Keeping The Victory That Charlie Didn't

Let’s begin with a real occurrence that you won’t soon forget, which illustrates a life lesson worth remembering.

At 4:10 A.M. on April 29, 1903, 70 to 80 million tons of rock slid off the face of Turtle Mountain, killing approximately 75 people and trapping many in the small town of Frank, Alberta, Canada. Among those trapped by the slide were 17 miners who spent 12 hours digging their way out of entombment. The elation of seeing daylight was short-lived as their eyes adjusted and the devastation of their town came into focus. These men were the last of the survivors to be found, that is, until Charlie was discovered. 

About a month after that fateful day and following the efforts to reopen the main entrance to the Frank mine, Charlie, a mine horse, was found alive. Living in total darkness, he had survived by drinking seepage water, eating the bark off mine timbers, and breathing air from the vertical escape shaft that the 17 trapped miners had dug to flee on that first day. If horses can feel elation, Charlie must have felt it then, at least until he died the same day from an overdose of oats and brandy given to him by his rescuers. What the testing could not take, celebration robbed from Charlie.  

Sadly, Charlie’s end is similar to the experiences of many who have survived periods of testing or darkness in their lives. They were at their lowest financially. Their marriage was deteriorating. Their business was on the brink of bankruptcy. Their child had run away from home. They suffered the loss of someone very dear. You may have had a similar experience, lingering in the shadow of loss. I know I have.

Have you noticed that during those Charlie times, your prayer life improved dramatically? You become spiritually attuned because there is nowhere else to turn. I've always said that nothing enhances your prayer life like a good reason for praying. When people are in the middle of Charlie-type trials, their declarations rise to God. "God, I'll do anything…just rescue me! If you get me out of this mess, I will serve you for the rest of my life! If you rescue me, I'll even go to church!" Charlie-type crises remind me of a lesson for us. I asked God, "Why are you taking me through troubled water?" God replied, "Because your enemies can't swim."

Does this bargaining type of exchange with God sound familiar? Oftentimes, if God doesn’t fix the situation, God’s using the situation to fix you. Then, suddenly, the rescue arrived. Somehow, everything falls into place. A new customer comes with a large order, a clean bill of health after a last-chance treatment, or a point of conflict in a fragile relationship is resolved. Is this merely a coincidence, or has God chosen to remain anonymous? 

Notice that the true test comes right after the "Charlie-Time" has ended. When everything gets back to normal, have we truly learned from the experience? Will we fulfill those promises to God, or even give thanks to God? Or do we let others drown out the lesson we ought to have learned, even with good intentions? Will we revert to our old ways again and continue with life as before? I call this the “born-to-win, conditioned-to-lose syndrome.”

What should our takeaway be here? When darkness ends, and God's deliverance arrives, take it easy on the oats and brandy. The most significant losses often follow the greatest victories. It is one thing to get a victory. It is another to keep the victory.  

So, why are people so vulnerable to losing a victory once they have it? Why is it so hard for people to change for the better? The answer is that 78% of people will only change in response to loss or pain. Said another way, until the pain exceeds the fear or need to change, there will be no change. Think of it this way. Almost eight out of ten people will not change until they come to the end of themselves, or there is no other option but to change. To be an overcomer, you need to have something to overcome. 

We should stop pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they are falling in. Remember, it is not hard to become successful. What is hard is letting go of everything that makes you average. We don't improve our lives by doing more. We improve our lives by doing less of what does not matter.

Remember, I said 78% of people don't change unless pain is involved. What about the other 22% of people? How did they change? Fifteen percent change by revelation. What do I mean by revelation or understanding? It means they understand that getting drunk and then foundering on the oats and brandy, even though encouraged by others, is not the best way to celebrate a victory. Aha! 

The last two ways of changing are being open to taking others' counsel, and being obedient to the Word of God or laws of the land, at three and a half percent each. I love these last three positive options, but for most Charlies, these options are the ‘roads’ less traveled.

Now you’ve learned how to keep the victory that Charlie didn’t.