When Bad Things Happen

Back in the mid '90s when I was growing up, I once complained that I had never seen accidents happen and instead watched them being reported on TV during news time after they had already taken place. In the many years that followed, the situation remained the same because I don't ever recall witnessing an accident happen on the road. But today, I had a chance to observe one at close range in my hometown of Kiserian.

Well, I was taking my usual morning walk in Kiserian today morning when my attention was suddenly drawn to a tuktuk that was driving onto the main road as a motorbike was speeding towards it. The tuktuk driver seemed unaware of the approaching motorbike, for he continued driving onto the main road. I could tell that the two were going to collide. Luckily, the motorbike rider veered away from the tuktuk to avoid a collision but still, his motorbike hit the tuktuk on the front, breaking a metal rim off the tuktuk.

The motorbike rider didn't stop to apologize for hitting the tuktuk; he just drove on, leaving the tuktuk driver to ponder on the consequences of his vehicle's broken metal rim. And there was a policeman nearby who appeared unwilling to get involved in resolving the minor accident in which nobody was hurt. I also didn't bother to hang around to observe the reaction of the tuktuk driver; I just continued with my walk, the minor accident having reminded me that I am not the only one to whom bad things happen.

Yes, bad things happen to all of us once in a while as we journey through this crazy adventure called life. Some of the bad things include theft, injuries, mistakes, conflicts, criticism, rejections, sicknesses, career failures, rude remarks, financial constraints, technological problems and loss of loved ones. I am sure you've faced such bad things at one time or another in your life.

Personally, I have faced some of those bad things. I have been criticized on countless times, been falsely accused of doing sinful things, been sick on numerous occasions, had my property stolen, been mistreated by others, had my phone malfunction, been short of money many times and had my blog attacked by hackers. Quite a litany of bad things, isn't it?

Since such bad things happen to all of us, I have reflected on the steps we can take to help us cope with negative situations. Foremost in my reflections is turning to God in prayer and pouring out our worries to Him. For those of us who are Christians, we can open the Bible and read verses that can help put our problems into perspective.

Secondly, I have thought of releasing our frustrations caused by the bad things as another way of helping us cope with negative situations. How? By talking to a friend and writing in a journal. That can save us from exploding into rebellion or imploding into a depression.

And lastly, I have thought of trying to identify the lesson learned from the bad thing that has happened to us. I believe there is always a lesson hidden in every adversity. And who knows? That lesson could be the gateway to achieving some of our fondest dreams. That's all I am saying.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on what we should do when bad things happen, you might also enjoy another one on "Soaring Like an Eagle".