And that has made all the difference...

Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. (Robert Frost)

You haven't traveled my road anymore than I have traveled yours. Our roads may have intersected here and there, but the road we each travel is uniquely our own. At each major intersection in life, we make a choice - we choose one path or the other - we don't travel them both. Perhaps we follow in the footsteps of someone who has traveled portions of that path before, finding our view of the path just slightly different. As similar as my BFF and I are, as we take a road trip, or enjoy a stroll along a forest trail, we 'take in' our surroundings in different ways. I will remark about one thing I saw, only to find she didn't see it at all and vice-versa. Why did we not experience the path the same? We are unique - our eyes and hearts are open, but we might just find we are taking in life in just a little different manner as we travel paths that seem very similar!

It is God Who covers me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. And He sets me on my high places. He teaches me how to fight, so that I can use a bow of brass. You have also given me the covering that saves me. Your right hand holds me up. And Your care has made me great. You make the road wide for my steps, and my feet have not tripped. (Psalm 18:32-36)

Our path will be the 'perfect' one for us when God is the one who directs it. When we are directed by God, regardless of the path we travel, there will be this 'covering' over us - something not quite 'tangible', but it there and we know it. His strength will bolster us for the journey, but his watchful eye will also help us to avoid the pitfalls. More importantly, his tender touch will guide us to 'take in' what it is we are not to miss along the journey - so we are 'seeing things' exactly as he sees them. I think this is probably one of the most reassuring things I have learned about walking with God in my life's path - that he is helping me to not miss the stuff he wants me to experience along the way.

The covering of God along our path goes way beyond keeping us safe - it keeps us focused and in tune with our path. Have you ever heard someone say to you, "Look", only to turn your head just in time to catch some majestic thing such as an eagle in flight, the gentle bounce of a fawn tagging along behind their mother through the forest trail, or the gentle movement of the fish just beneath the surface of the crystal clear creek? As quickly as your turned to 'take notice' of what you were called to 'look upon', you were engulfed in the moment of that discovery. God's covering over us is what helps us with our moments of discovery, my friends. He isn't just saying, "Look", because there is something beautiful to behold, but because in 'looking' we are discovering something about him.

It may be that we discover how much care he has taken to create things of beauty around us, but it could also be that we discover just how deep the hurt of someone's heart really is. When he tells us to 'look', he might just be showing us something about that moment that has opened a door for us to speak words of comfort into that hurting place in another's life. When God is with us on the pathway of life, the moments of discovery are innumerable. Some will be moments of discovery that uncover something within us that needs to be discovered afresh or anew. At others, there will be discovery of truth, light, and even wisdom. Regardless of the discovery, it has been uniquely prepared for us by the one who guides our path - God himself. At the intersections of life, don't hurriedly choose one or the other - consult with the one who has prepared the path. You never know what 'discovery' will happen when you do! Just sayin!

Hey, I've got something for you!

Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands. (Psalm 119:66)

Here we find the very personal invitation to "learn of God". Jesus was calling his disciples in the early part of his earthly ministry - a calling they'd never really understand until after he was taken from this earth. John was curious about where it was that Jesus stayed - where did he lay his head at night, how did he make a living, who was this guy really. He asked Jesus where he lived and Jesus' response was to "come and see". This is perhaps the most rewarding invitation anyone can receive - come and see. It implies the ability to come into a fuller revelation of all that we are curious about. To come is an action on our part, but to truly see as we need to see - well, that is all on him!

In the spiritual sense, there is a great deal that causes us to be curious, if even just a little bit - figuring out how the whole Trinity thing works, understanding the mystery of just how a virgin could be found with child, working through the idea that a loving God allows bad stuff to happen to good people, and the list could go on. It is always good to ask God to teach us knowledge and good judgment - we need more than knowledge - we also need to know how to put it into operation within our lives. We come to God for revelation - wanting God to disclose to us the things that we are curious about. Our request does not stop at the gaining of knowledge because we need to ask God for good judgment, too.

