In the current climate, it is hard to see the possibilities. I can think of the reasons for my short sightedness. Fear, uncertainty, and the need to protect others as well as myself from the downside are just the beginning. The challenge of building a consensus in this environment, the risk-adverse decisions of others, and the difficulties in deciding how to make decisions play out in your life and mine. One might think that this is the time to step back and wait.
I do not see God taking that step. God is actively engaged in your life and mine. S/he is leading and guiding through the events of each day, looking to engage our hearts and minds. The potential possibilities are endless! The obstacles are real, they always are.
There was a memorial service recently for someone just a little older than my first daughter. For those that were influenced by her life and passing, the service was as stark reminder of life’s fragility and danger. It was a harsh reminder of how fleeting life can be. We should never take being safe for granted. Yet, I also heard a call to live. She died doing what she loved. The cliché rings true, “if not now, when?”
It is hard to imagine what will become real with our actions. We can only see the present. Others before us have struggled with this. One comment still rings true; “we’re only looking at pre-resurrection ‘seeds’ — who can imagine what the resurrection ‘plants’ will be like!” (1 Corinthians 15.41) It is hard to imagine the possibilities. If is difficult to step out into the unknown, especially when it feels like we are in a storm.
In the quiet dawn I hear a whisper calling us to action. The storms are trying to drown out the sound, prevent us from hearing. In the wind, the invitation is there, calling us to more. I know the storms were here yesterday and they will be here tomorrow. Some have responded by living life to the full. It is an open invitation.
