As a young adult, it never once occurred to me that I was not in complete control of my life, my decisions, the details of my every day. Equally, I’m sure, it never once occurred to God that I would think I was! It’s pathetic, but a reality nonetheless, the number of Scripture verses I’ve read which have rested comfortably ensconced on the pages in my Bible without penetrating to the dividing of my bone and marrow like a double-edged sword. You know, the uncomfortable ones, the ones that encroach on my ‘sovereignty,’ the ones that sound alarming, life-upsetting, even scary, dangerous. Yes, coming up to those passages was the time to scan ahead to the ‘good’ stuff. No one had to teach me to do this. My self-preservation instincts protected(?) me. My naïve dreaming saw me as an architect, an interior spaces organizer, a church worship leader, a pastoral counselor and various other career paths long forgotten. The only thing certain was that I would never be a pastor, and I would never be a missionary! (Y’all know the remarkable success I’ve had realizing such, um, determinations.) There’s a well-known quote that I’ve come to see as disturbingly accurate: “Life must be lived forward, but it can only be understood backward.” Søren Kierkegaard. We all come to be aware, to some degree, looking back, that how our lives have unfolded has little to do with the intense planning and dreaming of younger days. Maybe Mr. Lennon was onto something when he said: “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.”
Over and over again in Scripture this seems to be the course God sets for those He loves. Abraham was called to leave everything behind and head out for an unknown destination. There’s Job. Joseph, too. The story of Ruth. Or Daniel. Or David. Or every one of the prophets! Or what about the first disciples? What about us? We know we are loved and chosen and promised the presence of Jesus with us to the very end of the age. As we look back, we see God’s hand having guided us skillfully into His plans (and full disclosure – despite reticence and complaining and balking and a wee tad of whining). That He is so unfailingly in love with us is a total marvel! Looking forward to seeing all you loved-by-God friends tomorrow, 10 AM, 3 PM UK, 4 PM ES. PD
