The twists and turns of the past week have been amazing. There have been so many that I am not sure I can recount everyone. I know I have given up figuring out if a twist or turn is in itself good or bad. It is a chaotic combination that reflects life in general! There are benefits, challenges, and new doors and windows that nobody could have anticipated.
As I wrestle with what comes next, I find myself thinking through the lessons of the week.
Today’s unexpected developments are variations on life’s surprises across my history as well as yours. With every generation and life, the expected should be expected. In one old story, a lead character “substituted hail for rain, [and] he stabbed their land with lightning.” (Psalm 105.32) Some were surprised; others thoughts it was a natural outcome of the happenings of that time. The irony for those surprised, is that the unexpected then and now is and will always be the norm.
It is problematic to accurately and completely predict what will follow one event or another. I am surprised when I am surprised by this reality. At the same time, I catch myself repeatedly falling into a pattern that things I accurately see the whole picture! Experience reminds me that this has never been true, but the trap seems to capture me more often than not.
Being agile, open, and in the moment is the best answer to the chaos but it is not the whole answer. What I often forget in this lesson is the benefits of coming in with a solid foundation of having fresh anchors for my values and a reservoir of Hope that gives me the energy to take on the darkness.
I have no idea what the day will bring. In many ways it does not matter. What matters is that I can dance and move with life, appreciating its beauty and working with Hope to make the community I am a part of a better place for all. It is an opportunity open to willing individual.
