I have a friend from the south of Johannesburg. I always enjoy his emails because he calls a spade a spade. Even when they face challenges one after the other, he stands steadfast in his faith.

What do you usually do when the going gets tough? My friend says:

1. October – my youngest lighty made a Quantum Sesfikile a little shorter from behind with his Golf and his car was a write-off. Now Dad and middle Boet have to start a new trade – panel beating.
2. September – middle Boet ends up with food poisoning and we get to the end of the month with only three weeks of income.
3. November – Ouboet calls to tell us: His layabout boss and his son from Australia (an atheist) had fired him. They noticed one time too many that he did not agree with their wheeling and dealing.

Man, the world’s things are nicely lined up to keep coming and coming and coming …

Now people will want to comfort me with words like: “The devil is loose,” says my friend, but I tell you – that’s pure nonsense.

I’ve said yes to Jesus.

• He gave me a new heart and a new spirit.
• He lives in me through His Holy Spirit.
• He is a part of me and I of Him.
• The peace of God that surpasses all understanding belongs to me.
• And as for the enemy called Satan … He was defeated at the Cross.

What will happen with the three issues above, I ask him.

1. The insurance must sort out the Sesfikile. We’re going to fix the car. And the lighty must just negotiate a payment scheme with his little brother.
2. My middle son has recovered and the business did well this month. All arrears have been covered.
3. We will keep on encouraging the oldest lighty. We give the Lord’s advice as the Holy Spirit shows us.

It’s amazing to me how my friend hits the curveballs for a six one by one. He uses his faith in God and in Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit as his foundation and starting point. He doesn’t sit around and moan asking questions like: “Now why this again, Lord?” or “Why me again, Lord?”.

No, he first gets onto his foundation and builds on it. He makes peace with the fact that he does not have an inside track as a child of the Lord, and then he begins to make plans to turn the problems into opportunities.

^6-7I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

My friend gets this 100% right. It’s an example for us and, yes, we should try to do it too. That’s the only way we can truly experience peace amid the struggle on earth.

Scripture
1 Peter 1:6-9

Reflection
What do your curveballs look like?
What do you do with them?
How can you get rid of them?

Prayer
Father, I’m having a hard time with all the balls flying around like that. Help me hit each one. Help me to hold onto You and not give up. I ask this in the Name of Jesus. Amen.