by Woody Robinson

Joseph is put in prison because of Pottifer’s wife.

Moses leaves Egypt after killing an Egyptian.

Samson is captured by his enemies, imprisoned & has his eyes removed.

David is driven into the wilderness by King Saul.

Later in life, David is driven from the throne by his own son.

Peter denies that he even knows Jesus.

Jesus is put on trial, beaten, tortured & crucified.

Sept. 29, 2008 my daughter Ashley & I were in an automobile accident. A truck pulled out in front of us & we collided into the side of the truck at a speed of 65 M.P.H. Ashley had aches, pain & bruises. I was knocked out, thought to be dead and air lifted to the hospital. In the accident, I sustained three bulging discs in the lumbar area of the spine, severe neck trauma, torn rotator cuff of the left shoulder, interior bruising to my chest, a large blood clot around my heart that doctors felt might need surgery at a moment’s notice, plus could cost me my life and a severe concussion that left me unconscious in I.C.U four days.

At present, I am still experiencing many effects of the accident; dizzy spells, head aches, forgetfulness, personality and mood changes, get tired quickly, sleeplessness, limited physical activity, constant back and neck pain. Still not allowed to drive and have not returned to traveling and ministering, which was my main source of income previous to the accident.

At present, I am still on the road called “recovery.” I am on the road to a come back.

In situations like this we often ask “what do I do now?” Everything is different, everything has changed. Will things ever be the same? What will happen to me, my family, my job and my ministry? How can one day, one moment change everything?

The reality is that in spite of well laid plans and intentions some situations bring to our world circumstances that change everything. It’s not easy or pleasant but it happened.

Regardless of who is the cause or at fault, it happened. The first thing you must determine is, “where am I?” When God came down to look for Adam after he had eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the first thing He asked was “Adam where are you?”.

Like an accountant must assess your finances, you must take an honest look at where you are and what you still have. At this point your power and strength are at an all time low. But you can be encouraged because it’s not by your power and not by your strength but by HIS SPIRIT and HIS STRENGTH!! You still have His strength, His power, His comfort, His peace, His Word, His Spirit and unexplainable faith in Him. When you are weak, He is strong! It will be a struggle. It won’t be easy. It will push your level of patience. There will be times you will cry and be frustrated, but He will help you do what you need to do. You can come back from this.

Your life is lived in stages. Sometimes, you progress and transition into different stages of life with paralyzing fear. Many times the end of a stage seems like the end of life as we know it. I remember learning to ride a bike. I was so scared I couldn’t peddle or get started. Finally, my dad just gave me a big push and through my tears I began to ride that bike. I was in transition from walking to riding. Anytime you’re in transition it is not uncommon to experience depression, because you are going from one stage in life to another stage. Depression can grip your heart & mind to the point that you feel as if you can’t move physically. It drains your emotions of hope and strength. You are not at the end of your life; but you’re only at the end of a stage. Yes there will be changes and changes can be scary. You must push back depression and fear because they will stop you from moving into the next stage. You must focus on the future not the moment.

In times of chaos you need discipline. I know it doesn’t sound spiritual but it’s true. Discipline begins to add order and focus to your world that now seems in chaos and out of control. You need to focus on the most important things (God, spouse, family, things that promote your recovery). Start with your relationship with God. Make a new dedication that you are going to trust Him, lean on Him and seek Him during this stage in your life. Draw close to the Lord and He will draw close to you. Also, let your family help you, it may not be easy but they love you and they are on your side. Be patient with them because they are trying to be patient with you. Focus your attention and strength in the direction you need to be going, forward. You may have to do things you never did before, but do it anyway. At the time of writing this, I have many moments of forgetfulness (what day it is, conversations I’ve had, calls I need to make, etc.). I’m struggling with my memory so the doctor has instructed me to carry a calendar and a note pad so I can write down my appointments and other things I need to remember. Before the accident I seldom forgot things, but in this time of my life I need to embrace discipline. Don’t let your mind and efforts just run aimlessly. Professional sports team use discipline in practice so when they get to the game they know what to do, not everyone running around in confusion. Use discipline the same way in your life to control the avalanche of thoughts and emotions that seem to be overwhelming you. Put aside your pride and begin to build again the areas that have been torn down by the circumstances. Discipline will change into habit and habit will change into normal.

You are on the road to a come back. This stage and moment is not the end of your life. It will be difficult at times. There will be moments of frustration and impatience. But if you’re still breathing then God isn’t finished writing your story. Joseph came back from prison to the become prime minister. Moses came back from the desert to be a deliverer for God’s people. Samson came back from prison to kill twice as many enemies than he had previously. David came back from the wilderness twice to go to the throne as king. Peter came back from denying to preaching on the day of Pentecost. Jesus came back from the grave with resurrection power! If the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you it will quicken your body, strengthen your emotions and refresh your spirit. The situation happened but you can come back from this. With discipline you will focus on the future not the moment. You are on the road to a come back!

You can learn more about Woody Robinson at www.refreshingstreams.com