What is the difference? Knowledge is gained through study, seeking intently, and being wide open to learning. Good judgment is the wisdom to apply that knowledge that we have received. One without the other is like only wearing one shoe! You will stumble along with one foot well-protected from the elements while the other is exposed. 

If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as you would for silver and search for it as for a hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  (Proverbs 2:3-5)

The knowledge of God is not something for the weak-hearted or half-baked. It requires a commitment to really seeking it out - but in that seeking there is a guarantee that it will be found when we seek with an intensity. Never forget - with knowledge comes the accountability to use what it is that we have been given. That scares some people - being held accountable is not something we naturally gravitate toward. We often resist being held accountable - because it is work on our part! The invitation to come into knowledge is both rewarding and a little frightening. If I can dissuade you from turning tail and bolting right now, I want to let you know that the reward is much greater than the effort to learn of God, or the issue of being held accountable. So, I encourage you to come into knowledge - spend time with him, getting to know him and learn of him. He delights in having all men come to a knowledge of the truth! (I Timothy 2:4) Just learnin!

Both feet wet

25 Keep your eyes on the path, and look straight ahead. 26 Make sure you are going the right way, and nothing will make you fall. 27 Don’t go to the right or to the left, and you will stay away from evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27 ERV)

When we are determined in our course there is a motivation that keeps us moving right along, but not every "determined course" is actually the right one to be on in life. Some of the course we tread actually bring us turmoil, troubles, and tempests we have to navigate around or through. We aren't infallible people and we make fallible decisions, don't we? It is easy for us to mistaken about where we are headed, but it is impossible for us to never see or hear any of the warnings to not put ourselves out there - at least one or two warnings will be observed, but not necessarily heeded. 

I think this is best illustrated in something I discovered on a recent fishing trip. You see, I knew where the fish were hiding - I had observed them darting in and out of this area for a good deal of time. It was a remote location, requiring some pretty doggone accurate casting and navigation of my bait into just the right spot in the creek. To do so meant I need to maneuver into just the right spot and that meant going over a few rocks out into the river a little ways. Wanting to keep my feet dry, I chose the rocks that were above the surface as my "stepping stones". You know what happened, don't you? Yup - one wobbly and slippery stone later I found one foot solidly planted on a dry stone and one immersed in chilly water now up to my ankle. 

At times we need to get both feet wet in order to be right where we need to be, but we want to take the path we think will cause us the least amount of pain or discomfort. The moment my foot hit that cold water, I wanted to pull back, but there was no solid ground upon which to find my footing. The solid ground I needed was IN the water - both feet needed to be there if I was to find stability and not topple into the water entirely. I nearly found myself fully falling into the waters, but as soon as I realized the cool waters could be tolerated, I shucked the socks, put my shoes back on and waded in up to my knees. Now I was in the right spot!

The moment we decide to put both feet in, we will probably get a little shock of sorts, for it requires on foot to take the lead into some places we may not have considered "favorable" or "dry ground". One foot in front of the other until the footing we so desperately need is found. Yes, there may be a little discomfort in discovering that place of solid footing, but in the discovery there promises to be moments when the pain of getting there makes it all worth the while. I found those fish and went home with my limit most days we fished that same hole. After the first day, I knew good and well what it would take to get to them - wet feet, solidly planted, moving me closer and closer to the place of reaping. 

You may not realize it, but it could just be God is asking you to get both feet wet, my friend. You want the comfort of dry ground, but God may be calling you a little closer to your reward by challenging you to get both feet wet! Just sayin!

Discovery

6 Anyone who makes fun of wisdom will never find it, but knowledge comes easily to those who understand its value. 

(Proverbs 14:6 ERV)

Socrates reminds us the only true wisdom is in knowing that you know absolutely nothing! On occasion, my BFF will ask me a silly question that goes something like, "Is there anything you cannot do?" I usually just glare at her or answer there are a lot of things I don't know and have never tried. Some will never be known by me, nor tried, for they are not in the plans God has for me in this lifetime. There will always be things we cannot know or do in this lifetime, but we can count on this - the things we need for today are readily at our disposal simply by asking God for them!

