Empty Chair

Even as great things are happening, there is always a fly in the ointment- something that is not right, doesn't fit. Through the blessing of upcoming graduation, thoughts come to me of those who will not be there to see- who didn't make it to see my accomplishment. An empty chair remains where he should be seated and smiling, a vacancy permeates even the best of things, causing my soul to almost have to catch a breath. Then I think of other things I have prayed for: a wife, a family of my own, joyous things . . . and again the empty chair. Perhaps if I had finished all of this sooner . . . but everything happens for a reason, I suppose. It doesn't stop my mind's eye from looking beyond the many smiles, and seeing the one not there . . . to that grievous empty chair.

Belief

"But supposing one believed and was wrong after all? Suppose there is nothing but what we see. Why, then you would have paid the universe a compliment it doesn't deserve. Your error would even so be more interesting and important than the reality. And yet, how could that be? How could an idiotic universe have produced creatures whose mere dreams are so much stronger, better, subtler than itself?" (C.S. Lewis)

In everything have faith, for at the end of time, it will be better to say "I didn't understand everything, I couldn't explain all that I saw, yet I still believed". People may think kindly of a person who loved too much, trusted a bit further than they should have, thought more of something than they ought to- but there is little honor remaining for those who "trusted none", who was suspicious and doubted everything, who had no faith. Even in our friendships we remember those who most often gave us the benefit of the doubt. Better to trust with everything and be wrong than to believe in nothing at all.

Trust Me

I once had a teacher who, when confronted with many of her students worrying and complaining about how their final grades were going to be determined, she quietly said, "You guys have to calm down. Everything will be fine. You're going to have to just trust me. Can you trust me?" Lately, her words have been echoing in my mind- although now I am hearing His voice telling me the same exact thing. When we've done all that we can do, when our best has been done and there's nothing more left in our hands, we must simply calm down, take a deep breath, and know that everything will be fine. You see, the Great Professor knows what we ask and just what we need. He knows those worries felt in the darkest parts of the night, when it seems no one else is listening. Do not fear. Grades will be calculated and our fate will be in His hands. Will we get what we want? What about all I've done? What about the assignments I missed? These are not the important things to ask. The real question is this: 'Are you going to trust Him?'

Pains and Blessings

Some pains and heartaches are unavoidable, but there may be a different way of looking at our struggles. It's just possible that in heaven, those things seen here as quite terrible and horrific, things we will avoid at any cost- will end up being badges of honor. While the world values easy living, stress free days with little sacrifice, I suspect His kingdom may be very different. We may find upon entering that distant land that the things we tried daily to avoid here: heartache, sadness, pain, loneliness, despair, sacrifice- all these things qualify you for kingship there. They will be things to be proud of. What He is allowing you to experience now- so terrible when seen on the surface of it with our finite perspectives, may in the end be something we will drop to our knees and thank Him eternally for allowing us to experience. Those "curses" and "trials", when our eyes are finally opened at the End of Time, might be seen as His greatest gifts to us. One never knows.

The Lowly Servant

It would be quite a leader who would give up his command and birthright to go down and fight with his troops on the messy, bloody battlefield. Even greater would be the President or leader who not only became a lowly soldier, but who then agreed to die for his men so that they might live. We would truly remember him always. In Christ, we see this fulfilment has already come to pass. God became man to die for us, that we might have a chance at eternal life. "There is no greater love that a man has than to lay down his life for his friends." It is not only humbling that the Father of the universe did this willingly out of love, but that once He took it upon Himself to call us friends. Peace be with you always.

The Knock

"Knock and the door shall be opened"- but what if we are wasting our time outside the wrong door? If you are continually asking and knocking on the same door and getting no answer, perhaps there is nothing inside for you. He might be telling you to move on to another house and another door. There are even greater blessings awaiting you somewhere else, but first you must accept it and keep moving. Not every door was meant to be opened in this life, and I suspect we will be very glad later that no one was home.