1 Peter 2:22-23
Christ did not sin or ever tell a lie. Although he was abused, he never tried to get even. And when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he had faith in God, who judges fairly.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
NBC’s Today Show co-host, Ann Curry, said a tearful “Good-bye” to her faithful early-morning followers this morning. Apparently, the “powers that be” have decided that Curry’s co-hosting style is not conducive to high ratings. So she has been “re-assigned” to other projects for the “Today Show family” with a “new title and a new role.” As Curry spoke, she said, “This is not as I expected… to leave this couch after 15 years.” You could hear the pain in her voice and see the sadness on her face. Yet she did not lash out in any way. Instead, she said, “I am so grateful… especially to all of you who watch me…”
Curry thanked a lot of people who work behind the scenes, and then she said, “For all of you who saw me as a ground breaker, I’m sorry I couldn’t carry the ball over the Finish line… but man, I did try!” Curry did not lay blame on anyone… she was gracious and humble. I have no doubt there is a lot more to this story, but Ann Curry did not air any “dirty laundry” in public nor make any pointed jabs at her bosses.
In a similar manner, we watched late night comedian Conan O’Brien get the boot from NBC (is there a pattern here?) a few years ago, when Jay Leno decided he did not like “retirement” and wanted his old job back. In a recent interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan, O’Brien talked about the devastation of losing his job as a late-night host, saying… “Not that I'm a great figure, whatever that would be. But there should be -- in a good career, there should be a lot of challenges. And so I wouldn't -- I would honestly not really change anything that happened. It's been fascinating. It brought me to where I am now, which I love.”
Again, I’m not saying there wasn’t huge disappointment for Curry and O’Brien, because clearly they were both hurt and upset by their dismissals. And we don’t know what went on behind the scenes… nor how they behaved in private. But publicly, at least, they took the high road and appeared to act honorably… knowing that much of the world was watching.
Like O’Brien, most of us are not “great figures” – and we may feel that few are watching or give a hoot about how we behave or react to circumstances in our lives. But I assure you, people are watching! We would do well to take a page from the books of these two celebrities and apply it to our daily living. We should listen to the words of these verses in 1 Peter and avoid attempts to get even – or make threats. God will judge fairly… He will protect us. For every “bad” outcome, God will give us a better one. As O’Brien said, there will be lots of challenges, and like Curry, we may not always “carry the ball over the Finish line.” But these challenges will all lead to positive outcomes for those who trust God to handle the bumps in the road.
Conan O’Brien has found a new late night home on TBS, a cable network. He says he is having the time of his life there. I have no doubt that Ann Curry will land on her feet and do great things in the future. I am equally confident that we can also have wonderful lives filled with blessings… if we keep our focus on God and trust Him to number our steps.
When others look at your reactions to the challenges of life, what sort of “faith walk” will they see? Are you ready to move over and let God have control in your life?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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