What's a Body to Do?

When I taught elementary school I used to pose this conundrum to the fifth graders each year:
"Not and Shot fought a duel,
Not was shot
and Shot was not.
Now, would you rather be Shot or Not?"

Almost invariably, one of the kids would raise a hand and thoughtlessly answer, "I'd rather be Shot."
"You would? You like to be shot?" I'd ask.
"Oh, no, I mean, uh, I'd be, uh. . . "
Then the whole class would scratch their heads and look confused.
Because there doesn't seem to be a way out.
You either choose to be Not, who was shot, or Shot, which sounds like you want to be shot.

Then I'd explain to the kids that sometimes there are no easy choices. At the age of ten or eleven,
most kids are just beginning to consider this.

Sometimes, doing the right thing results in your being inconvenienced, even harmed.
Being kind is sometimes misunderstood.
Being humble sometimes means you are passed up for recognition because someone else tooted his or her own horn.
Taking this pill will give me side effects that are almost as bad as the disease the pill is treating.
Do I stand up to the bully and get pummelled, or do I kow-tow and make peace?
Should the government raise taxes for revenue or lower taxes and let businesses create revenue?

Everywhere, these perplexities exist. What do you do? How do you make sense of the senseless?

I am not equal to the challenge of comprehending the complexity of the physical world, the labryinth of governmental workings, the psychological inner-workings of maniacal and brutal dictators, even my own heart.


Only God knows.
But for the person who has put his trust in Jesus Christ:

• He promises to guide us if we trust Him (Proverbs 2:8,9)
• He promises never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)
• He promises to give us spiritual light in the darkness (8:12)
• He promises to keep us safe eternally (John 17:11)
• He promises to give us peace (John 16:33)
• He promises to give us wisdom (James 1:5)

Strong comfort in confusing and challenging times!