Problem Solving
Dip, sweep, rinse, repeat… over and over again. Sometimes our problems are so encompassing that it can feel like we’re mopping the ocean floor. When we spend our time trying to fix unsolvable problems, that is when we become depleted, exhausted, and burnt-out. It is important that we not sabotage any chance we have at happiness by dwelling on things outside the realm of our control. For an overwhelming majority of the time, the persisting problem has little to do with your ability, and much more to do with the size and scope of the problem.
Here, I’m referring to the big problems. The ones that lurk in the background all the time. The ones that wake you up at 4:00am. The problems that seem so big and insurmountable that we just sit with them day after day. When we can’t solve them, all that is left is living with them. But, truth be told, a problem is a problem only when we define it as one. Mopping the ocean floor will only drive us berserk if our aim is to get it dry. When we shift our vantage point, refocus our goals, and adapt accordingly, that’s when success can take shape.
Some folks are uncomfortable thinking about an all-knowing Jesus being spontaneous and adaptive, but I tend to gravitate toward those stories. Poor planning left the wedding at Cana lifeless. Some people would let the fact that the booze ran dry be the end of the party. Others might send a few runners to purchase more. Jesus has another idea in mind. His solution, “fill the jars with water” and when he turned the water into wine, it was best they’d ever had (John 2:1-12). One of the reasons why the miracles of Jesus are so compelling is because they’re unique and outside the box.
When we confront a problem, one that we can’t seem to overcome, try thinking about it altogether differently. How might Jesus solve the problem? What are some creative ways that we might replicate that solution? Above all else, when we’re mopping the ocean floor, never give up. Our problems may be massive. Poverty, hunger, illness, bigotry, addiction, corruption, violence, and viruses are all gigantic problems. However, I’m convinced that we lack only imagination and innovation, not compassion or willpower. Watch for water around us turning into wine. Look for miracles where they are least expected. God is working, I promise. The question is whether we notice. God will bring us into a Kin-dom where our problems cease and love reigns.
A sponge in the sea,
Pr. Lucas McSurley
