Win at life! Isn’t that what we all want to do? That is the headline gracing one of the magazines sitting on our coffee table.  I guess the real question is, “what defines winning at life?”  After all, life has a pretty broad playing field.  Maybe what best defines winning in life is society’s dire need to be in control.   Everyone values their independence and sense of control, right?
You have to admit that life is much more predictable when you are the one controlling everything that happens.  No surprises.  No worries.  No problems.  Kind of reminds me of my younger years for sure.  Being young and (check all that apply - beautiful, thin, handsome, strong, popular) also equates to being a winner.  You can’t win at life looking old and wore out now, can you?
And when things get out of our control, life gets pretty hairy.  As we begin to realize the limits of our control and power, we become acutely aware of our vulnerability.  At that point life can seem very insecure.  And we only fool ourselves if we think we have much control over anything that happens within our lives.  Yes, suffering is not an elective; it’s a required course in life.
But do not despair in the midst of turmoil and strife we do have choices we can make.  Disruptive moments in our life can yield dynamic growth.  What happens to us in the end depends on how we respond to each situation we encounter.
David Jeremiah puts it this way.  “We can be like trees whose roots grow deep into the ground to withstand the winds shaking them, or we can allow the circumstances to separate us from God, our strength and foundation. He is the only one who can provide the power and peace we need to survive trials. The security offered by other sources is temporary. God alone is steadfast and constant.”
This also reminds me of the poem “This Too Shall Pass” by Helen Steiner Rice.
If I can endure for this minute
Whatever is happening to me,
No matter how heavy my heart is
Or how dark the moment may be -
If I can remain calm and quiet
With all the world crashing about me,
Secure in the knowledge God loves me
When everyone else seems to doubt me -
If I can but keep on believing
What I know in my heart to be true,
That “darkness will fade in the morning”
And that this will pass away, too -
Then nothing in life can defeat me
For as long as this knowledge remains
I can suffer whatever is happening
For I know God will break “all the chains”
That are binding me tight in “the Darkness”
And trying to fill me with fear -
For there is no night without dawning
And I know that “my morning” is near.
Yes, it’s how we respond in life that makes us a winner.  Not age, or beauty, or money or popularity will give us an advantage over the competition called “life”.  It is the love and wisdom we gain from knowing that God is always with us that turns the tide in our favor.
Be a winner.  Hope on my friends.

Contact DeLong at 912-531-7867 or visit him on the web at www.thesuitesatstationexchange.com