I'm back! (Did you miss me?!) ;)
Honestly, I don't even like the word "suck." I don't let my students use it, and even my own children are not allowed to use that word in front of me. I don't know exactly why--it just sounds so vulgar to me.
Where did I acquire this expression? Glad you asked! ;)
One of my TV obsessions is watching military shows and survival shows. I believe that these people, through their perseverance, fortitude, and creativity in extremely uncomfortable circumstances, demonstrate a powerful, observable, outward expression of great inner character. These experiences are definitely not for the faint of heart. I, for one, have a secret desire to prove myself in this way, but honestly, I do not have that type of strength of character. Maybe one day. :)
One of the survival shows that I watched this summer is called Remote Survival. They take ordinary people with little to no survival training, plop them down in some remote location, and their only source of guidance comes from headphone/walkie-talkie/helmet-camera communication with a survival expert who is assisting from an unknown location--one of the experts is former military, the other is a civilian who teaches survival training for a living.
On one of the shows, one guy is having a REALLY hard time--he's dehydrated, starving, exhausted, and facing multiple other synchronous challenges. His remote guide (the military guy), understands this, listens to the person's multiple complaints, and calmly gives his advice: something like: "I know all of this is true, but embrace the suck, dude." That phrase initially startled me. It sounds so rude and uncompassionate in light of this guy's legitimate struggles.
As I pondered his statement, I began to understand what he meant: There is something honorable and grand about people who can embrace the "yuck" in their lives. Because "embracing the yuck" is not the end goal. Embracing the yuck is a means to a very significant end. These people understand and are internalizing what Paul is trying to communicate to us believers in
Romans 5:3-5:
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
or James in James 1:2-4
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
They can embrace the yuck because they understand the extraordinary rewards of doing so. On my drive home from church today, I was pondering "embrace the suck," and God showed me that though He has not called me to sign up for a survival experience or the military, I MUST EMBRACE MY OWN PERSONAL "YUCK." He began to show me that the challenges I currently face are my "yuck," and that instead of constantly expending so much energy to fight them with everything I have (prayer, self-talk, etc.), I have been called to quietly accept them (Ps. 46:10--Be still, and know that I am God."). He loves me, He will take care of me and my loved ones, and all of my anxiety over these situations will not fix anything. My job is to take it to Him in prayer, seek His guidance and will through each step of the trial, and embrace the truth that this trial is burning off the dross--making me shine more for Him and preparing me for my next step in life. God has a grand, eternal purpose for my "yuck."
I also came to understand that the survival expert's advice was NOT rude and uncompassionate. Some things in life need to be met with a certain hardness and coldness in order to overcome them. This was one of those times for that participant at that time. It would have been uncompassionate to respond the way I would have responded: "I'm so sorry you're struggling. I wish I could come there and help you. Let me think if there's anything else I can do for you." That would not have taught that participant anything helpful. It would have robbed him of an opportunity to develop character and be proud of himself.
I hope that this encourages you in whatever trial you are currently facing. God bless you!
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