The knowledge we need for today's decisions is at our disposal - we often just don't go to the right source. I have several websites I consult when I want to figure out something challenging with a spreadsheet function or formula at work. The problem comes in knowing what it is that I want to do (at least knowing how to describe it in "Excel-speak"). I know what I want to accomplish, but I may not know the right name for the formula or function, so I spend a great deal of time trying to figure out what something is called before I can ever accomplish doing it!

In life, we often spend more time trying to put a "name" to what it is we hope to accomplish and a lot less time actually accomplishing it! This is not always a problem, because the time we spend discovering the destination is often helping us to get ready for what it is we shall encounter once we arrive. The issue comes in not asking for the wisdom to get from where we are to where we want or need to be. Wisdom is best exercised in the time we spend asking - for in asking we make discovery - in discovery we make steps forward or stop what we are doing. Part of asking is in listening - for whatever we desire in this lifetime will only be accomplished when we are wise enough to discover through listening to the voice of God. Just sayin!

Turning a few stones....

Galileo once said, "All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." Nothing could be more truthful than those words. We often want to understand the truth, but we do very little to actually discover it. I like watching those shows on how things are made. They are on my list of viewing options at least two to three times a week and there are times when I am just amazed to find out how things are put together, what goes into making a particular object, or how much work goes into the creative process behind the object we see as the end result of someone's intense labor. For example, I had absolutely no idea how much work goes into the making of some of those little cones of incense we once saw so prominently sold during the 60's and 70's. They are less popular today with the introduction of these "oil diffusers" and "wax melting pots" we see marketed now, but back in the day they were the thing we'd use to fill the air with some flowery or woodsy appeal. There is actually a company who "hand makes" those little cone shaped incense rods - about a dozen at a time - carefully hand-pressing the moist mixture of pungent ingredients into their mold and then letting them dry for four days in a temperature controlled room.  They are even hand packaged! What caught my attention was how detailed they were in the mixture of what goes into each of these in order to get the perfect blend of aromatic odor from the finished product and then the hand-loading of the molds.  To discover truth, we have to be looking for it!

The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your right rulings will surely last forever.  (Psalm 119:160 VOICE)

Discovery is defined as uncovering or finding something which was previously unseen or unknown to the one who comes across it.  In the most literal sense, anytime we roll over a stone in the desert, or rake up leaves which have been on the ground for a while, we will discover some things which may have been hidden from our view.  Perhaps we discover a little bit of death and decay under those leaves.  Or maybe we discover a few crawling insects under the stone.  Those things or conditions were already there - they just had not been discovered by us yet.  The process of death or decay was masked or hidden under the pile of leaves which were left undisturbed for a while.  The hiding place for these crawling insects may have provided them shelter from heat or predators, but as soon as they are "uncovered", they flee again to find some other shelter.  Why?  They don't like being discovered!  Some 'truth' is easily discovered, such as when we put our fingers on a hot burner and realize heat burns. Other 'truth' may take us a while to really get at it because it requires some turning of stones, removal of hiding places, and raking up of the leaves which are allowing death and decay to occur!

Elvis Presley said, "Truth is like the sun.  You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away."  We might want to black out the truth for a while, but it as with the sunlight, it isn't going to be less true simply because we want to block it out! What happens to us when we block truth from our lives?  We become narrow-minded, limited in our focus, and even a little too "myopic" (near-sighted).  We don't see the bigger picture and therefore, we are often not going to engage with the truth we might receive or know with the same energy and commitment as we might if we were open to discovery. Truth goes two ways - it is about what we open ourselves up to receive and what we actually seek after to discover in a greater way.  To know what is under the stone, I need to turn it over.  Until that time, I can only surmise there are insects and crawling creatures under there.  Turning it over is one thing - but taking account of what is there is another!  We often turn stones in our lives without really taking notice of what is underneath! Yes, we see something there, noticing it on a superficial level, but discovery really hasn't taken place until we notice what has been revealed.

