same for all of us.
Faith and patience, together with love, become so important in our lives to help strengthen us during the times that occurrences, both random or simmering, shake us at our core. You see, we are not in control nor do we always have answers.
Running from things that happen in our life is as futile as running in the street to avoid bad weather. Sometimes we need patience to see the way things unfold (they may not be as bad as we first imagined). Other times we need faith, in a loving God, to give us the strength to endure, persevere and see our own personal storms through.
We all react differently to occurrences. Just remember when we are in the middle of them or hearing about them that we need to stay engaged with life and with others. (Withdrawing is the worst thing you can do for yourself and those around you.)
During all of our times of personal random or simmering occurrences we need to be loved and more importantly to continue to love. We sometimes need the quiet you provide during a conversation with someone who is troubled. Other times, you may need the silence and power of a simple hug.
If you find yourself in a simmering occurrence, can a different choice (which we are not use to) help the occurrence disappear? Can you disconnect yourself from that situation in some way?
No one escapes bad weather. Just remember that bad weather never lasts forever. It’s all in how we choose to embrace it.