Go

The most common question I get asked is something along the lines of: "What's up next for you?" I've already mentioned in previous posts that I don't know and that I think it's best that I not know for now.  But I was feeling a little frustrated yesterday about some things and the constant barrage of well-intentioned questions.  And then I read My Utmost For His Highest today.  (Read it here: Utmost). What a powerful message it presented of exactly what I needed to hear.

The verse Chambers references is Hebrews 11:8.  Only part of the verse is included in the devotional.  The context of the verse is that it's in Hebrews 11, which is a list of people who lived by faith in God.  This particular person is Abraham.  He was from Ur, but God called him to move to the land of Canaan, which later became Israel.  Abraham didn't know where he was going or why he was going there.  He just went.  (Read more here: Abraham)

 

It seems to me, based on my experiences, human beings have a tendency to think that we must see what is going on in order to know that something is happening.  I remember someone telling me once that the status bar letting you know that something is downloading actually slows the process down but people get too anxious when they don't see something happening.  When they experience that anxiety, they do things that mess up the process.  So... we have status bars.

 

That's how it is with other things too, though.  We feel like we need to see where we are going in order to be able to get there.  But think about it, just because I can't see Wyoming from my front door doesn't mean I can't get there.  I'll use GPS and road maps and my dad's keen sense of direction to get there.  If all else fails, I'll have the sun and stars and possibly a compass to help me along.  There are ways to get to my destination that have nothing to do with whether I can see it or not.

 

If I can't see where I'm going on my life journey, that doesn't mean I can't get there.  I know to take the step right in front of me.  When I take that step and it's time to move on to the next one, I'll know to take that one.  In the meantime, just because you can't see me moving doesn't necessarily mean that I am not.

 

Glass is a good example of this.  Did you know that glass flows?  It's not a fast process by any means, but it does flow.  Have you ever looked through a really old pane of glass and noticed that it was kind of hard to see through?  Did you look at the texture of the glass?  It looks like it has ripples or waves in it.  That's because over time it's natural flow has begun to show.  But if you sit and watch that pane of glass for hours or even days, you aren't going to notice that it is flowing.

 

Each of us flows.  We do so at our own pace and in our own way.  Some of us flow rapidly and with a distinct path like a dam has broken loose on a mighty river.  Some of us flow slowly and a bit less distinctly like glass in a window pane.  Most of us are somewhere in between.  But don't judge people just based on what you see.  Some of the people who are constantly on the go, climbing ladders, making money, looking like the people with distinct paths, are actually hardly moving.  They don't necessarily know where they are going or what they are doing.  They just need to look busy to feel like they have a purpose.  And some people who look like they aren't moving at all know exactly where they are going and are headed in that direction right now.

 

So if you ask me what's next, I'm going to tell you I don't have an answer for you right now.  I'll tell you where I'm going when I get there.