Discovery may involve disclosure - what once was not spoken of, or which had not previously been asked must be.  Why? It opens the door to discovery.  Turning the stone or raking the leaves is the first step to discovery, but what was disclosed must be considered, treated with care, and observed in total. If we just see the indent left by the stone, we will not notice the earthworms squirming deeper into the soil!  Some of the time, we allow discovery in our lives, but only surface-deep. We are like the earthworm - when the stones get turned, we let some things squirm deeper inside so they don't risk being discovered!  I know the earthworms in my garden are there, not because someone told me they existed.  I know they are there because I took the spade, turned over the soil myself, and saw them with my own two eyes!  Just sayin!

Let the discovery begin...

As I look around my "world" today, I see all manner of "things" God has prepared for my enjoyment.  I have a beautiful house, nice yard, reliable vehicle, tremendous relationships with friends and family.  ALL specifically placed in my life for my enjoyment - and for my growth!  Why do I think all things placed in my life are for my growth?  Have you tried to be mature and responsible for the many blessings you have received and observed how ridiculously hard it can be to "handle" what life throws your way at times?  The house helped me to grow and mature in a financial sense.  In short order I learned what it was like to have a financial "burden" in your life which was kind of "bigger" that any other financial burden I had ever known.  In rather short order, I had to grow up with respect to my use of money - learning to budget and take specific interest in reducing this debt year by year.  It is paid off ten years earlier than the mortgage company predicted it would be - not because I am wealthy, but because God helped me grow "into" a better handling of my monies.  We may not think of the "things" God places in our lives as being those things he has prepared for our growth and development, but even the simplest of God's blessings has a profound impact in the life of the one who will learn to look for the blessing "inside" the blessing!

No eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard and it has never occurred to the human heart all the things God prepared for those who love Him. God has shown us these profound and startling realities through His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep mysteries of God. Who can see into a man’s heart and know his thoughts? Only the spirit that dwells within the man. In the same way, the thoughts of God are known only by His Spirit.  You must know that we have not received the spirit of this rebellious and broken world but the Spirit that comes from God, so that we may experience and comprehend the gifts that come from God. (I Corinthians 2:9-12 VOICE)

The human heart is incapable of fully knowing (recognizing) and understanding (having all the "background" information) all the blessings God has prepared in our lives.  If we were to take up a journal and pen, we'd soon fill the pages with notes accounting for this blessing, that one, and soon another.  As we'd begin that process, we'd begin to discover this blessing opened the door for that one, then another came along on its heels, until the list just mushroomed - because God's blessings are limitless and his care over our lives is without measure!  Yet, God wants us to come into an appreciation of the blessings and gifts he has placed into our lives - so he sends his Spirit to dwell within us to show us those deep mysteries of his blessing and goodness.  Why?  God wants us to experience AND comprehend the gifts that come from him. He wants us to enter into them, but also to see the ways they actually help us to grow and mature in his grace, love, and mercy.

The part of this passage I want us to consider this morning is that which is underlined above - all those things God has prepared for each of us.  In the most literal sense, preparation involves this sense of pre-planning.  There is some thought which goes into the process that considers the detail necessary to ensure the "thing prepared" is specifically orchestrated for the one it is prepared to bless.  God doesn't just go to the pantry, pull out a 'canned blessing' and send it our way!  He has laid up those blessings way in advance, preparing even the "order" in which we will receive them into our lives.  Preparation requires some "readying" of the subject who will receive and the object which will be received. As I think of the times when I have prepared for a dinner party, or perhaps even prepared to celebrate a specific holiday with family and friends, there is a lot of "pre-planning" which goes into those moments.  From picking just the right ingredients from which to prepare the meal, to the actual preparation of those items into the dishes which will be served, the "readying" process evolves.  The same is true in our lives - there is a process of preparation which is underway right now for the next thing God has "readied" for our lives.

