Unfolding

I am not too hip on being surprised.
I kind of hate when things don't make sense.

So yeah, I will have a nice clear picture with a side order of predictability, thank you very  much.

You may not buy into this whole God thing...and to be honest, there are days that I get tired of the mystery that comes with all things christian.  There are times when I get tired of waiting on God and  just want to do my own thing.

The "problem" with that is, I just can't help myself!  I believe!

I believe in all of it-the whole thing.  Genesis to Revelation. From Creation to walking on water, from feeding the thousands with a little boy's lunch to parting dead sea.  I believe in the miraculous healing from making the blind see and the dead come to life.  All means all -all of it!

In my heart, at my very core, I just can't NOT believe that there are things about our lives that are bigger and better planned than what we could ever come up with on our own.

Out of the deepest, darkest, and most UNWANTED pain that we can endure grows wisdom.  Perspective that pieces the puzzle of our life together perfectly and dare I say beautifully!?

It's so annoying to almost all of us to hear "everything happens for a reason."

I don't like any of the reasons-especially when its painful.  There really is no reason or good that I want to learn from at the cost of losing someone I love or endure anything hurtful.

Betrayal.
Rejecetion.
Heartbreak
Injustice.
Failure.
Illness.
Depression.
Grief.


No thanks.  I would like to live in Pleasantville.

Growing up my dad would play Steven Curtis Chapman music in our van.  I grew up listening to his music and have always admired him from a distance.  6 years ago, one of his teenage sons was pulling into their driveway and in a horrific tragedy, accidentally ran over their youngest daughter, Maria, killing her.

.....I know, right?

I followed this story closely.  I watched  (and am still watching) as this family grieves.

I read the book,  "Choosing to See" that Mary Beth Chapman wrote about this and am inspired by her authenticity and strength...  She is wise.

I loved her response, in an interview, when she was asked about how she felt about others being changed and helped by their story.  In her raw mommy emotion she said:  I don't care about helping people-I just want Maria back.

She didn't try to candy coat it or over spiritualize her circumstances.. she was real.


Steven Curtis Chapman recently wrote a song called  Glorious Unfolding as a reflection of his grief journey and is quoted on his website as saying this:

“I’m very, very grateful to be given the opportunity to make music and share the things that I feel like God has entrusted to me,” Chapman says. “I don’t take it lightly. I pray: ‘God, I want to know You and I want to make You known.’ God has continued faithfully to reveal Himself through dark places and reveal His mysteriousness. I get the sense that He’s telling an amazing story. He’s not confused. He’s not biting his nails worrying if the plan is going to turn out okay the way I do. He’s fully confident of His plans and He’s in control. That’s been something that I’ve held onto.”




The gosh darn truth of the whole dang thing is that ....... things do happen that really suck.

It's easy to get mad at God or even decide that if following God means painful things happen, then we want no part of that.

Life is short.  You only live once. #yolo

Yes!  ....I just  can't...don't... won't.... believe that NOT believing in God is going to make our lives free of pain.


I guess what I am trying to say is that, when I look back on my lifetime, I want to know that there were low valleys and high mountain tops with windy unexpected blind curves of experiences and that every single one of them meant something.

Lessons were learned and are evident by our scars.  We earned those scars and lives were changed.

The picture became clearer the further forward we moved.

I like to believe that God gives us little clues and  with each experience, the picture keeps getting a little clearer.


...and that life is more than just living and dying, it is a glorious unfolding.