Certainty

In an age where nothing is certain, trust appear soft and watery, and consistency is a rare event, being confident about what is going to happen in the future is difficult.  One doesn’t know if the people you depend on are going to be there.  It isn’t always to work with confidence in a space where everything around you is in flux.  Even the processes and successes of yesterday may not be there in the future.  Life seems to be in flux and getting more so by the day.
 
Something makes a difference.  It is difficult to describe yet the source is clear; relationships.  When one has a relationship filled with trust, especially experiential trust, then one can be confident, certain, and hopeful.  Each time the relationship is given an opportunity to work and it does, confidence, hope, and certainty grows exponentially. 
 
Yet this often seems illusive.  How does one get this confidence?  Is it possible to know and experience hope?  Will things ever be certain?
 
The answer comes through in many stories.  One lies in a simple record.  “To the others, ‘Go ahead, take away the stone.’
 
They removed the stone.  Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, ‘Father, I'm grateful that you have listened to me.  I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I've spoken so that they might believe that you sent me.’”  (John 11.41, 42) 
 
Here is one with absolute confidence, complete certainty, and hope.  I know others have made phone calls in times of distress to discover those who will always be there for them no matter what the issue, challenge, or situation.  They carry with them a certainty many of us long for!
 
Certainty comes with experience.  Giving Divinity and those in our lives the opportunity to act is the first step of hope filled with confidence.  Responding to those who give us windows to act is the first step.  Today will have many windows in it.  I am committed to being there.  I look forward to seeing you along the way.