The most amazing part of the preparation God is doing in our lives is that we are not even aware of the groundwork being laid to prepare the way for the next thing he has for us! Most of us don't understand the weather, but we learn to read the signs of the weather.  If the wind begins to pick up, we know we may realize a little cooling or even the entry of some clouds along with those winds.  We might dress a little differently, making "preparation" for the possibility of a change in weather which could bring rain, snow, or something in between.  We pick up a sweater, maybe an umbrella, and make our way to the office as usual.  When we make our way into the office that day, the full realization of the weather coming our way may not be known, but we have prepared for the possibilities.  God doesn't always give us clarity of what he is doing, does he?  Sometimes his movement in our lives is kind of like that beginning of the weather change - there is a hint things are about to be different (changed), but we don't really know what that entails or how much change will be coming our way.  We prepare what we are able to prepare, in ways we can understand with our minds and appreciate with our hearts. The rest is up to him!

Even times where it appears there is no sign of growth, preparation is underway.  Paul Theroux said, "Winter is a season of recovery and preparation."  Those times when we don't see the preparation occurring may actually be times when God is laying the groundwork - allowing recovery to occur so we are ready for the next thing he has prepared which our heart and mind will find challenge and discovery within.  Discovery of God's heart isn't by chance - it is because there is preparation!  In finding his heart, we might just discover the blessing he has prepared!  Just sayin!

It is right there in front of you!

I am always kind of embarrassed whenever I am looking all around for something and someone comes along, asks quietly what I am looking for, then proceeds to point it out right in front of my face.  Ever been there?  You have searched high and low, creating all kind of inner frenzy as emotions build in your fury to find whatever it is, and so clearly miss it right there in front of you.  Yes, we might be searching.  Yes, we might be determined to find whatever it is.  Yes, we will not be denied finding whatever it is.  Up to this point, we are just caught up in the search - but it is the finding which has us mystified!  That might just be the exact place God has the greatest opportunity to just dawn his light in our lives!  

Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. (Ephesians 1:18 VOICE)

In searching, there is some sense of "carefulness" we plan to exhibit in our seeking to explore whatever it is we are attempting to discover.  Yet, even with all the carefulness we can muster, we can still miss some of the most obvious things!  Mom has bad eyesight because of advanced macular degeneration.  She sees shapes (outlines) of figures in front of her, but has poor color discrimination.  She sees portions of things, but not the whole.  As a result, something quite obvious right in front of her can often be missed.  I can set a spoon next to the fork on the table as I place her meal in front of her and she will ask for a spoon. She didn't see what was right there.  I was careful to plan, but all the care in the world didn't make any difference when it came to discovering what was right there already.  She needed me to point it out to her.  Things aren't much different in our walk with Jesus - he plans carefully for our lives, allowing us to plan equally carefully, but it is in the moment he points out the things we most need at that moment that we come to the place of discovery.

This passage is sort of a prayer we can use in our own lives, because it simply asks God to open our eyes to see what is hidden from our hearts; to give us the ability to embrace the hope which is right in front of us; and to enjoy the riches of his grace right there in front of us just waiting for us to discover them.  Notice in all three of these "discoveries" God is the one who actually does the revealing.  That means he is the one who comes in the midst of our searching and shows us exactly where to find whatever it was we needed at that very moment. That means the discovery will be perfect - not too early, lest we fail to appreciate the importance of the discovery; not too late, lest we despair and grow weary and without hope.

The heart (mind, will, and emotions) are opened through the light of God flooding in, bringing us to the place of discovery in thought, determination, and the depth of experience created by his hand.  God does more in the giving of light into the dark places of our lives than we could ever do despite our every effort to figure things out in our own reasoning or determination to use will-power to overcome something.  Hope is something which tells us whatever it is we are waiting to discover can actually be found - it can be ours for the taking. We might not realize that apart from the light God gives - simply because we don't see the possibilities he sees, nor the plans he has made well in advance of us needing whatever that may be in our lives.  One thing about hope - it is not really of value to us until it is embraced. You can have all manner of understanding about how to lose weight, but until you implement the plan, depending on the outcome through the presence of hope, you don't lose weight.  You "hope" the actions you are taking will reveal the outcome you desire.  Hope has to be embraced - even when you don't see the immediate results.

