As I was driving home from work one day I stopped to watch a local Little League baseball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the firstbase line, I asked one of the boys what the score was. “We’re behind 14 to nothing,” he answered with a smile. “Really,” I said. “I have to say you don’t look very discouraged.” “Discouraged?” the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face. “Why should we be discouraged? We haven’t been up to bat yet.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-9: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” Optimists. We have a love/hate relationship with them, don’t we. On the one hand, it’s great to see someone who doesn’t believe all is lost, there’s a silver lining, the sun will come out again. On the other hand we think they’ve lost touch with reality and can’t see what is in front of them. I once heard that optimism is just stupidity wearing a smile. I’m sure we try to be optimistic but we often tell ourselves anyone would give up if they were dealing with this or that. No one could hope if they were dealing with what we’re going through.
Perhaps Jochebed really thought her son Moses would drown when she put him in that basket to float away. I’m sure David really thought he was dead when he went to face a giant with just a sling and five stones. Noah must have thought he would drown in a couple days even in a boat the way it was raining. Of course, what were their problems compared to ours… right? But they weren’t discouraged; in fact they were more than hopeful. They trusted in the Lord and took the path given. There are moments in our lives when we just want to give up. We think the hole is too deep, the water too high, the storm too vast for us to come through. We’ve all felt pretty drained and alone one time or another. In times like these I turn to the Bible for guidance. There are stories of affliction turned into triumph everywhere you turn. The common thread in them all is trust in the Lord, seeking guidance and submission to his will. Perhaps it’s time you see how good it will feel to have that smile on your face when the whole world thinks you should be frowning.
Church this Sunday! We tell and retell the Good News, we smile and we trust and we look at our troubles in the world with an optimism that won’t die. Join one of our local congregations this Sunday. Optimism does a body good. Presbyterian service is at 10:00 with light refreshment to follow.
