Sometimes Boring is OK

So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around. 2 Chronicles 20:30

If you’ve watched many fairy tale movies, you know that any such movie is filled with conflict that all gets resolved by the end of the story, at which point everyone lives happily ever after. We like our stories to end this way, but we don’t really want to see a movie that happens during the happily ever after part, because that part lacks any conflict. It’s boring. I imagine if you’re living in the movie though, you’d much rather be in the boring part, living happily ever after.

This reminds me of today’s passage. In it, we’re told how King Jehoshaphat and his people faced an enemy horde that threatened to overwhelm them. In their need, they turned desperately to God who caused their enemies to destroy each other. After the conflict, we read how God gave Jehoshaphat and his people rest. Then, the story just ends because all the conflict is resolved. Jehoshaphat reigned as king for 25 years, but because most of it was peaceful, there’s just not much narrative on it because there’s not much to tell. It makes for boring reading, but again, if you were living in Judah at the time, you’d much rather live during the peaceful boring times than those times filled with conflict and danger.

I think of recovery like that. When I first got there, it was new and exciting. All the misery, conflict, and chaos of addiction was just beginning to fade. After years of recovery though, if I’m not careful, it can begin to seem boring. At times like those, I just need to remind myself of the misery of addiction and I need to make myself find joy in the boring. I don’t want to dwell in the past, but sometimes I must remind myself of the chaos so that I can find contentment here and now. Daily, I thank God for where he’s brought me in life and though I can now say I’m thankful for my addiction, I don’t want to go back to it. So, today, I’m just fine with living in the boring.