Three actions of God on our behalf make all the difference in our discovery and ability to walk strong:  1) the opening of our eyes to the possibilities right in front of us; 2) the calling of God to walk into the light he has prepared to reveal what is right in front of us; and 3) the revelation of God's plan by the combined use of both our new-found "sight" and the presence of our newly-embraced hope he has provided.  Most of what we need is right there in front of us - but it is just not revealed or discovered yet.  Much of what we need is based on our response to what is revealed - for all manner of revelation means nothing if we don't embrace what is revealed!  Just sayin!

Deep thoughts anyone?

The youngest player to ever win the Grand Slam in tennis was Michael Chang - a Christian athlete who frequently gave all the praise for his ability and talent to the Lord.  One of the things he is quoted as saying kind of speaks to our passage today:  "Maybe sometimes I'm such a thinker, I reevaluate too much. Sometimes when it comes down to it, I really don't need to do anything. I don't really need to change anything.  I need to just keep plugging away, working at it."  We probably all have a tendency to "over-think" matters on occasion, making mountains out of molehills and tragedies out of small blips on the radar.  WE see things one way - GOD sees them quite differently.  Somewhere in-between what WE see and what GOD sees is where revelation begins to dawn.  Deep thought may be where we discover the deepest of truths, but as long as they remain "deep", we don't actually bring them forth into the place of discovery and usefulness in our lives.

Someone’s thoughts may be as deep as the ocean, but if you are smart, you will discover them. (Proverbs 20:5 CEV)

When asked about how he did so well in his career, rising to such a prestigious level in the tennis world so quickly and at such a young age, he shared that he had an ability to see the "tendencies" in another individual - he used those tendencies to judge how he would respond to them.  If I constantly have a tendency to go one way when having to choose a particular course of action, it is pretty realistic you can come to expect that of me time and time again.  This may not be bad unless that tendency is a weakness!  I think this is how great athletes become great - they learn to look for the tendencies in another player which give them the edge to be one move in front of them - a move which will catch them off-guard.  We don't want to be so "predictable" in our walk that the weaknesses we have become the tool by which we are undone.  We want to keep the enemy of our soul guessing!

Discovering deep thoughts is sometimes pretty hard - but if we want to really discover what makes a man or woman what they are, we need this insight.  We also need this insight if we are to discover how it is we break life-dominating habits in life.  Things hidden deep in our thoughts are often the key to us "breaking dawn" in the realm of overcoming tough issues. Niels Bohr was a Danish physicist who received the Nobel Prize in 1922 for his atomic model and breakthroughs in quantum theory.  He was truly a "deep-thinker".  Yet, he often said one needed to change one's way of thinking in order to find solutions in what one was considering.  The fact of the matter is that many times we need to restructure our way of thinking in order to come up with new solutions to the problems we face!

Now, if you are a deep-thinker you will understand what I am about to say.  You don't exactly like to expose all the stuff you are pondering.  Why?  It is your thought and the things you are considering in the depths of those pondering moments may not always be understood by others around you.  Sometimes the greatest discoveries are made when we can be transparent with the things we hold so deeply!  In the action of sharing those "deep thoughts", it is like dawn breaking in on the darkness of night - the light begins to dawn in a fresh way and we often see things with an entirely new perspective.  I am always amazed when this happens in my own life - because what I "thought" I had all figured out in the depths of my musings I come to discover will not work as well in the "light of day"!

A truly "smart" individual will learn how to mine these deep thoughts not only from others, but from within themselves.  There is this unrealized benefit of making this discovery of thought - it often exposes the tendencies of an individual to the light of day!  From my own perspective, when I finally share what I have been musing upon for some time, I may often discover the complexity of what I was considering was really quite simple - it just needed a little exposure to light in order to realize that!  A good friend will help you to "mine" those deep thoughts.  A truly wise individual will learn when that moment will yield the greatest reward - and they will have the skill with which to bring forth those deep thoughts.  We all can benefit from the sharing of our "musings" - if not to benefit the life of another, it may just be to finally break free of some tendency within us which has become the weakness by which another may predict our response in life.  Just sayin!

