Category: faith

God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:14

Have you ever come across an idea a word cannot express, a scenery a photo cannot capture, a love a heart cannot hold? Too deep, too majestic, too weighty for an alternate representation. As I stare at my keyboard – the letters often fail to arrange themselves into words. As I gaze out my window – the beauty will not yield to the constraints of an image. As I peer into my past – the loss feels more than the sum of each day.

This is why, of course, God simply declared himself as “I am.” A truth that reveals nothing and everything in three letters. And so the undefinable will always remain questionable. Does God really speak? Is there a reality beyond what we can see? Can we know a perfect love that drives out fear? It seems a lofty goal to remain sane in the insanity of belief as I fight to find the words to communicate hope, the photograph to portray restoration, and the strength in a promise for what is still to come. 

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.   Hebrews 11:1

It’s so easy to take for granted the ability to see with our eyes. It is a gift to perceive color, consistency, curvature of objects that are close. An opaque velvety red rose, a transparent crystal blue sea, a hazy burnt orange sunset.

At some point we begin to measure our observations, record the output, and add error bars to life.  If we think too much of it, the propagated uncertainty can leave us paralyzed – stuck in the status quo, lost in a sea of data, cowering to the variability inherent in a change of state.

But it is also possible to see with our mind. The brilliance of a vision not yet complete. The vividness of a dream not yet reality. The clarity of a perspective not yet understood. When we fix our eyes on what we cannot see, we learn to trust beyond our senses.

If we thought more of it, each step of faith builds confidence in the unseen. And since no one knows with certainty what will unfold in the next moment, why not boldly act with an assurance that as you leap into the future, you will land in a better place?

Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.  Habakkuk 1:5

To wonder is a peculiar prepositional phrase that morphs in meaning depending on its context. Awestruck wonder at the beauty of a mountain, curious wonder regarding its genesis, doubtful wonder about the assertion it could be moved with a little faith.

There are numerous unexpected twists in life that will tilt our head in question. The recovery time from the whiplash of confusion naturally depends on the impact of the turn. When a career with tenure presumed to be stable, becomes unstable; when a relationship promised to last ’til death do us part, falls apart; when you hold a loved one you’ve embraced a thousand times, one last time – you’ll be left with a lot to ponder.

This space that inhabits more ignorance than reason, more inquiry than answers, more incredulity than explanation is not the easiest place to reside. While I think I would have preferred a little warning, better notification, advanced insight – it appears such thoughts are futile. Because deep in my heart I know I agree, the greater the wonder, the harder to believe.

For we live by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7

There is no such thing as a fairytale until you experience one first hand. While some may not see magic in a parade of boats freely floating in formation, or the conversion of water into a sheet of silvered glass, or the sudden appearance of colored dots saturating the surface of the bay, I believe in the supernatural.

But when this fantasy is overtaken by an opaque grayish white, and you feel trapped in the middle of a claustrophobic haze, do not be alarmed. Every story is filled with transitions that are inherently foggy. The unknown of the next moment is unsettling with no visibility beyond the blurred horizon.

We should not fear, however, because it only takes the turn of a page for the clouds to retreat. After all, it was the dream of a happy ending that began our adventure once upon a time. And when we see “happily ever after” come into full view, we know there is nothing more appropriate to do, then look up to the sky and say a heartfelt “thank you!”