When The World Takes The Wind Out Of Your Sails

12 Chapters And A Discussion Guide

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In the words of author James W. Moore:
One of the most delightful plays ever to hit Broadway was the popular musical “Annie,” which of course is based on the “Little Orphan Annie” comic strip. At the beginning of the play, the little girls in the orphanage sing, “It’s A Hard-Knock Life.” In one way or another, we can all relate to that, can’t we? We have all felt firsthand the painful hard-knocks of life. Maybe that’s why we so quickly empathize with Annie and the other little girls trapped in Mrs. Hannigan’s orphanage.

If we use a little poetic license (and a little imagination), we can see the story of Annie as a Christian allegory. In Annie we discover a little girl in a tough, hard-knock life, wanting so much to be loved and to be saved from that desperate situation. Even though there seems no way out, she has hope. And for Annie, that hope is wrapped up in the dream that someday soon her parents will come back to reclaim her and rescue her. A lot of imposters come to claim her. Some even kidnap her with the intent to destroy her. But finally, she is rescued by the love and strength of Daddy Warbucks!

In this troubled world, we all have something of Annie in us. When the world takes the wind out of our sails and we feel down and out, we want someone to help us, to reassure us, to encourage us, to deliver us, to save us. We want some word of “good news.” We want someone with love and strength to hold us up and see us through. That is precisely where the Christian faith comes in, and that is precisely what the Christian faith is about. Remember how Jesus said it: “In the world you have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 KJV). Jesus was saying, in effect, that in this life, sometimes we wi1l have troubles; we can count on it. Sometimes in this life, the world is going to take the wind out of our sails and knock us flat. But even then, we can be courageous because we know that God is always with us and will see us through. As Christians, we have the sure confidence that nothing, not even death, can separate us from God’s presence, God’s care, God’s strength, God’s love, and God’s victory!

So as we deal with the troubles of this world, may God help us to know the courage and faith and blessed assurance that come only from trust in our Lord and Savior, the One who has overcome the world.