Jeopardy

My two nephews recently got their circumcision done during their vacation here in the Philippines. It was quite a stressful time for me and the adults surrounding them, mainly because the younger of the two boys -- the eight-year-old one -- was getting paranoid about the discomfort and sensitivity of the wound and freshly-exposed skin, and reacting to it like he was being butchered, when in fact what was being done to him was for his own good.

Despite our repeated efforts to pacify him, to let him lay still, and tell him that the procedures we were about to do on him would not lead to mutilation or death, he still allowed his fear of pain and of his "demise" get the better of him; thus making the circumcision and subsequent putting on and removal of bandages very laborious, and physically and emotionally taxing for all involved.

From the cutting of the skin to the second and third dressings, his screams of "horror" caused my blood pressure -- and those of others around me -- to spike, I think.

During these last few days of watching my younger nephew react and overreact to his "ordeal", I was reminded of the fact that we as humans have the tendency to responded rather melodramatically to life's trials, especially when we're thrust into unfamiliar territory and when we don't know what is going on around us or where certain conundrums would lead us.

Life, at its many twist and turns, often bring us experiences and scenarios that we neither want nor anticipate. Struggles, pain, suffering usually ensue, and we often resist violently for having been shoved out of our comfort zones. And frankly speaking, IT SUCKS!

But if I've learned anything in my four-decade existence on this planet, it's this: the more struggle and resistance I throw out in reaction to painful and uncomfortable situations in life, the more protracted and distressing it becomes.

I found that taking time to be calm (despite the internal panic) helps me to assess the situation properly and, as a result, assess my response properly. Once I've reached a point of internal peace -- the point where I trust that God knows what's going on and that He knows what He's doing -- I can pretty much endure what's going on externally. SUCK IT UP, so to speak.

Now I know that between my eight-year-old nephew and me, I am the one with so much more experiences in life and more understanding of its workings, and so comparing my responses to his responses would not be fair... and I get that. But in terms of how we, grown ups, overreact and respond melodramatically to distressing life situations, we sometimes end up like fear-stricken children whose thoughts of pain or death can cause us to panic and be paralyzed by things and thoughts that may never even happen.

And instead of being still and letting the uncomfortable -- but beneficial -- process run its course, we end up struggling and striving against it, prolonging our agony; instead of trusting our Father to know what's going on and what He's allowing us to go through, we end up being led by our fear of the unknown, delaying healing and growth.

One passage of Scripture that I have learned to live by is found in Psalm 46:10 and it says in the NIV, "Be still and know that I am God!"

In the Amplified Version it says, "Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God!"

And in the NASB it says, "CEASE STRIVING and know that I am God!"

So, as we move forward in life, encountering many of its struggles and distresses, the advice I would leave you (my dear international readers) is KEEP CALM AND TRUST GOD!