Despots of Doom

I hesitate to ask. There are two women at work that I dare not greet with, “Hey, how are things?" Their talk targets tragedy. “The morning, no, it’s not good. Medical issues, you know, make it hard to get out of bed-lucky to be alive, really.” I ready myself, knowing the litany of medical issues will be addressed. The sky’s too blue, the sun too bright. The co-worker that they thought had their back---stabbed them. Their mom is an evil sorceress, their family tree full of traitors and thieves.

I am not one to always see the glass half-full. I have dark days and somber spells. Why do these despots of doom and tyrants of tribulation trouble me so much?

When invited into your space they enter in as thieves, violently seeking to rob you of joy. Their world is a world without hope.

I have hope that Heaven, bought with blood, will come eventually. That God pours out blessing like the rain, falling “on the just and the unjust.” Can anyone look at a sunset, or enjoy their morning coffee without hint of hope? I delight in laughter with my friend; get drunk on hugs from my daughter. When the waves of life assail, these are the anchors that hold steadfast.

When you share your time they steal it away. Spewing selfishness, they seek to feed their aching hunger.

You’ve seen the movie, you know the scene; you are being sucked into the vortex. You stretch out your arms, your hands grasp whatever they can, your nails bleed as you are dragged along, deeper and deeper into the darkness.

Why is it always about them? Christ calls us to consider one another as more important than oneself. Most of us connect with one another as fellow travelers, encouraging each other along the way. How is it that some seek so hard to trip us up?

So, fellow traveler-Who are the thieves in your circle?

Be wary and consider the warning. Laugh, hope, and be thankful. Attend to your hearts and your time. Rejoice in your many blessings, renew hope daily. Be vigilant and ever on your guard. For thieves will come to consume, and use you to sate their hunger.