Coco Calling No.243 - About Life’s Trials and Tribulations
Sometimes, something comes along in life which can only be described as a trial or a tribulation. Something that we are forced to deal with, even though we might not wish to. And that was certainly the case the other night. It was around 3.15am. It was very dark and quite cold. The two elderly labradors were sleeping in their bed, and the humans were all upstairs, far away in the ‘land of nod.’ And then all of a sudden, it all kicked off. The entire house started ‘alarming.’ The humans, attempting to be so very clever, had fitted lots of smoke alarms around the house, including one here in the kitchen. And these alarms are quite sophisticated, because if one goes off, the others all join in. Yes, they apparently ‘talk’ to one another. So with four alarms screaming ‘fire!’ all over the house, there was absolutely no chance of anyone staying asleep.
Well, my owner rushed out of bed, and checked each room, but there was no smoke and no fire to be found anywhere. So having turned each alarm off in turn, he returned to bed, but not for very long. Because 15 minutes later, the same thing happened all over again. Up he leapt, and round the house he went, but once again, there was no fire. And as these alarms are all wired in, he couldn’t simply remove the batteries to get a good night’s sleep. And he stood there for some time, scratching his empty head and wondering what to do. Well, all seemed quiet again, so he simply went back to bed. At least, he did for around 20 minutes until all of the alarms went off for a third time. By this stage, I was hanging upside down on my roosting perch, and breathing rather frantically, and I thought this might give him a clue as to the source of the disturbance. But no, he didn’t get it because he’s got a hopeless sense of smell.
You see, our two very elderly labradors sleep in a bed right underneath the kitchen smoke alarm. And like many elderly creatures, they have developed ‘loose valves.’ On that particular night, they had especially bad wind. I call it ‘creeping death’, because it is both silent and deadly, and has the sickly-sweet smell of cyanide. And I’m sure it was their deadly vapours which wafted up and triggered the smoke alarm on all three occasions. Fortunately, after this third disturbance, their wind relented, and everyone grabbed what little sleep they could.
I suppose you could say that labrador wind is one of many trials that we have to face during our time here on Earth. But no trial or tribulation is ever wasted. Each one has the potential to shape us and mould us into being better individuals, to push us gently towards our Creator, and to make us grateful for all the good things we enjoy and so often take for granted. Yes, even labrador wind has a role to play as we journey through this life.
“Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of.”
(Charles Spurgeon: [1834 – 1892]: English Baptist Minister, still referred to today as ‘the Prince of Preachers.)
“Let God’s promises shine on your problems.”
(Corrie ten Boon: [1892 – 1983]: Dutch Christian writer who survived internment in a World War 2 Nazi concentration camp.)
“Trials come to prove and improve us.”
(St. Augustine: [354 – 430]: Theologian and philosopher of Berber origin, and Bishop of Hippo Regius in Roman North Africa.)
“Adversity is the diamond dust heaven polishes its jewels with.”
(Robert Leighton: [1611 – 1684]: Scottish prelate, scholar and Bishop of Glasgow.)
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ after you suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
(1 Peter 5:10)
“Be joyful in hope, be patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
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