San Diego Fireworks and Strong Faith

Psalm 46 reminds us about the nature and presence of God:
(1b) God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.   When we encounter trouble, we can recognize that God is with us - when we face adversity, we can experience His peace as we rely on His presence.  And, He will teach us through our times of trial, so that we can become more reliant on Christ and demonstrate more of His character.    Life is full of malfunctions and mistakes, and we can choose to become frustrated and irritable in the face of those interruptions, or place our trust in a sovereign God, who's at work even when we don't necessarily think so. 

James 1 gives us this word of encouragement:
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

A malfunctioning fireworks display on the 4th of July in San Diego has become somewhat of a YouTube sensation, receiving over 4 million views since last Wednesday's debacle - you've probably seen it, or at least  heard about it -

For more than a decade, the Fourth of July there has ended with the Big Bay Boom, a glittering fireworks display with dazzling fireworks set off from multiple barges.  The Los Angeles Times reports that this year's show, advertised for weeks in advance, promised to be even bigger, splashier and louder: synchronized to patriotic music on the radio and a live broadcast on a cable channel.   A crowd estimated to be several hundred thousand lined the bay to await the 9 p.m. start.

The show, set to last for 17 minutes, ended in less than 30 seconds when the pyrotechnics, which had been carefully arranged on four barges and a pier, launched simultaneously.   The producers of the spectacle attributed the error to a computer glitch.

Thursday morning, the Big Bay Boom producer and the New Jersey-based fireworks company were promising to make amends. The company offered to do next year's show for free.

"We take 100% responsibility," said August Santore, co-owner of New Jersey-based Garden State Fireworks, which puts on dozens of shows annually. All the systems had tested out perfectly in the hours before the show, he said.

Garden State Fireworks was established in 1890 and has done explosives for some of New York and world’s biggest bashes, according to its Web site.

The company said it has provided fireworks, in past years, for the Macy’s and Washington D.C. Fourth of July shows, the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary, the Statue of Liberty Bicentennial Celebration and New Year's Eve in Central Park.

And, here is a company that has seen its over 100-year reputation go literally up in smoke.   But, apparently, they are intent on carrying on.    And, it's a great lesson for us. 

Life is full of malfunctions - things will go wrong, circumstances will go awry, and we will make mistakes, which sometimes compound.   Our errors in life may even cause an explosion, or an implosion, and we decide to give up - we lose our motivation, our joy for life, and our confidence in ourselves - or God.

When the malfunctions come, we can choose to allow them to consume and defeat us, or we can keep carrying on.  Because, in our adversity, we can see the sovereign hand of God - James says the trying of our faith brings patience.   And, when we mess up and miss the mark, we also know we can come before our Advocate, confess our sins, and receive His forgiveness.

Life's explosions, implosions, or malfunctions don't have to defeat us or derail our lives - we can turn to our God of second chances, who is at work in and through us and will give us strength and confidence as we trust in Him.