(*) Balancing Life?

Life hanging in balance? I think God in His wisdom is trying to show us that what seems impossible is possible! This is the famous Big Balanced Rock in Chiricahua National Monument in southern AZ. To get to take a picture of this rock, I had to hike a difficult trail for ~4 miles. The diameter of this rock is 22 feet, height of 25 feet, and weights about 1,000 tons. It is standing, unassisted, on a point probably no wider than 3 feet wide.

I was reminded of God's beauty and creativity today as my thoughts trailed to several pleasant and unique memories I had in this park. To be honest without dipping into details, this past year had probably been the hardest year for me so far in my 28 years. I have experienced things more difficult than I can comprehend. Things in life didn't make sense. Previously, if I had tried my best and done my best, things tend to work out. But, this last year, something happened that forced me to think differently. There are times, things don't work out, even if we try our best. These are times we ask God lots of questions as a reaction to trying to understand our pain. I thought, shouldn't God or couldn't God have done something to help me avoid pain? I ask, could I have done things differently for a better result? If you understand what I am talking about, then I presume that we may perhaps be companions in this journey together.

Consider the Book of Job, one of the oldest in the Bible. Job went through tremendous loss and grief. He had smart friends who argued philosophy and manipulated ideas. His friends accused Job with that bad things happen to people who 'missed the mark.' However, Job was a person of integrity and a person who loves God. Through all his pain, he NEVER cursed God. But, Job did cursed himself. As the story continues, God answered Job by asking him a serie of questions. Such as: who created the heavens and the earth, who gave life to various animals and set them free to roam, who tells the ocean to come thus far and no farther... These questions seemed so simple and fundamental, but, Job cannot answer them; I would assert that even in our understanding of mathematics and physics and biology, we cannot answer these questions either. What we do know is that if we can't understand simple things, why do we try to grasp the mystries of God?

God made creation to reveal His beauty, wisdom, and humor; and He also made them as a WITNESS and a Testamony to us! Imagine, His creations are witnessing to His beloved regarding His love and His REDEEMING GRACE.

Here is another point, if you understand this one as related to pain, we should be friends! (Alan taught me this one) "Life as we have grown accustom to says that things work out when we do our best (like Newtonian Physics, A+B=C). But, spiritual growth comes when pain happens eventhough we did our best (like Quantum Mechanics and Einstein's relativity, non-linear). To those faithful ones, consider Psalm 44:17 "All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten You or been false to Your covenant." King David had an understanding of quantum mechanics as related to the spiritual journey.

So, as I was camping in the Chiricahua, I threw a sleeping bag into the bed of my truck and fell asleep to the serenate of rustling leaves under the nightlight of a smiling moon. I dreamt of a God that blew me gentle kisses and embraced me within the soft caressing breeze. Amidst my pains and sorrows, His gentle embrace melts me into His love and ease the wells of tears from my eyes. I am no longer held down by the depressive emotional chains that dragged and ripped away chunks of my heart and grind down the wings of my mind. In His Love and Grace I am being set free. I often think about the ones that took a different path and pray for their heart's willingness to be led by God back to His arms' sweet embrace. Like this Big Balanced Rock, God is witnessing to me once again and reminding me to Trust Him always and place my Delight in Him.