These things too shall pass

Yogi Berra was a hall of fame catcher with the New York Yankees. Yet he might be even more famous for some of his odd ball sayings.

Here's a sample:

A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.
It gets late early this time of year.
If you come to a fork in the road, take it.
I usually take a two hour nap, from one o’clock to four.

If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him.
If I didn’t wake up, I’d still be sleeping.
It ain’t over till it’s over.

One time a reporter asked him what he was going to do about the fact that he was in the middle of a batting slump. Yogi looked at the reporter with surprise and said, "Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting."

Think about that for a moment. Go slowly.

There is a kind of quirky wisdom in what he is saying. Quirky but true. "Not hitting" is a game-to-game struggle; a "slump" lasts indefinitely.

It's the difference between seeing our problems as a temporary situation or a permanent condition.

Let me give you a time tested cliche that is true:

THESE THINGS TOO SHALL PASS.

What you are facing right now is difficult, yet it is a season of difficulty. Things will get better. You can overcome, especially as a Christian.

I love Jeremiah 1:19, "They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you."

Paul made reference to this mindset in one of his letters. He said in 2 Corinthians 4:8,9, "We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

Paul reminds us there is a difference between being knocked down and being knocked out; there's a difference between seeing a problem as a temporary situation and a permanent condition.

Be careful of the labels you give to the challenges you face.

"It's an impossible situation." Oh really? Are you sure? The Bible says in Mark 10:27, "with God all things are possible."

Your difficult situation will not last forever, and by God's grace, it won't be long until you're hitting again - just ask Yogi.