BY LINDA WALTON
It is frequently said that God uses trials to teach and to grow you into the person He wants you to be. But I have to say, I hate these ‘growth spurts’. Fortunately, I had two Christ Church teachers with me as my latest trial unfolded.
While attending a stewardship conference in Asheville, my car suffered a ‘hit and run’. The calming influence of two Christ Church friends, plus a good cry, saw me through the ‘acceptance’ phase! From the very beginning, I was coached to look for the good in all of this. Truly, working through acceptance and the mere insurance requirements with a positive outlook was far better than anticipating the worst. Here are a few examples:
Negative thinking: “Oh dear, my insurance rates will increase.”
The good news: “A hit and run is covered by uninsured motorist features and will not affect your rate."
Or this...
Negative thinking: “I have another expense because I think I have a big deductible."
The good news: “Your deductible is lowered because you fall under the uninsured motorist’ category."
From the very beginning, I was encouraged to see the good that was possible. And I once again experienced how our church community lives into its strategic priority to nurture spiritual formation: We will care deeply for others – practicing the compassion of Jesus wherever we find ourselves, through pastoral care and satisfying basic survival needs.
The car will be fixed, insurance will pay, and life will go on. And I have had a “growth spurt."
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