Handling “It” . . . Whatever It Is

Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Uncategorized, Life, Provision, Parenting, Fear, Trusting God, Faith, Courage, Family |

I’ve been watching Diddy’s Making the Band 4 on MTV. I really enjoy watching people go for their dreams – the commitment, the persistence, the confidence and the humility . . . it’s all very inspiring to me. Last night there was a story that really caught my attention. Carlos, one of the young men competing for a spot in the band, has a girlfriend who is pregnant. He was obviously happy and excited about fulfilling his dream, which was to have a family and do music. Sitting with his girlfriend eating pizza he shared how happy he was to be getting married, having a baby, and making the band. I was very moved by his story. One evening he received a call from his girlfriend, crying. She shared that her blood test were showing something might be wrong with the baby. The next scene showed them on the phone, both crying because the baby is testing positive for Downs Syndrome. As they cried, my heart reached out to them and for them. The information they’d been given was scary, and I knew it first hand. My husband and I walked the same path just a year ago.

What do we do when life hands us an experience we aren’t prepared for? What happens when we’re dropped off in a foreign and uncharted land? How do we find the strength and the courage to make choices that will serve God and ourselves? And how do we do this with compassion? For many of us facing unknown and unexpected experiences may be as simple as doing what we believe is right. Some of us may go to scripture and follow its guidance without question. But for others we may struggle to trust God’s benevolence, believing we are simply not enough to do what is being asked of us. There is no road map for life’s extreme situations. There are as many solutions and approaches as there are people, and thank goodness God knows it all. My own personal approach is deep prayer. I need to hear from God directly, the way Moses did. When I’m faced with something difficult and possibly life changing, I get on my face and wait until I hear the voice of God personally. And I’ve never been disappointed; God always speaks.

By the end of last night’s episode Carlos was eliminated. Being distracted by what was happening with his family proved to need his attention more than learning dance choreography and song lyrics. I agreed that he should be home with his family during such a wonderful and sensitive time as he prepares for fatherhood. The program didn’t show their personal process but by the end he and his girlfriend were moving forward in the pregnancy, come what may. And speaking from personal experience there’s no way of knowing what we will encounter when we step into foreign territory, when we say yes to the unexpected. The most important thing I’ve discovered is God gives you what is necessary for your growth and to do His work. During that very hopeful and scary time, many people told me “God will only give you what you can handle.” To that I say %$#*&^! God will give you more than you can handle, otherwise you’ll never grow. Those are the opportunities for us to realize that we of ourselves are not enough, but God in us and through us can handle it and everything.

When you are faced with an unimaginable experience, and you think you can’t find your way or you won’t make it you’re right. The ‘you’ that you are in the moment can’t handle it. But God is going to redesign you, pour more of Himself into your heart. By the time God is finished preparing you, you will not be resemble your former self. The transformed you will be perfect for what is to come.
Peace and Blessings,

Monique Ruffin-James