Learning to Adjust

Tom Barnard

 

“I have learned the secret of living in every situation,

whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”

(Philippians 4:12 NLT)

 

“Pain is inevitable but misery is optional.”

Barbara Johnson

 

In one of her delightful books, Barbara Johnson tells the story about a friend who saved money to buy a very special, expensive wallpaper for her son’s bedroom. She had to special-order it. When it arrived, she put it away, planning to hang it as soon as she could. In the meantime, her husband discovered the wallpaper and decided to surprise his wife by hanging it while she was shopping one day. The design on the wallpaper was a group of colorful balloons with strings hanging down. It took him an entire day to finish the job.

 

He made one mistake: he hung all the wallpaper UPSIDE DOWN, with all the strings pointing up rather than down. When his wife returned home, she was pleased that her husband had done the job for her, but she was in shock that he had failed to hang it in an appropriate configuration. His work could not be re-done. The author commented, “She had wanted it to be just perfect, but it had come out exactly opposite of what she had planned.”

 

Life is like that sometimes. We determine that things will turn out a certain way, and when they don’t, we are devastated. We make a concerted effort to do the right thing, but everything turns south. Conflicts happen. The choice is ours—be miserable or adjust to the circumstances. I like this poem:

 

Life is easier than you think—

All you have to do is:

Accept the impossible,

Bear the intolerable, and

Be able to smile at anything.

 

Lord, I know someone today who is very upset about the way things have turned out for them. Prayers have been voiced, and hopes have been raised, but things haven’t gone especially well. In fact, things have turned out like the wallpaper job—exactly the opposite of what was intended. I pray that you will reach into that situation and bring healing to it. Help those involved to make the adjustments to resolve the problem. I am convinced that is your will for them, and for all of your children who are distressed. In the strong Name of Jesus I pray. Amen.