Learning even more now

When I was growing up, I tried to learn and learn and learn.  I had a ravenous appetite for learning new things.  I actually was one of those kids in school who looked forward to weekdays, dreaded the weekend, and even longed for school to restart even before summer vacation had begun.  I would read books to explore new worlds, peruse the encyclopedias to uncover new truths about people and places, and gaze upon photos in National Geographic with wonder at the majesty of far off lands and native tribes making a way in jungle regions. I'd study ants coming and going as they diligently cared for their large family. Bird nests became a place of the discovery of patient waiting - longing to discover what tiny life might emerge from those speckled eggs nestled there so carefully. I would watch people in the hallways, on the playground, and even as we walked home after school.  I didn't say much, because I was a shy kid.  Yet, I took it all in.  My imagination was a vast expanse of creative ideas and I longed to fly high into space, dive deep into the ocean depths, and explore the coolness of cavernous holes wiggling their way into the recesses of the earth.  Nothing escaped my attention and nothing became a "waste of my time" - for all I saw became food for thought, fuel for imaginative dreams, and fodder for future plans.  One thing I didn't realize is how much "learning" I could do, but still be so very, very far away from truth.  I think my ravenous appetite for all things new and exciting was just a cry of my soul for what was really missing - Christ!

Day and night I went without sleep, trying to understand what goes on in this world. I saw everything God does, and I realized that no one can really understand what happens. We may be very wise, but no matter how much we try or how much we claim to know, we cannot understand it all. (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 CEV)

As is often the case, all the "earthly" learning we can possibly accomplish really doesn't help us solve some of the greatest issues in life.  As we begin to think upon this, let me assure you, we all face some pretty similar struggles and those issues may have different "names", but they all pretty much stem from similar "issues".  We need divine wisdom - something learned only when we embrace TRUTH - not the kind we learn from the pages in a book or the experiences of a lifetime - but the kind we embrace when we invite Jesus into our lives.

We "try" to understand what goes on in our lives, but have we really grasped what is behind those sudden twists and turns?  I don't think we know exactly, but we muddle through the best we can based on the learning we have from previous twists or turns.  As a teen, I learned to ride a motorized scooter (a little Honda).  Thinking I had learned to ride motorcycles, I thought it would be no big deal to ride a dirt bike later on in life (one with a lot bigger motor and weighing considerably more).  Let me just say that one rather large bruise on my hip, some scrapes and a whole lot of soreness in my muscles later and I was pretty sure I hadn't "learned" how to ride motorcycles!

What I interpreted as having "learned" in my youth was really just a similar experience, but it wasn't the same.  The principles may have been the same. You turn on a motorcycle by leaning your body this way or that.  Gears shifted down, then up, with neutral being at a certain position.  The clutch was on the same side of the handlebars.  But...the weight and speed of the "bikes" were totally different.  The terrain was even different!  So, although I had "learned" to ride in my youth - that "learning" only provided me with a basic knowledge of what needed to happen when I rode.  It didn't prepare me for the twists and turns of the dirt terrain, or the hawk I'd come upon eating his prey right in the middle of my path!

There is much we claim to have learned in this life - all fades in comparison to exploring the issues of life with the person of TRUTH guiding us through them! We might not see all that is hidden behind or within an issue, but with TRUTH guiding us into and through all our issues, we find the wisdom to embrace them, learn from them, and share the learning with others.  We need Christ at the center - nothing else quite opens the doors to our discovery to the same degree. When we try to "manage" life without Christ being "welcomed into" our experiences, we find them devoid of the depth of "true learning" he desires for us. We might "learn" a few things, but it is in the discovery he provides that true learning occurs.

I discovered things as a kid - but today, when I take time out to just watch those ants or explore the depths of the caverns deep below the surface of this earth, I find something of his majesty in all of this discovery.  This was only hinted upon in my earlier discoveries - but now is opened to me fully.  I notice God in the smallest things - I see his hand in the most intricate of creation. In this, I discover the care he takes in the details of our lives. This encourages me, for when the "details" of my life seem to be in a muddle of sorts, I am able to recount how much I know he cares about even the smallest of details!  Just sayin!