 |
| Source: timeshighereducation.com |
So often it seems, living by faith and not by sight is just downright tough.
In my experience, it has never gotten easier, with every passing year, or through every passing decade of knowing the Lord.
Oftentimes I find more questions arise as I continue on my journey of faith than questions satisfactorily answered.
I'm slowly learning how to walk humbly with these questions, getting more comfortable with the absence of answers, leaning more fully upon the character of God.
I am growing in awareness of how God works in the small spaces, the hidden places, often out of sight, slowly, and silently.
This ought not surprise me--for just a passing consideration of how life carries on in the natural world reveals a system of hidden seeds, swelling and sprouting unseen, tucked deep into the soil and small miraculous fetuses growing silently in their mothers' wombs. The process of life and growth takes time and happens slowly, quietly.
How counter-cultural this seems, as we are told to "go big or go home," clamor for influence, secure fame, and grasp for glory.
Christ's call encourages us to be faithful, even in the small. His word tells us of old and barren women having children, small shepherd boys slaying giants, fishes and loaves feeding the multitudes.
I enjoyed reading more about this counter-cultural call we have as Christians to living small in Emily P. Freeman's book, Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living In a Fast-Moving World. In it, she writes:
"We don't know where these [small] moments might lead, what we might grow into, whom we might influence, what impact we might have. That is not our business. Instead our job is to stay right here with our friend Jesus."
She goes on to ponder...
"Could it be possible we have it wrong? Maybe success isn't in believing I can do anything but knowing I can do nothing."
Isn't that our highest calling as Christians? To abide, as branches in the vine of Christ (see John 15)?
May we, dear friend, be faithful to trust God with our gifts and talents, to use them as He sees fit (after all, they were given to us by Him, for His glory!).
May we, dear friend, be faithful to live small.
No comments