Life can often leave us scratching our heads… trying to sort things it out. “Why did that happen? Where did that come from? Why can’t I seem to get a handle on that? Why can’t I ever seem to get it together?” It is something that happens all the time, to everyone. Consider this example from the corporate world.
According to an article written in 2016 by David Tracy of Jalopnik (a news and opinion website about cars), between 2010-2014 German insurance companies got hit with a slew of auto damage claims. The damage was caused by an unlikely bunch of vandals – finding them took some sorting out. It cost $330 million to pay over 1.1 million insurance claims for damaged car hoses, tires, wires and other parts. In 2012, these were the third most frequent kind of insurance claim in all of Germany; beat only by cracked windshields and wildlife-related accidents. This payout included reimbursements for 14,000 roadside incidents. In the town of Stuttgart alone, one-third of all cars reported having some type of damage from these vandals. Who did they determine to be the culprits? Martens.
Martens are a ferret-like animals from the weasel family. These cute nocturnal animals love to nest in warm spots and are rather territorial. In trying to solve this reason their behavior some theorized that the martens climb up into car engines to keep warm. They mark their territory by chewing on car parts. If the car is later moved and another marten feels challenged, they will attempt to destroy what the first marten did to mark his territory by doing further damage. Thus, the widespread damage. Although the insurance companies are highly motivated, there is not a consensus that the above theory explains the cause of this marten behavior nor is there a consensus on how to prevent them from vandalizing cars.
Life is not easy to sort out. It is not easy to even sort out one’s own thoughts, feelings and beliefs. But, what can make all the difference is the people, principles and sources on which someone bases the sorting. When families are intact and authority figures have people’s best interest at heart, they provide direction and principles for sorting things out. Contrarywise there are many self-serving entities counting on people being vulnerable and confused; they stand ready to take advantage of anyone who is not wise to their devices. There are even people and institutions that produce propaganda designed to capitalize on people’s vulnerabilities. So, what’s a body to do?
God encourages us to trust His Word and His Spirit. Those are the best sorting tools available to mankind. Unfortunately, like the guy who doesn’t need directions, we can often find ourselves confidently ignoring the manual, mis-sorting, and paying the price.
Yet, there are a few humble folks who enjoy the ultimate sense of comfort by knowing God can help us sort things out. Those who trust Him can be confident that if they are truly in His care, He will cover their shortcomings and take care of the things that are above their paygrade. This is how the Bible puts it: “So be careful! God’s message to us is alive and powerful. It is like a sword that has two sharp edges. Even more than a sword, God’s message goes very deep into us. It cuts between our soul and our spirit. It is like a sharp knife that can cut deep into our body between our bones. God’s message shows what we are really thinking. It shows what we really want.” (Hebrews 4:12 Easy to Read)
Try reading a little of the Bible today. It might help you sort some things out.