Squeaky Cars
Have you ever had a car that made an annoying sound that you simply grew used to?
At first, you couldn't focus on anything but the noise. But, after hours and hours of hearing it in your travels, you strangely become used to it -- even to the point where it takes someone else getting in the car to hear it for the first time to freshly point it out to you. It never stopped being a problem, it just became a new normal and you tolerated it.
We can get used to life struggles, too.
Maybe a person hasn't slept well in years. They may not even know why. But, because they've struggled so long with it, the deprivation becomes a new normal for them. They may even stop complaining about it. They reason that it's 'just their burden to carry in life. There's just nothing that can be done.'
Or, an adult woman, who was abused as a child, continues to struggle daily with its effects. She has learned to cope with the pain and echos of rejection. She masks it well and has mastered the art of smiling through daily life while suffering internally. She has grown used to the struggle. Turmoil has become her normal.
Or maybe a much simpler problem like getting used to a constant pain in your body each morning. You walk it off by 10am so you chock it up to 'it's not a big deal. No need to go sounding alarms'. You suffer through the pain because it's 'normal'.
When this happens, we need to take a step back and look at it again.
When we have this kind of tolerance and coping, we may stop trying to find answers, solutions, healing or help. We may especially dismiss the idea of including the Healer into the equation.
We may see it as unchangeable. He does not.
He never stops hearing our 'sqeaky cars'. And, His ears never get used to it. And, if we listen, we can hear Him get in the car and call the problem back to our attention again. What we may have forgotten is -- He made the car. And, knows how to get it running -- squeak-free.
At first, you couldn't focus on anything but the noise. But, after hours and hours of hearing it in your travels, you strangely become used to it -- even to the point where it takes someone else getting in the car to hear it for the first time to freshly point it out to you. It never stopped being a problem, it just became a new normal and you tolerated it.
We can get used to life struggles, too.
Maybe a person hasn't slept well in years. They may not even know why. But, because they've struggled so long with it, the deprivation becomes a new normal for them. They may even stop complaining about it. They reason that it's 'just their burden to carry in life. There's just nothing that can be done.'
Or, an adult woman, who was abused as a child, continues to struggle daily with its effects. She has learned to cope with the pain and echos of rejection. She masks it well and has mastered the art of smiling through daily life while suffering internally. She has grown used to the struggle. Turmoil has become her normal.
Or maybe a much simpler problem like getting used to a constant pain in your body each morning. You walk it off by 10am so you chock it up to 'it's not a big deal. No need to go sounding alarms'. You suffer through the pain because it's 'normal'.
When this happens, we need to take a step back and look at it again.
When we have this kind of tolerance and coping, we may stop trying to find answers, solutions, healing or help. We may especially dismiss the idea of including the Healer into the equation.
We may see it as unchangeable. He does not.
He never stops hearing our 'sqeaky cars'. And, His ears never get used to it. And, if we listen, we can hear Him get in the car and call the problem back to our attention again. What we may have forgotten is -- He made the car. And, knows how to get it running -- squeak-free.
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