Trouble with a Capital T

Trouble with a Capital T

Robert Preston made a name for himself in Hollywood in so many film genres over his long career in movies and on stage. From tough cowboy to Parisian queen and most in between.  But perhaps nowhere is his name more linked to a role than in the hit Broadway musical, The Music Man.

Playing a sharp huckster and con man who's just come to a small and very serious-about-itself small Midwestern US town he seeks to sell the parents of the town band instruments and uniforms for all the town youth, and in the process teach all to play those instruments by his very 'unique' THINK METHOD.

And how will he get those tight Missouri wallets open to purchase the implements and accouterments  of his band?  By convincing the owners of them, parents all, that there is trouble in River City. Trouble coming in the Devil's wake in the form of a new pool room in town.  Spoiler Alert:  he does.

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The trouble we are speaking of is not dissimilar to what the sharp salesman above warns of.  Preston is basically telling his prospects that even in the midst of this wonderful, quiet, bucolic, peaceful, fully Christian town, there is a problem, a reason to fear, a possible disaster waiting in the wings which requires immediate action to squelch. Get the kids into a time absorbing and fascinating band, or they'll be led to personal and familial destruction by the insidious evils of temptation run rampant.

Put aside all the tongue in cheek humor, the funny characters of the play and film, and the rather miraculous (spoiler alert 2) conclusion to the play and you have a tale that rings true today in every neighborhood of New York, Philly or Reading and indeed in our own Birdsboro, Douglassville and on your own street.  We, too, have trouble.  It also begins with a capital T. But unlike the trouble in the movie, ours will keep on coming, in many forms, till we join our Maker for all eternity. Life is full of, sometimes seems made of, TROUBLE.  dear friends, life is HARD.

So what do we do? I start with two, among so many, good Words from God: 

John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Philippians 4:6 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

In the first quote 'take heart' means never give up hope, and 'prayer' means... PRAYER. In these two sentences we have the entire formula from the maker of all that is for dealing with any kind of trouble; capital or small T.  First, calm down, slow your heart rate, life is always and always will be hard. And second, talk to God about it, whatever it is; from a needed parking space to a dying child.

"But", you say with a truly sarcastic look my way, "I've prayed and I get no response! I've pleaded with God and nothing happens!  I cried out to God and my child died; my job was lost; my food ran out; my spouse left me; my..."  on and on. If there is a guarantee from God that trouble is to be expected in life there is an equal promise that we will not find answers when we expect only what we want from God, when we go to Him in prayer only when we are in trouble, and when we are so busy talking to Him that we never hear Him talk back.

So here are some very quick, but all proven reliable (over quite a few thousand years!) ways to find peace through God's answers, instead of anxiety from only your own:

-Start praying before your discover your trouble.  Do you change the oil in your car regularly? Why? So you won't have trouble with your car, right?  Prayer is powerful and necessary in an emergency. But if you are in conversation with God constantly (no, not just every 4,000 miles), when trouble comes you'll already be set to receive God's answers because you'll know how to hear His voice.

-Whatever your trouble is, God through Jesus Christ has already won your battle. This doesn't mean you or your loved one won't lose their job, run out of money, die. It means that in the worst case scenario of trouble you, with God, win. "Heaven? You mean we win by going to Heaven?  But I just want a job for now! I want my life to be better now, not death, or hurt, or pain?!" Sure we do.  I do. We are all human and like dogs running to the nearest food source (Alpo or bunnies) we chase after what gives us the most instant gratification or joy.

-So stop.  Just stop whatever you are doing; anything.  And focus (close your eyes, kneel, lay down, whatever you need to do to focus on only talking with (not just to) God.

-Start off not with what you want, but with acknowledging how you have not lived, or done, what He wants for you.  This is called confession, and no one but you and God need ever know it, unless God tells you to share it appropriately with someone else.

-Then thank God for all He has already given you.  Sometimes all it takes is to be reminded of the blessings you do have to stop worrying about the ones you don't.

-Now ask him for what it is you need.  Specifically and clearly.  He already knows but He wants to hear your personal request.

-Finally thank Him for providing exactly what you need.  Yes, it may not be what you want.  We all WANT our loved ones to never die, our good jobs to last forever and to never grow old.  But it is what God wants for us that will always be best for us.  honest.

And on that 'growing old' thing?  God, through the death and resurrection of His son Jesus, if you truly believe in Him, promises that won't be a problem at all.

Somebody say AMEN!

-Ken