Living with Mess

MH-17, Gaza, Syria, personal tragedies etc. etc. the mess in our world is too big for us to sort out completely on our own … we need help!

Maybe we should stop trying to figure out things that should be left in God’s hands! When you put something on the shelf that’s bothering you and say you’re going to trust God with it, don’t take it back because you don’t like the way he’s handling it or the length of time he’s taking. Speed doesn’t equal direction, especially when you’ve lost your way! Paul says, Do not be anxious about anything. That’s hard to swallow if you’re insecure, or a make-it-happen person depending on your own resources. We don’t like unanswered questions but one of the tools God uses to help us to grow is unanswered questions! When we don’t know, we can trust God, worry, or try to figure it out for ourselves.

God doesn’t always give us answers to our questions. Why? …  He’s training us in trust. Learn to live with loose ends and trust God! This is not mere fatalism as trusting God is an active pastime involving praying and loving. If you want growth you’ve got to be at peace with the messiness and mistakes that accompany it. If you are one of God’s obsessive-compulsive children who needs to put everything into a neat little package, this Bible verse is especially for you: Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Peter Morphew
Chaplain