What do We do When it All Falls Apart?

Our lives are filled with so much frustration and difficulty sometimes. Most of the time it is of our making, but not always. The question becomes, what do we do with them? When our world starts to fall apart, what do we do? How do we handle it?

The job that i currently have to pay the bills is one dealing with people. It is a job in which i talk to random people, help them with their problems, and bring them to a solution that hopefully involves the inclusion of some of our products. I talked to a gentleman yesterday who wanted one of our products to help him remain in touch with a family member in a correctional facility. When he was brought over to me he was in high spirits. He was ready to tell the world that i and the last person that he talked to were the best things since baked cake. I spent a little bit of time talking to him about his situation in order to find the best solution. I got things cleared up as much as i could on our end and began to tell him what he needed to do from the other end of the problem to get it fully resolved. As soon as he found out that i wasn't going to be able to just solve his problems for him right then and there, he fell apart. Suddenly i was the enemy and how dare i say what i say. The conversation went from a pleasant conversation on philosophy and relationship to anger, yelling, and threatening in a matter of moments. I could not have found a better example of severe bipolar or manic depressive behaviors if i had made it up. Now, that's not to say that this guy was severely bipolar or manic depressive, but that was certainly how he was acting. Either way, it took a while but i was able to, through the yelling and threatening, help him understand step-by-step what he needed to do next to get the problem solved.

The whole situation got me thinking about how we react to our problems. When our difficulties become more than we can handle, what do we do? Do we bear up the burden; strapping it to our backs like another bag on a camel? Do we spread it around to everyone around us like a capsized bowl of soup? Do we shrug it off as one would a well meaning remark from an in-law who has no idea what they're talking about? One of the nice things about God is that we can give it to Him. When our lives seem like they are falling apart, we're not in it alone. He can take those troubles and frustrations and in their place, put a peace that is beyond understanding. He puts a strength that is beyond comprehension, and a hope that goes beyond any circumstance. We certainly can't do it alone. Thankfully, we don't have to.

Image from anticline used under cc license.