A couple of days ago I was having a tough day. Nothing tragic had happened, just one of those really low times we all face eventually. I was moping around the house while my kids played outside. My wife was at work, and I guess it just seemed like a good day to sulk. (Don't judge me, you've been there, too.)
One thing about having a three-year-old is that they don't stay in one place long. Playing outside usually entails coming in and out of the front door every three to five minutes. To alleviate some of this annoyance, I'd fashioned a sort of make-shift baby gate to block her outside so as to avoid the constant in and out of little footsteps and voices. The unfortunate consequence of this decision was that, instead of coming in and out she'd simply come to the doorway and shout "Daddy!"
I was trying to wash dishes when she shouted from the doorway for the umpteenth time, "Daddy!" I dried my hands, slapped the towel on the kitchen counter, and stomped impatiently to the doorway to see what my little princess wanted this time. As I approached the doorway, muttering something like "Palin Nichole! For the love of..." I saw an excited little face standing there with both hands clasped behind her back, obviously hiding something.
"What is it, baby?"
"Daddy! Daddy! I found this wock an' it wooks wike a heart an' I wuv you! It's yours, Daddy!"
I like to think of myself as a manly man not given to outward emotional displays. At this point, however, I scooped up my little angel in a tight hug and told her how much I loved her and how happy I am to be her dad.
We can all tell similar stories. We've all had times when the constant weight of the world wears us down. We've all been burdened by the nagging struggles of life that never seem to let up.
I've experienced the highs of life. I've ridden the crest of the wave of public acknowledgment and
admiration. I've stood before crowds and relished their adulation. I've taken for granted my comforts and plenty. However, now is not one of those seasons. Now is a time of struggle and scarcity.
I'm a provider and protector. I'm wired that way. Yet, right now that whole thing isn't working out very well. We're struggling on several fronts, and it's wearing me down. In the process of trying to build a business from the ground up, my wife is working to try and support us. I see need and lack and want, and I take it very personally.
Whatever your story, you've probably experienced similar times. Rather than riding the waves, I call this season riding the trough.


That's my life right now, and believe me, it stinks. It stinks not to be able to see the shoreline. It stinks not to feel like I'm in total control of my direction. It stinks to feel tossed and turned by the currents and pounded by the whitewater.
It's so easy to become discouraged and disheartened. It's so easy to stare at the waves cresting above and fear the crushing defeat when they land on you. What isn't easy is remembering that I'm not alone on this boat. I'm not the ultimate arbiter of what occurs in my life. We tend to forget that when we're riding the crest, and sometimes it takes a good trough experience to force us to remember. Just like the disciples in Mark 4 who feared the storm while Jesus napped in the back of the boat, we get overwhelmed by the circumstances around us. We focus on the waves and the circumstances and the strife, and we take our minds off of their proper focal point.
Riding the trough is sometimes necessary. Not because God is neglecting us, or because He wishes us harm, or because He's punishing us, but because He wants us to learn something. We're sort of in a form of boot camp where we have to learn some self-discipline and control. This is the time where we must learn how to maneuver our ship in the right direction regardless of the swells around us.

