Although inconsistent at times, I’ve tried to be a positive person in my spheres of influence, set on changing the mindsets of defeated souls. In high school, one of my ministries was seeking out the depressed and down to bring a glimpse of happiness, laughter and joy to their sad faces. However, now I find the shoe on the other foot as sorrow has moved in, keeping me company during the entire month of February.
Like a prized heavy weight slug fest from the Rocky series, my body has become a punching bag for Apollo Creed, scrambling for the ropes to hang on. Repeated blows to the heart have erased any remnants of confidence, making room for sorrow to feel at home. Since I lost control of my health weeks ago, I am finding solace in this helpless condition. Stripping away my impurities, desolation has forced me to seek a higher power to be rescued from disappointment.
Sorrow has lead me into the furnace, testing my faith beyond what I expected, 1 Peter 1:6-7. Stretching me like Plastic Man, I have a new appreciation for misfortune, viewing it as an opportunity to display a heavenly perspective, James 1:2-4. After this hurricane, I will be a better man, able to see the sun on the other side of the storm. With no easy way out, I am content to find solace in sorrow until the Lord calls me home.
by Jay Mankus
