What If Your Trouble Is Really Your Blessing?
Jason’s first clue that he might have a problem was a tingling in his right foot. He had been kite surfing off the waters of South Florida and hit something he initially thought must have been a concrete pier. Upon later reflection he stated, “there were a lot of spinner sharks in the water but I had never had a problem before. However, I think I T-boned the shark, hit it square in the head. It was the hardest thing I’d ever hit.” The shark bit back, leaving him with a gash on his right leg that severed tendons and ligaments, requiring 26 stitches to close.What followed next some might call a miracle. While he was being treated for the shark attack, doctors found a previously undiagnosed, potentially fatal heart condition called Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome. Seemingly healthy athletes with this hidden threat lurking in the body would just suddenly collapse, often on the basketball court or football field. And Jason, this vibrantly alive young man with no symptoms, had it.
Turns out, however, Jason was in the right place at the right time. This hospital was one of the top places in the country to perform the necessary procedure. After undergoing that successful technique, he had a regular heartbeat and doesn’t have to worry about becoming a heart-related death statistic!
Coincidence? I don’t think so. Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God who have been called according to His purpose.” As Jason can testify, even shark attacks can be used for good. So I ask, “What if your trouble is really your blessing?”
Can you remember times you felt the sharks were circling around you? Those are the times we think catastrophe is surely the only outcome! Here’s a couple of examples of “shark attacks:”
• A teenage boy had a pretty severe case of acne and he was convinced he wouldn’t be able to date anyone when he had such an embarrassing problem! His parents took him to a dermatologist to quiet his fears and see if medication might help what seemed to be more than just the usual teenage bane of existence. However, while there, the doctor found a Stage II melanoma on his back which could have led to a far more dangerous conclusion. That acne “shark” saved his life!
• I lost my job after many years of thinking, “I’m going to stay here until I retire.” I wasn’t a young person, either! However, I still needed to work, and I wondered what on earth I was going to do. The resulting shock waves in my world created a mini-tsunami and an image of shark fins circling, a la “Jaws!” However, that reversal in my life turned into an opportunity to go back to school, obtain a degree in counseling and start an entirely new career, one which I enjoy much more, I must say! Survivor of a shark attack! That trouble definitely turned into a blessing!
What To Do in Case of a “Shark Attack”
• First of all, know you’re not alone – we could probably start a support group called, “When Sharks Attack!!” If I’ve survived, if others have survived, you will survive. Matthew 10:29-30 reminds us that God cares for the sparrows, and He will surely care for you.
• Secondly, feel what you feel. The Bible even tells us it’s ok to “be angry.” The other part of that verse, of course, instructs us to “sin not.” It’s normal to be frightened, angry, disappointed or to experience a host of other emotions. Share those feelings with a trusted friend, counselor and certainly God.
• Next, think back on any times, big or small, when something bad turned out to be ok, or perhaps even a blessing. Let those memories build your faith and confidence.
• Ask yourself: How will God use this to my benefit? Often, these “shark attacks” lead to new directions in your life, as happened with me.
This time of questioning, learning and planning will propel you from being stuck in fear to embracing that situation as your friend.
Jason is a happy man today, stating: “That shark did me a huge favor.” He’ll have scars from the event, to be sure, but they’ll remind him of the day his fear turned into his friend, his trouble into a blessing
