Knowing the situation is important. Understanding the full story is especially important. It is easy to get a portion of the story. One can recognize that s/he has made mistakes and struggle to see beyond that awareness. The awareness of our situation, the hurdles, adversaries, or obstacles, often defines who we are. It is as if we are shaped by the outcomes of our actions and how other forces are pushing into our lives. In the knowledge that any one of these can be overwhelming, I would gently suggest that they are never the whole story.
There is a premise that comes with life and living. Divinity chooses (past tense) to live within you and me. While it is possible to force Divinity out, it is far harder than anyone realizes. Divinity has a home in your soul and mine. Most of the time I tend to forget this fact. The reminder most frequently comes when I realize compassion pushing me to act in ways that I did not imagine. The realization also comes when waves of empathy and mercy wash across my heart. As important as these values are, they did not start naturally from within. I believe they reflect Divinity’s shadow resting in my soul.
When I look at the external situation, there are good forces and bad, dangerous situations and ones filled with opportunity. When I see inside and out, I find that I am never alone. Divinity is within me, making a difference in who and what I am. The greater story includes the awareness that I welcome Divinity to my life. When I do, I “know that none of the God-begotten makes a practice of sin—fatal sin. The God-begotten are also the God-protected. The Evil One can’t lay a hand on them.” (1 John 5.18)
Today will include storms and difficulties. Life usually does. It will also include a God that embraces me from the inside out. The full story gives me hope. We have the power to make a difference. We can be aware, seizing the moments as opportunities.
