Out of Control
I recently read a couple stories that really struck me. They were very different, but both involved people who were treated unfairly. I know what you’re thinking. Who doesn’t experience something that’s not fair, and what could be so special about these stories that would make them worth reading?
Please, take a minute and read these short, but powerful stories. They just might give you a different perspective on your own life circumstances.
The first one I read was from a blog, written by Coach Muller – Good Time Stories. It illustrates what can happen when you don’t give up – like when something goes wrong at the last minute.
Jim Thorpe was representing the U.S. in the 1912 Olympics. On the day he was scheduled to compete, someone stole his track shoes. Rather than give in to the emotions he must’ve felt, he did the unthinkable – he searched through the trash cans looking for shoes. He found two. They weren’t his, they weren’t a pair, AND they were different sizes, but that didn’t stop him from using what he found. Can you imagine? And you know what, although things were far from perfect – he still competed. Even better – he won 2 gold medals.
The second story was found in Bob Goff’s book, Everybody Always.
If you don’t know anything about him, he’s an attorney. He talks about meeting a thirteen year old girl in Uganda. He met her while visiting a prison and learned that this young girl had been stuck in jail for two years without having an opportunity to go to court. Her charges involved kidnapping an infant. Even though she never stepped inside a courtroom, she was left in a cell as if she was found guilty. Can you imagine?
Here’s her story: She was asked to take an infant to its mother who was in a nearby village. She was young and did the right thing – she did what she was told. She took the baby to the woman she thought was the mother, but as she was leaving she overheard the baby cry. And cry. The baby’s cry disturbed her to the point where it caused the young girl to question if she had done the right thing. Somehow she discovered she had delivered the baby to a witch doctor for a child sacrifice. Her heart kicked into gear and she quickly grabbed the baby and took her back home where she belonged. The sad thing is, she was arrested when she returned – for kidnapping the baby.
After listening to her side of the story, Goff asked the warden what jail the witch doctor stayed in. He wanted to talk to him and get his side of the story. He was shocked when he was told that they didn’t arrest the witch doctor – didn’t even question him. Why? Because everyone was afraid of witch doctors. Everyone.
The good news is Goff was able to get the young girl released and she was reunited with her family.
I think it’s safe to say we all face times when we don’t have any control over a situation. Depending on the severity, it can be frustrating, humbling, scary, confusing, lonely, or sometimes – motivitating. Maybe all of the above.
We live in a fallen world. Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people. Sometimes life isn’t fair, and because of that I’ve learned to embrace three things.
1.God 2. Hope 3. Faith
I hope you’ve found these three, as well.
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