Stuff Ends

Stuff happens. As you have read on a bumper sticker or t-shirt, or at least something along those lines. But that stuff ends. That stuff comes to pass.

The worst pain I have experienced was from a kidney stone. I didn’t think I could live another minute — it was excruciating. I came close to ripping the passenger seat out of the car, and I literally threw chairs in the Emergency Room.  It was a twenty on that one to ten pain chart, but the pain stopped. After a morphine shot in the butt and a Hydrocodone, but the point is — the pain stopped.

Labeled for reuse https://www.flickr.com/photos/41178161@N07/3967872842
Labeled for reuse https://www.flickr.com/photos/41178161@N07/3967872842

Tracking through my life, I realize the hardships, the difficulties, the uncertainty, and the struggles all ended.

From losing that dear loved one — the hurt went away, joy returned. Laying on the hospital bed being rolled back to surgery — the pain only lasted for a few days. Leaving my hometown and all I had ever known for college turned into a wife, two kids, and an awesome life. The empty bank account, ridiculous overdraft fees, and a stack of bills eventually got paid; and, we were able to take a vacation a few months later. Those five rejection letters eventually were replaced with a publishing contract.

Stuff happened and stuff ended.

Yeah, more stuff happened, but that stuff ended, too.

Stuff is going to happen. Death, taxes, job loss, mean bosses, annoying coworkers, empty bank accounts, huge bills, sickness, relationship issues, marital issues, pain-in-the-butt children, bad presidential options, Baskin Robbins not having pralines and cream, and the list could go on; but, that stuff will end. Baskin Robbins will have pralines and cream next time.

I promise you stuff  will end. Well, I guess it could kill you, but as Paul said in Philippians — death for the Christian is gain. So even our own death will end and transition into an eternity of bliss.

So don’t get flushed down with that stuff  because that stuff  will get flushed out of your life. Stuff, bad stuff, will end.

Speaking of ending. The previous sentence was the last line of this article for a day, but then I realized knowing that stuff  will end is not enough. We must also react and respond to the stuff we step in with the attitude that it will come to pass.

I wrote this article at two in the morning. Then a few hours later, we loaded the family up to go eat. I had printed off a copy of the article and was giddy to read it to my wife. I excitedly read to her as she drove. Then, no joke, as I read the exact words mid article “stuff is going to happen” we heard a strange series of thuds. My cell phone which I had been left on the roof rolled off onto the highway shattering into pieces.

Stuff  happened. I kniphoneew it would end. I knew I would somehow get a replacement. I might even survive without my phone for a few days, but in that mean time would I react as if stuff  ends?

Know that it will end, but it makes life a whole lot better if we live as if stuff  ends.

Jake McCandless

Jake McCandless is a pastor, author, and speaker for Prophecy Simplified from Arkansas. Through Prophecy Simplified Jake seeks to bridge end-time prophecy to everyday life in the lives of Christians across the country. His first book, Prepping for Our Spiritual Doomsday, releases spring of 2017 with WND Books. You can find more of Jake’s writings at his sites www.prophecysimplified.com and www.graytotebox.com, as well as, in regular columns for Almost an Author and the Baptist Press. Jake enjoys the outdoors, but more than anything he would rather be on a date with his wife Amanda or playing Barbie’s with his daughters Andrea and Addison.

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