In The Eye

Life. How can you describe it except to say that it is a beautiful, amazing, frightening, maddening, complicated roller coaster ride. One moment it appears that everything is as it should be, that life couldn't get any better than it is now. Inevitably, though there are bound to be some bumps in the road.

I have learned never to assume that things will stay the same. I have also learned that I can't always believe what I think that I see.

Imagine building a house. That house represents everything that you have worked for or ever dreamed of. Then a tornado, utterly devastating, beats a path to your front door. Layer by layer, the house is torn to shreds. First the roof blows completely off. Windows shatter. Walls are flattened, and yet the destructive whirlwinds are not content just to destroy. No,no. They will not be satisfied until every last scrap has been picked up and carried far away. You are left defenseless, overwhelmingly exposed. The only certainty is that the tornado is about to swallow you alive. You hear the deafening roar of the wind. You feel the awesome power of the raging monster as it unleashes it's fury upon you. But then......

You sense a strange calm. Without doubt, the storm is still there. All around you, the shattered bits of your once-impenetrable fortress are swirling. The tornado taunts, reminding you that in a split second it took away everything. And yet you find that you remain unharmed. It occurs to you that you are smack-dab in the center of the beast, in the eye of the storm, and yet you are safe. Things aren't always as they appear....

1 Corinthians 2:9 says, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him."

The fact of the matter is that what I see and what God sees are two completely different things. I have a limited perspective. I see what is right in front of me. God, on the other hand, is not bound by the same limitations. He sees the bigger picture. He already knows what is on the other side of whatever current obstacles that are blocking my view.

A friend of mine recently reminded me of the story of Joseph. Doting father. Jealous, hateful brothers. Sold into slavery by said brothers. Favored and appointed right-hand man of Potiphar. Falsely accused. Imprisoned. Interpreted dreams of Pharoah. Favored and appointed right-hand man of Pharoah. Dreams of a famine. Put a plan into action. Egypt spared from starvation. Brothers come to buy grain. Joseph reveals himself to said brothers. The slate is wiped clean. Brothers are re-united. Father's broken heart mended. Blessed son is alive and well. God's plan is accomplished. Beauty rises from the ashes.

I can't trust my own vision. It is impaired and faulty. But I know One who sees better than 20/20. So, lead on, Father God. I will follow. Lead on.

Reasons

Recently I found myself in a discussion with an acquaintance of mine. The topic of our conversation was about my recent loss of a job. Obviously, I am now in a much more difficult position financially. This circumstance, along with a few other pretty major setbacks, has somewhat taken the wind out of my sails. However, I have seen God at work enough times in my life to know that what I see in my present circumstances isn't the end of everything. As this woman was empathizing with my plight, I found myself stating an often used phrase. "Everything happens for a reason."

Almost as soon as the words escaped my mouth, I found myself examining the depth of their meaning. Is it really true that there is a greater purpose for everything that happens in this life? As I reflected on that question, I came to no definite conclusion. On one hand, I believe that there are indeed circumstances that God allows in our lives because He knows that, when we have overcome the current trial, with His help of course, that it will bring us to a place of trust and understanding that we would not have otherwise known. 1 Corinthians 1:25 says, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."

On the other hand, one could argue that there are things that happen simply because each man has free will. Each man's choice has consequences, whether they be good or bad. I have made decisions in my own life that have brought about negative consequences. But what about choices that others make that impact my life, the ones that I have no control over? The same holds true for every other human being on planet Earth. There are always things that occur in our lives that leave us with more questions than answers. Things that seem to be without reason or purpose.

There are some things that I am not sure that we will have answers for in this lifetime. The truth of the matter is that we could spend countless hours and days chasing our philosophical tails and still not have the answer to why we endure some of life's hardships. Believe me when I say that this is a very difficult pill for me to swallow. I like to understand the why's of everything. But I can't and I won't understand everything. It all comes down to whether I'm willing to put my trust in Someone who is far greater than myself or any understanding that I may wish to have, regardless of what my circumstances might be. 2 Corinthians 4:8 & 9 says, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:17 & 18 says, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

The way that I should have responded to the woman that I was talking to is this: "I am not sure why some of the bad things happen in my life. What I am absolutely certain of is that I have a Father who knows every detail, and (as my friend Robin says) is not surprised by anything that happens to me. And that very same Father has a plan for me. Whatever the reasons are for the trials that I am facing, I know that I can trust Him to bring good out of the situation. I know that through these difficulties, I will be made stronger. And, right now, that is all I really need to know."