Sermon On The Twists & Turns Of Life

Mandy Ingber, an American yoga instructor and former actress once remarked: “No matter what twists and turns your life offers you, your ability to be adaptable and flexible will help you to stay open to all of the hidden gifts that difficulty may offer.” Matthew 6:34 confirms: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Twists and turns have been defined as complicated dealings or circumstances. They may be regarded as anfractuous or meandering in no particular direction. Uncertainty or insecurity may feature prominently and indecisiveness could be the concluding factor unless one has the determination, adaptability or flexibility to successfully evaluate and cope with them. Isaiah 43:2 confirms: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. It can literally change on a sixpence. A person proceeds along a road experiencing the norm, when suddenly they are confronted with unexpected obstacles or divergence. Everything may come to a grinding halt or force such significant change that, to remain on the same page of life, a different direction may need to be sought. Unpredictability or capriciousness may feature predominantly. Life can become similar to a roller coaster with ups and downs that incorporate erratic twists and turns. A roller coaster is defined as a type of amusement ride, often found in a static fairground, that employs a form of elevated railroad track with tight turns, steep slopes and sometimes inversions.

While some of us may actively seek the prospect of a thrilling ride on a roller coaster, others may dread or live in trepidation of the thought of even stepping aboard one, let alone the unpredictable experience that will follow. It can bring immense pleasure, it may bring heartache, it can certainly bring its own frustrations or fears. Twists and turns can be positive or negative. How we cope or handle them is of paramount importance.

For those who are courageous enough to accept the challenge of a ride, on what may be considered such a daunting contraption, as we ascend the initial steep gradient in the specially adapted carriages towards the pinnacle of the framework, we will often have little idea what will follow when we reach the top. Everything that happens, from that point on, is completely out of our immediate control. We are in the hands of another.

Almost certainly, the first thing we will experience is a sharp turn towards a downward spiral or slope which will significantly increase the momentum and speed of the car. What goes up, must come down. We may grip the handle-bars of the carriage with all our might and strength for safety, or simply just hope for the best. As the speed increases, we may be inclined to utter screams of joy or fear with vociferousness.

Our hearts may begin to race, adrenalin may flow throughout our bodies with vengeance. We may well experience both exhilaration and extreme fear simultaneously. Confusion or indecisiveness as to what to do for the best, may become the differentiating factor. Philippians 4:8-9 reminds us: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

In some films or television programs, twists and turns can have a dramatic impact on the final outcome or overall enjoyment. A clever, but misleading plot may invite one to assimilate a totally different conception as to what the ending will incur. It may be amusing or perhaps sinister in nature, it may even provoke amazement, but however we feel, the outcome is often a complete surprise and totally unexpected. It is sometimes incorporated to confer that even in today’s sinful society, justice still prevails.

In the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible, a similar ploy of the unexpected takes place between the deceitful serpent and an innocent woman called Eve. Genesis 3:1-7 reminds us: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”