Craig Clouston

Two Very Different People

And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Genesis 4:8

Growing up, Tim and Paul faced challenges no child was ever meant to face. Both mother and father were alcoholics, and never sought treatment for their disease. As boys, Tim and Paul had suffered beatings from their father while fending for themselves finding something to eat, doing their own laundry, and everything else necessary for survival.

As the years passed, Tim became angry and lashed out at society, eventually adopting a lifestyle of criminal behavior. He found himself incarcerated more than he was free.

Paul, in sharp contrast, became a police officer, serving the community his parents had been a drain on.

On patrol one night, a call came over Paul’s radio, asking for any officers in the vicinity to respond to a hostage situation. Paul and his partner were only six blocks away and responded immediately. When they arrived at the address Paul was shocked to find out the hostage-taker was his brother, Tim.

Realizing he was too close to the situation, Paul remained in the cruiser while his partner joined the SWAT Team that was already on the scene. After a tense two hour standoff, police were able to negotiate a peaceful resolution, taking Tim into custody.

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How do two people who experience the same circumstances, tumultuous or otherwise, wind up on opposite ends of the personality/psyche spectrum?

Some time ago, I heard an explanation that has stuck with me. It may be the best explanation I’ve ever heard: “If you drop two bottles they will both break. But it’s the way they break that determines what happens with the remnants. One breaks and shatters into a million pieces, crushed by the experience. The other shatters and a sharp weapon is fashioned.”

Everyone encounters unfair challenges in life. The difference in how we respond and develop has always been whether we, like Paul, allow our hearts to be healed, or, like Tim, allow bitterness to take root. Disappointment is inevitable, discouragement is a choice.

Prayer

“Lord, I choose to give You the shattered pieces of my life to bring healing. Take those pieces and fashion a weapon for Your service. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”