I don’t normally use songs from the Rocky IV Soundtrack as titles for my posts, but when I do you know it’s because I have a Burning Heart.

We’re Not Indestructible

It’s been a really, really challenging year for us. I feel like our family has been thoroughly tested so far this year.

1. My neighbor passed away unexpectedly
2. Several of my relationships have been damaged
3. Several other relationships of mine are unhealthy and need to go away, but I’m struggling to make that happen
4. I lost a friendship that I valued immensely
5. A runaway truck seriously damaged my truck
6. On vacation, we were rear-ended by a driver in Cassie’s vehicle
7. We were struggling mightily early in the year with my middle son, who is a brain tumor survivor

There’s No Shortcut Home

Of course, there were other things that I simply chose not to list here. A few of the things listed above may seem silly or inconsequential, and I would agree with that, but when things happen that disrupt our lives, especially during times when our stress is already elevated, they can be a bit difficult to deal with. Most of us are creatures of habit or creatures of routine. I certainly am! No matter how immovable I want my emotions to be, I’m very sensitive and easily disrupted.

So, if we look at the movie Rocky IV, when pain, discomfort, and even tragedy struck, Rocky had choices on how to deal with it. The decision was not whether or not to grieve. He had to grieve. I don’t believe grieving is a decision we ever have to make. Grief exists within us based on some outward event, usually loss. We don’t choose to grieve. Rocky suffered loss. Rocky’s decision was to sit still or to move. He decided to move, against his wife’s will I might add. Once Apollo died, Rocky understood that living with hurt was simply part of his situation. You see, Rocky knew there was more to life than material things, but what Rocky didn’t know is that he would have to change. He didn’t believe he could change his thinking and he didn’t believe he could change who he was. By the end of the movie though, after Rocky had faced his demons (in the form of the dangerous Russian Ivan Drago), he realized that he could change and that everyone could change.

In a sense, when pain, discomfort, and tragedy enter our lives we are forced to carry our grief. We should grieve, but we can’t focus only on the grief. It’s going to be there until it’s not there anymore. What we can do is focus on change. We can ask ourselves, “What can I change about myself?”, or more importantly, “What do I need to change about myself?”, in order to get through this.

We should grieve, but we can’t focus only on the grief. It’s going to be there until it’s not there anymore.

I’ve been walking with grief for a few miles now and God has spoken to me. I’m reminded, as the lyrics to this song suggest, that I’m not indestructible, that I don’t have to be angry, that I don’t have to go down this endless road, and that I can shed this skin. In essence, I’m reminded that I can change. I can change this one thing about myself, and I can change these other handful of things about myself. I’m always reminded of Job in The Bible, who dealt with more than most of us will ever understand. Job was a man who, after his children were killed, tore off his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground and worshiped God. WOW!

Going back to those difficult things I listed above, we knew there was no easy way out, and we learned that we would need to change to get through each of these challenges. So, for each of those difficult things, I want to give you a word that has been the focus of our getting through it, along with a Bible verse. As our family works through each of these things, and others, my hope is that we will stay focused, not on our desires or even the desires of others, but on God’s Kingdom.

1. Intentionality- My neighbor passed away unexpectedly… we can be more intentional in showing concern for others. Matthew 25:31-40
2. Humility – Several of my relationships have been damaged… we can humble ourselves and have compassion for the other person. Ephesians 4:2-3
3. Discipline – Several other relationships of mine are unhealthy and need to go away, but I’m struggling with it… we can stand firm behind our principles. Hebrews 12:10-11
4. Empathy – I lost a friendship that I valued immensely… we can put ourselves in the other person’s shoes, in order to understand and share their feelings. 1 Peter 3:8-9
5. Grace – A runaway truck seriously damaged my truck… we can show grace to those who, whether by accident or purposefully, have hurt us in some way. Luke 6:36
6. Forgiveness – On vacation, we were rear-ended by a driver in Cassie’s vehicle… we can forgive others as Jesus has forgiven us. Ephesians 4:31-32
7. Patience – We were struggling mightily early in the year with my middle son, who is a brain tumor survivor… we can show patience, and endure through challenges. Romans 12:12

No Easy Way Out!

We’re not indestructible,
Baby better get that straight
I think it’s unbelievable
How you give into the hands of fate

Some things are worth fighting for
Some feelings never die
I’m not askin’ for another chance
I just want to know why

There’s no easy way out there’s no shortcut home
There’s no easy way out givin’ in can’t be wrong

I don’t want to pacify you
I don’t want to drag you down
But I’m feelin like a prisoner
Like a stranger in a no named town

I see all the angry faces
Afraid that could be you and me
Talkin about what might have been
I’m thinkin about what I used to be

There’s no easy way out there’s no shortcut home
There’s no easy way out givin’ in can’t be wrong

Baby, baby we can shed this skin
We can know how we feel inside
Instead of goin’ down and endless road
Not knowin if we’re dead or alive

Some things are worth fightin for
Some feelings never die
I’m not askin for another chance
I just want to know why

There’s no easy way out there’s no shortcut home
There’s no easy way out givin in givin in can’t be wrong no

There’s no easy way out there’s no shortcut home
There’s no easy no easy no easy way out

The title of this post is so appropriate because the lyrics of this song, amazingly, describe my feelings about this year. There really is no easy way out. I feel like there is a way out, as I’ve outlined above, but I never expected it to be easy and it’s not going to be.