Those of you that know me know that I love to write and that it’s a real and passionate part of who I am. Most writers are equally hungry readers as well, and the art of reading actually inspires and develops a writers talent in so many ways. I have read and taken in many great and inspired writers who have influenced my own craft since I was a kid…but in this last year I have had the honor and blessing of being influenced by my fiancee, Courtney Hale‘s writing in so many different ways…and let me tell you family and friends…she’s the real deal…she’s extremely talented…and I’ve been a lucky man to have not only been able to read her public writings, but the ones she writes to me personally as well. Courtney has many amazing posts on her Facebook page that I encourage all of you to read…but trust me when I tell you…this post that she shared today is amazing and so much more…I’ll be honest…it’s the best writing I’ve ever read by anyone…and there was no way I was not going to share it with all of you. So please, take the time to read this awesome guest post and find the peace and purpose it so beautifully presents.
--Jeremy
The other day Ma Jean & I were sitting on the glider in her back yard, enjoying the shade, talking to birds, & just contemplating life & God’s creation. Since that day, I haven’t been able to shake the overwhelming sensation of awe that I feel.
Have you ever really stopped to think in depth about how extremely small we are? We live on this tiny planet, completely surrounded by a vast, infinite universe, full of the unknown. We’re a mere blip on the radar of an expanse that we can’t even begin to comprehend… and I think that’s exactly the way it was intended to be.
Humans are highly intelligent creatures… so full of knowledge, always learning, always growing, continually progressing to the next level of discovery… but some things weren’t meant to be discovered. Some knowledge wasn’t meant to be obtained. We spend so much of our lives eager to reach for the stars, and often grow weary when we can’t… but what if that’s the point? What if, despite our best efforts, God puts a halt to those discoveries simply to keep that yearning in your heart?
I don’t know a single person who could sit before me and tell me that their ultimate goal in life isn’t to feel true happiness & contentment… it’s what we ALL strive for on a daily basis. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, we wake up in the morning, hoping for a better day… longing to have that satisfaction that people are “supposed” to have… thoughtlessly pondering the mere possibility that we’ll be completely and totally pleased with every single aspect of our life for an entire 24 hours. I also don’t know a single person who could look me in the eye and tell me that they’ve experienced the 24 hours that I’ve just described. No matter how incredibly beautiful our lives are, there is always at least one tiny molecule of a thought tugging at our heart strings, keeping us from feeling the perfection that we long for… that we ALMOST had.
Now, the question is… what are we going to do about it? Are we going to be distraught, and feel defeated because we can’t make life work? Or are we going to open our hearts to Jesus, and FINALLY trust the fact that we weren’t created to know it all, see it all, feel it all, experience it all, or do it all. Sure… we all live with that desire for more… that constant need for something that we have yet to gain… but I think the truth none of us really mind to consider is that the fulfillment of our deepest desire is not of this world. Our complete happiness & contentment isn’t meant to come now… not here.
I will be the first to say that I LOVE life. I love this world, I love enjoying it’s beauty, and I love every tiny creation within it… but I don’t love any of that more than I love the promise of a future with God that surpasses all of Earth’s goodness. I’m also not afraid to say that I AM curious. Living life with eyes wide open is an amazing practice… and the knowledge we have to gain here is something that I feel with all of my heart God DOES want us to experience… but I don’t mistake that knowledge for power. Instead, I choose to trust that God has all of the power… every ounce of it. You see, it takes a very small mind to believe that you know all the answers. It takes someone special to walk blindly in faith, and trust what he/she can’t feel, see, or touch… and God made us all SO special.
Out of all of the tiny blips on this tiny earth, in the insanely vast universe that I mentioned in the beginning of this massively long post… God created US in His image. How awesome is that? How incredibly lucky are we to have the honor to look into the mirror and see a resemblance of God in our faces? How blessed are we that, of all creation, God chose US to be His people? We are His sons and daughters. We are His future… and He is ours, if we choose Him to be. I don’t know about you(although I hope and pray everyone reading this will agree), but I will FOREVER choose God. I will forever cherish the strength, wisdom, and guidance He provides… and, regardless of whether or not my experiences in this world are amazing or less than satisfying, I will rest my head knowing that it will always be incomparable to what is yet to come.
Happiness. Contentment. Peace. Health. Love.
If we could have all of these things here on Earth, in the midst of our fleeting lives, we would jump at the chance… would we not? Yet, when the promise of an eternity experiencing each of these blessings at their fullest is at our fingertips, so many feel the need to resist it. My solution? Don’t. Don’t resist God’s love… just breathe it in! Take that leap… share your new journey with someone who will encourage you… be excited about the new road that you’re on, & take time to truly understand how special you are, because you ARE. But most importantly… YEARN for Him. Ache for more… dream of the presence of God, and all of the beauty that comes with that experience… and share those dreams with the world.
God delights in our obedience… & someday, His followers will experience blessings that are EVEN MORE unimaginable than the very depths of the universe. The possibilities are endless… literally. Embrace it.
