Well, it's been a LONG time since I last wrote anything. Partly due to busyness at the end of the summer and then to illness in the fall...although that's not really a good excuse to forgo writing entirely for 6 months!
Recently, my netbook crashed due to a quirky program (COMODO Time Machine, in case you need to avoid it), and after unsuccessful attempts to un-install the program and rectify the problem, in the end I had to reformat and reinstall from scratch. 2 days later, before I had finished this process and copied all my backed-up files back onto the netbook, my brand-new WD external HDD also crashed and I lost all the data which was on it. My IT-savvy friend, Anton, tried to retrieve the files for me, but the damage was physical, due to a power outage, so in the end nothing could be done and it was a total loss.
Now, I have a smaller external HDD which had been totally full, so a few days before the loss of new external HDD, I had deleted most of its data, it in order to be able to have space for regular, full backups. If I only I had been able to see ahead to what would happen a few days later, I wouldn't have touched anything on that HDD and would have only lost a few files which aren't backed up elsewhere. As it turned out, I do not have the ability to see into the future, so these 3 events culminated in permanent loss of quite a bit of data, only some of which can be recovered from old DVD backups or from my father's backup drive where I had copied some of my files (but not all, of course!). In the overall scheme of life, as sad as it is to lose data like this, it's not the end of the world, nor is it really very harmful or disastrous and is very minor, all things considered... There is still much to be thankful for! :)
Usually, when unexpected, unpleasant events occur, the first thought is "Why did this happen?" and "Who's to blame?," especially when these things happen back-to-back. However, I don't think that there must be a why and because for everything that happens like this, as much as we want to know it all in order to find some kind of peace. In reality, my reaction to and recovery from such events is what is important. Do I get angry and frustrated and blame others or myself or even God for allowing this to happen? Or do I pray for help and seek a way to recover from what happened with a good attitude, and gain peace in my heart?
If one thinks about it, most things that happen in our lives are beyond our control. They depend on others, on circumstances, etc. So, how do we handle that which is out of our control? I think often the natural reaction is to try to control it anyway, whether controlling others or our circumstances. This always ends in frustration, not only for ourselves, when we realize that we really can't control these uncontrollable circumstances, but also for those whom we try to control.
So, how can we maintain calm and peace and sanity when unexpected, uncontrollable, unpleasant things happen? Since we cannot control or foresee these unforeseen circumstances, we can learn to trust in and rely on the One who can foresee them and can do something about it, if He so desires. Usually the circumstance does not change because of our prayers, but we do gain peace and calm and strength from giving our problems and worries to the One who cares for us and is able to take care of us. He may allow the circumstance to continue (or He may remove it for us - as has happened for me before), but the important thing is that He is there with us, helping us through it and giving us the much-needed peace, strength, calm, and even joy in the midst of problems and suffering. I have found this to be true for myself - that peace can come in the midst of troubles...
After an unsettling email exchange this morning, I happened to read the quote for the day on my flip-calendar: "Keep looking toward heaven. Look around, and you'll be dismayed. Look inside, and you'll be depressed. Look up, and you'll be thrilled." - Elizabeth Elliot
And in harmony with this: "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise" - Philippians 4:6-8 (NLT)
This peace which God gives us when we give our troubles to Him and trust Him, is something which defies understanding. It doesn't make sense from a human point of view, but from personal experience, I can testify that it is indeed real and attainable, not an empty promise. So, if circumstances or people have gotten you down, try the advice from Philippians; and while your circumstance or that person may not change in anyway, peace will come to your heart and give you relief from the stress and worry you were feeling...
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