Blustery weather also reminds me of how life, like the wind, can literally remove stability from our path. I remember the mornings I walked to and from Kodiak High School in winds we called “willy waws.” In Florida you might call them tropical storms, because the velocity approached 40+ mph. That really wasn’t inclement weather in the 49^th state!  If they called off school for every blustery snow day, we would have rarely had school!  We got used to the reality of living in Alaska. During the winter it was going to snow and blow and be dark most of the day – we got over it! We learned to walk in the snow, not on the road even though many cars weren’t out. We got a foothold, so we wouldn’t be blown away.

Getting a foothold in life is what I hope I have passed on to you over the years. If you have something solid to hold on to, you can get to where you need to be. I want today to be a day forever etched in your memory, because if you can grasp this principle you will never have to question God or why life is the way it is. Tucked away in Romans 5:3 – 5a (NLT) we are going to discover:  “The Universal Process of Life.” Now, this process is the same for every living person. When God says He doesn’t respect one person over another He meant it. If He meant it, He had to provide a similar path for all people so there would be a way to measure their eternal development. Here it is: “we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.” I have never met a single person who has not suffered in one way or another. It happens regardless of our position in life. Whether we are poor or affluent, insignificant or a superstar – we all must live under the stress of society and this world.

In the days ahead, I will be talking with you about each stage of this process and how you can face it with a strong level of confidence and assurance. Right now, the most important thing I want you to grasp is that this process will occur. Life is a journey full of battles, but life is not always a battle. Peaceful stops along the way do exist. Many interludes will provide comfort and joy. Those stops will provide you with vantage points for viewing and reevaluating your progress along the process. Those times will help you alter your paradigm as God will use each stop to take you to a new level of relationship with Him. Then you will be prepared and less often blindsided. However, you will be blindsided from time to time, but when you are, the Spirit of God will empower you to face whatever challenge is thrown at you.

Why am I painting you this picture of seemingly gloom and despair? Because it is the truth! You ARE going to struggle and endure stress during your life. I would rather you know the truth now and be able to cope, than leave you unprotected. It’s like 1John 5:12, I am telling you this so you will have certainty about what is coming, how to face it, and the fact that you have a support system that will insure you emerge as a winner, regardless of what the rest of the world says. You have a guarantee the unbelieving world lacks. Don’t get cocky, just rest in it – with all humility.

Love Dad