What DO we do when everything falls apart? Tears… blaming and anger…. fear…turning to alcohol or shopping or some form of legalism to self-medicate… How about struggling to understand? If we’re honest, we’re all guilty of this from time to time, yet this desperate search for explanations only leads to more unrest and a weakened faith! Trying to understand difficult circumstances is really about fighting to have control over them. It is about trusting in ourselves more than trusting in God!
There’s a time and a season for everything, and for me, this summer has been one of significant loss and change–emotionally, physically, and spiritually. A dear friend & mentor succumbed to cancer; another close friend struggled as her marriage unraveled. Transitions are happening all around me as my sons are entering a new season of life; my ministry is simultaneously undergoing both growing pains and a shrinking performance schedule as we’re forging new territory, and I’m dealing with a chronic health issue that has come with getting older. I can sense that I am being trained, but having no idea what the preparation is for (and hearing nothing on that subject yet), I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the nature of faith.
I’m reminded of the old expression, “when the rubber hits the road” (presumably, how do we handle ourselves when things “get rocky” or “slicked with ice”?). I asked my husband, my favorite rocket scientist, what was meant by the expression. I figured he would explain to this non-scientific brain about the physics or friction or some such thing as it applies to tires and asphalt. Instead he said, “that’s where the action happens”. What an interesting point! The engine gives the car it’s power, but the tires let it do its job. So, how we travel through this journey of life is all about our faith.
God’s Word tells us that faith is trusting in things unseen (there’s that TRUST again), and to trust in the Lord with all our heart; leaning not on our own understanding. Faith is also described as a shield, fending off the fiery darts of lies, bitterness, betrayal, and sorrow, thrown at us from dark places. Don’t YOU want the most active faith muscle– biggest shield, best traction tires– you could have, when everything crashes and burns around you?? And please hear this, whether or not you believe in God, we all have faith in something– wealth, education, politics, family… Sadly it’s when disaster strikes that many of us realize that even the most noble of human beings make mistakes, and man-made systems fail. Growing up in a secular family in America, I was raised on the belief that I could “pull myself up by my boost-straps”. I was my own little demi-god for far too many years. It’s sobering to think about the messes I’ve created.
Frankly, in this world filled with loss, corruption, and suffering, I’m grateful to know the Creator of the Universe is in charge, and that He is GOOD. Only God can transform our messes into beauty.
runningtothedeep 