“I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears”  – Psalm 34:4

Big puddles, little puddles.  Some view puddles as an opportunity, others as an inconvenience. To kids, puddles are the best thing that ever happened after a rain, yet parents view muddy clothes quite differently.  Puddles possess one predictable characteristic. Puddles always disappear. If they don’t, they aren’t puddles.

Aren’t problems a lot like puddles? Puddles and problems have a few similarities. Like puddles, we view dilemmas as something to avoid or a challenge to face head-on.  Some dodge puddles on the roadway, even if it’s on the other side of the road.  Some run from difficulties, while others view them for what they are. Psalm 103 points us in the proper direction.  The words from this Psalm suggest that we come face to face with problems, and “Bless the Lord”.  When most come face-to-face with problems, they don’t typically bless the Lord.  Predicaments and challenges lead us down the wrong path as we get angry with God for what seems to be His lack of consideration.  What good does that do in getting angry with God if He is using our puddles (challenges) to provide growth?

Always remember that God has blessed you beyond what you can comprehend.  Every day, the Lord showers you with blessings like the rain.  He forgives your every mistake, forgives each blunder, and buries your sin in the deepest ocean.  Whatever the dilemma, He will heal.  Healing is one of His promises when we carry a heavy load.  If you could count the number of raindrops in a gallon pail, His blessings would far exceed that number.  Our challenge is to discover His benefits, even during those most troubling times.

Go ahead and splash around through the puddles after the rain or drive around them if that is your nature, but always remind yourself that your problems are like puddles.  They’re challenges, not disasters.  Most of all, remember that like puddles, they’re here today and gone tomorrow.