I like the idea of endless possibilities, yet the reality of having them is disturbing. What does one do when the market swings hundreds of points up and then hundreds down? I know there are possibilities, but there are far more filled with unknowns than I can handle. In a world where anyone can move without many restrictions, where should one focus one’s attention? Does the answer lie in the latest opportunity or the current big one? What about the potential one that has not quite emerged? Given the chaos and bad news that may come today, is doing anything the answer? Is it better, safer, and wise to simply do nothing?
Waves of uncertainty and questions continue to shake my foundations. With the storm at hand, I find myself coming back to three truths.
As severe, unusual, and affecting as the current time is on your life and mine, the reality of our journeys reminds us that this is not the first time. Pain and fear haunt our lives far more than we can remember. It may seem severe, but it is more normal than exceptional.
When I think I have analyzed and understood everything that might happen, I am surprised! I have limited sight. I could not imagine. I am not the first. Imagine Peter’s surprise when “suddenly there was an angel at his side and light flooding the room. The angel shook Peter and got him up: ‘Hurry!’” (Acts 12.7) He thought he was in a dream. In every moment, anything is possible.
Living in the present is the response that gives you and I the option of responding. Yes, we can learn from the past. We can remember how God engaged in our life. Beyond this, we do not need to carry any burdens from yesterday. Tomorrow is unwritten. Our ability to touch it is only found in the present.
You and I are in wonderful places. We have memories of God touching our lives. We are reminded that we belong to God’s family. We have the possibility of making a difference.
