Just re-read my previous post about the wedding. And, although slightly embarrassed at how gushing I seem to come across in that post, the memories are still fresh and are continuing to make me smile.
In the interests of keeping it real on here though, must explain a little bit about how it feels to be smacked back to reality.
At the wedding reception on Saturday, a bunch of us were all dancing around to Embrace's 'World At Your Feet'. A World Cup song it may be, but for those moments on a perfect day, the world really was our oyster and anything, absolutely anything, was possible for us all.
Monday and Tuesday have seen a marked change in mood. The world has been far from at my feet and seems to be weighing up whether to get right in my face or just try and crush me on my back. The realities of work stress and sudden worries about ill health to members of my close family seem to have been able to swiftly undo all the good that the weekend provided...
So that reminded me of Ecclesiastes. Many people find it an Old Testament book to avoid. After all, who wants their morning quiet time to remind them that 'everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind'?
But I like Ecclesiates (or Qohelet, if I am to impose an heir of superiority from the fact that I studied theology for my degree). Most all all, I like the fact that despite all the absurdities, seasons and problems of life that he identifies, he ultimately chooses to grasp onto the reality of God.
Anyone can hold onto the reality of God after red letter days like Saturday. But if I am going to truly have ''faith that is sure of what we I hope for and certain of what we do not see'' as I read out from Hebrews 11 at the wedding, then that also means following the example of Qohelet and not abandoning God in the face of life's absurdities, but taking a step of faith and trusting in the unseen, no matter what season of life we find ourselves in.
And yes, sometimes this step of faith means we have to cling on for dear life in the face of life's difficulties.
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2 comments:
The correct spelling of the Old Testament book in question should be Ecclesiastes. I've spelt it different ways because it was either a) after midnight and I was starting to make silly typos or b)an elaborate ruse to see if anyone was paying attention.
Turns out both are correct.
And am not sure how to adjust the time. I'm not liking the fact that when I post at midnight it comes up as 3pm. Wouldn't want to give you the impression that I'm not hard at work during office hours...
Thanks for chipping in DB, feels good not to be here talking to myself!I think the point about footprints and the point i was trying to make is that one it will be screamingly obvious as to what is going on, a bit like when the identity of the killer in an eposide of Poirot is revealed and everyone goes, 'oh, NOW I see it'. But for those of us in the meantime, things are a little bit harder to see. In 1 Cor 13:12, Paul writes about seeing through a glass darkly', or a 'poor reflection in a mirror'. I can relate to that. Do you remember the magic eye pictures of the early 90's? I can remember me and my friend Joe looking at these pictures, and he would describe in detail what he was looking at. All I could see were dots. Endless, dull, incomprehensible dots.
And then, after many hours of staring at some stupid dots, I got a glimpse of the Empire State Building, or whatever it was I was supposed to be staring at.
I looked up briefly to declare that I finally had the same perspective as Joe, only to then find that I had moved my eyes and couldn't refocus on that which I had glimpsed a few seconds before.
But the comfort I take in all this is that for all those noted in Hebrews 11,and for Paul in 1 Cor 13:12, a fleeting glimpse isn't all we have to look forward to. There will be a day when we see face to face, and know fully, and where we see the great crowd of witnesses who have been cheering us on to run the race. But until then, it's as you say, about trusting in the unfathomable grace of God to provide us with the strength to get through today and to see that bright hope for tomorrow.
And that should be the bottom line. Not about how impressive we are for pressing in despite life's problems, but how actually, God himself secured our redemption through the blameless and broken hands of His Son.
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