How Exactly Do You?

 

“How to Roll with a Square” is a collection of writings to encourage folks when life was is not making sense and nothing is coming together. I realize however, that when life is complicated and there is little hope in sight, telling people to “just roll with it” is not all that helpful.

 

How exactly do you roll with a square?  When I say “roll” I mean it rather loosely. Bump, heave, crash, thud, heave, up, and then finally...."turnover" better describes what actually happens for me. I think there is only one way to actually “roll” with a square and that is to let go and let God do the rolling for you.

 

“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which suprasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”                                                                                                                           Philippians 4:6 ESV- (emphasis added)

 

Anything. Big things. Small things. Seemingly impossible things. Two things happened to me this week to remind me it really is possible to really roll with a square.

 

1. I like to swim but I do not like to be cold. Recently I developed a rash to the wetsuits I swim in at the pool near my house. I was contemplating my three options- A) Find a warmer pool B) Research/purchase a rashguard type suit to swim in C) give up swimming.  Then the facility I swim at announced they were ordering a new and improved heater for the swimming pool.  It turns out there was a fourth option I did not even know I had. It is easy to roll with a square when someone or something steps in and rounds the corners off.

 

2. The second thing that happened did not actually happen to me but to my daughter who is learning to play the piano. In her daily fifteen minutes of frustration in front of the keyboard, something clicked. She began to understand how the notes on the pages of the music book correlate to the keys on the keyboard (and we’re only on page 32 :) ). What once seemed impossible to her (that she would ever learn the keyboard) now seems possible. In her case no one rounded the corners, but in her persistent effort Someone gave her an extra push of understanding allowing her to roll a little farther along in her learning. Both things I attribute to God.

 

Sometimes God lovingly rounds the corners, sometimes He gives us the strength we need to set the square in motion. There are bigger squares in life than swimming pools and piano lessons. I pray for the fourth options in life, the options I cannot see but God has and plans to provide for me. I pray for grace to accept His will when rather than lead me out of the trial He leads me through it. Rolling with a square may not be easy but as a good friend often reminds me, with God life may not be easy but it does not have to be complicated. Bring on the squares!

 

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which suprasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”      

                                                                                                Philippians 4:6 (ESV)