It came out of left field. Josh is a guy from my weekly prayer group and we became friendly from so many Wednesday mornings together.
We were waiting for services to begin, talking about nothing in particular. He said, “I was a very bad kid.” He went on to explain: “I used drugs and alcohol. I’ve been sober twenty-two years.” I was surprised to hear about his rocky past, but what really caught me off-guard was what he said next. “Sobriety was not the end of my problems. Drinking didn’t cause my problems and stopping didn’t end them. But I can handle it now.”
How simple, yet profound. I never thought of what it must be like for someone who has layers and layers of really tough issues to deal with. What’s your problem? Is it inconvenient, challenging, or does it seem insurmountable?
Perspective is a great teacher. When you look at the problems you deal with, think about Josh and so many like him. Friends, family and neighbors who struggle with dependency at the same time as they struggle to pay their bills or keep their kids in line.
Just as perspective is a great teacher, prayer is a great way to gain the perspective to handle your problems. Problems don’t always go away, but prayer helps you deal with them, every single day.
