In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. - John 16:33
Plans to camp with friends near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota had us brimming with excitement in late October. Though normally a September outing, we had delayed because of our friend's knee surgery. But the time had finally arrived, and nothing sounded better than a restful, long weekend together in the woods.
We were about halfway to our destination when the series of mishaps began. It started when our friends received a phone notice that their freezer wasn't functioning. They would have to return home to investigate. Thankfully, they were able to resolve it and joined us at camp later that day.
That's when I decided to pick up some cedar sprigs from the ground and arrange them as a centerpiece on our picnic table. But a few quick cuts with my scissors proved painful when I inadvertently snipped the tip of my finger and a good deal of bleeding ensued. First aid and bandages were administered.
Dinner around the campfire was delightful until I bit into an ice cold piece of watermelon and felt shooting pain in what was clearly becoming a compromised tooth. The pain would come and go all weekend.
As evening settled in, we began to count the things we had uncharacteristically left behind at home: a toothbrush, a bar of soap, a charging cord and then the dealbreaker...nighttime meds! The next morning, Bill drove two hours back home through thick fog to retrieve our forgotten items. He then turned and made the two hour trek back to camp, but struck and killed a deer that suddenly jumped in front of his truck. Another tragedy in our string of mishaps. Fortunately, Bill was unharmed. The truck didn’t fair nearly as well.
Despite the freezer delay, injured finger, painful tooth, tired husband and damaged truck, we carried on and were able to enjoy the rest of our weekend. Thankfully, a campfire and good friends are always good remedies.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
God doesn’t promise us a life without mishaps. In fact, He tells us we will have troubles in this world. But the good news is that He has overcome the world. And because of His victory, we can maintain our joy even in the midst of our challenges.