Estimated reading time: 3 minute(s)
When I think of the ugliness of the way most of us selfishly fight to get what is “ours”, often based on an unnecessary fear of rejection and/or insecurity… my heart is saddened almost to the point of despair.
Why, God? Is this the beautiful world you created?
Quickly my mind is ushered to the images of a young man choosing to bravely face his quite-likely death on the beaches of Normandy, or the story of Desmond Doss who stood firm in his beliefs, and personally saved dozens of fellow soldiers… without a weapon of any kind. Those stories and thankfully many more (including non-wartime stories) remind me that God did place beauty and strength and courage and honor within the human heart.
But so often we misplace it. We so often get trapped by trying to “get ours”.
Then I think of the hurt in the world that is not (directly) caused by the ugliness of man, of the flesh. I think of our friends whose daughter is daily faced with the very real threat of her own death… for over two years now. (And still no real end in sight.) I think of another friend who lost her dad far too soon, and of a precious little boy who only spent four very difficult months in his present-earth body, leaving behind a hole in his family that will never be replaced.
But again, I am quickly reminded that in those four months that little boy brightened the lives of so many dozens—even hundreds?—of people without speaking a word. And that even in the very midst of pain, joy can be found in little things. I’m even reminded of the incredible intricacy of design that keeps any of us living and doing mundane daily tasks at all (have you seen what happens in a cell??)
There does seem to be two sides to the story.
I think of the hopelessness of our battle with sin. But then I think of Jesus.
I think of our society’s continuing to push God away, deny him at every turn. Then I think of the many people who are living lives of Grace that draw people back to their true Father (not some dusty religious version of him).
I think of my own struggles (internal and external) and then I am reminded the Jesus is walking through them with me. I am not alone.
Though I won’t even pretend to understand it… there is some incredible beauty in the midst of the seemingly hopeless brokenness of our world. I really don’t get it. (Shaking my head ‘no’ even as I think and type these words.) But the Spirit is so quick to remind me any time I ask “Why?” … there’s no answer to my direct question; only a reminder that there are just as many evidences of good as there are of evil.
That doesn’t fix anything, but it does help me breathe.
Jesus, please fix my eyes and heart and mind on all that is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable…excellent and worthy of praise.
I think that’s just you, Jesus.
See: Philippians 4:8, Hebrews 12:2.