Vol. 21 No. 30 | July 29, 2019
I sat down to watch TV with my wife just as the movie Cast Away was starting. As soon as I heard the soundtrack, I felt the same emotions I had the first time I saw Tom Hank’s amazing performance. As I watched his character, Noland, attempt to find relief from his desperation, I felt anxious, confused, frustrated, and disappointed. I couldn’t help but think how futile it all seemed.
Those emotions felt so real because, although I have never been trapped on a deserted island, I have lived through times of anxiety, frustration, disappointment, and futility.
I remember waking up in a cold, dark room in a small Ukrainian village realizing I was seriously ill. I found out 5 days later that I had an adult version of Chicken Pox. But during those first 5 days, the isolation and uncertainty I felt made me wonder if my end had come.
I remember the utter horror and futility I felt when our house caught on fire. My two neighbors and I stood in the cold watching my house engulfed in flames as the firemen tried to save as much of it as they could.
I remember the frustration and helplessness I felt when I couldn’t fix someone’s problem, improve a church situation, help a couple desperate to fix their marriage or give hope to a man who was paralyzed by depression and wanted to die.
Those are just a few experiences that came to my mind as I watched Noland try to survive four years marooned on an island, only to return home and discover his former life no longer existed.
But in the final scene, Noland arrives at a crossroad, and his desperate situation is transformed into one of opportunity and hope. He has a choice- he can be a victim of his circumstance, or he can face them with courage and forge on.
We know that feeling too, don’t we? Before, during, and after times of confusion and futility, we stand at a crossroad that could permanently change the course of our lives.
So what will we make of this day? Will we take the opportunity to offer a word of encouragement to someone in need, or will we find the courage to seek out the encouragement we need from someone else? Will we live this day to please God, or will we choose to focus on our own pleasure instead?
I am confident and grateful that God is with me at each crossroad, reminding me of His presence, listening to my concerns, and assuring me that, whichever road I choose, He will be with me.
We don’t know what this week will bring. We may experience feelings of desperation and isolation. And we may be faced with disappointment and futility.
All we can do is make a choice- be victims of our circumstances or face them with courage and forge on.
My prayer for you this week is that you face the day, or even just the next hour, with courage and as much joy you can, allowing God to walk with you and light your path.
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