Worst Case Scenario

“No matter how bad things are, they could always be worse. Start finding gratitude for what might have happened but didn’t.” - Mac Anderson

I loved the show This is Us. Two of the main characters, Beth and Randall, would play a game called Worst Case Scenario. When they were faced with an upcoming challenge, such as their teenaged daughter wanted to have a serious conversation, they would say to each other, “let’s pick the worst-case scenario.” They would take turns to say all the bad things that they were thinking with no judgement and or holding back. This way whatever they find out was really going on would not be as they feared. The winner of the game would be the craziest thought either one had. It was entertaining for us to watch. I am sure it gave them some relief that the challenge was never at that level. I don’t remember if there was ever a situation where they nailed it. Maybe you’re thinking this sounds like a terrible game to play or a fun one. But what happens when we find ourselves in our worst-case scenario?

Finding yourself in the worst-case scenario can be terrifying. Unfortunately, we all have been there or will be at some point. I remember a time I found myself there. My little girl was 6 months old and had eczema all over her body. We had tried many remedies and nothing. Finally, the doctor said we would need to do a blood test to see if it was allergies causing this. It was a scary moment. I don’t have any allergies, nor had I had to ever deal with them before. The results came back with a long list of foods including staples like dairy, eggs, flour, wheat, soy, nuts, tree nuts, tomatoes etc. Looking at the list I wondered what I could feed my child. I was told it would lead to asthma and probably more. The idea that food that nurtures us could kill her was terrifying. Would this be the rest of her life? Even though I didn’t have anything to do with it, I felt like a failure already.

Thankfully the doctor assigned us to an amazing allergist who guided us in our next steps of understanding and handling. Then we were assigned a nutritionist who gave us ideas of alternatives. It was a tough journey and a road that included testing the foods here and there and some mishaps that ended in the emergency room. Many tears were shed, and needles pronged into her tiny little back which was really hard to bear. She was a tough kid. As an eleven-year-old now, she has outgrown most of the allergies and narrowed it down to all nuts, tree nuts and seafood. She never got asthma or anything else. We are still praying that this list will one day be nonexistent. To get this far was truly amazing.

We survived, and it made us stronger. 

I don’t think I could ever play that worst scenario game that Beth and Randall played. Maybe it works for you. Maybe it doesn’t. I do apply it to my life in a different way. As soon as I find myself complaining or facing a challenge, I remind myself it could be worse. For example, if I’ve been stuck in traffic for an hour. It has been annoying and hard and long. I’ve been saying it could be worse. My two-year-old could’ve been crying the entire time. It does help me feel better because I know it could’ve been worse but it’s not. I could’ve been in an accident, and I wasn’t. I could’ve gotten a flat tire in the middle of winter, but I didn’t. This is my version of the worst-case scenario. It helps me look to the brighter side in all cases. 

In turn, I change my complaint to praise. I go from hating my day to thanking God that at least I have a day. But one thing I do want to say is that don’t be afraid of the worst case scenario. It doesn’t mean that only good days should be rejoiced and that the worst should be feared. I’m not saying that, because in all cases good and bad, God is still with you. So no matter what comes your way you will be okay. Keep your trust in him because you will come out in the end. Worst case scenario seems like the scariest thing in the world. But with God it shouldn’t be. It will always benefit you somehow in the end. In my earlier example I became wiser and stronger. I could see that I could survive any situation as long as I kept God in the front. Something that I try to do in every situation I face now.