I recently rewatched 'Cinderella Man' with my children, a movie based on the true life of Jimmy Raddock, a boxer who inspired a nation during the Great Depression of the 1930's. He comments to a friend that he had stocks in a taxi company - figured a cab company in New York would be gravy for his grand kids.
I recently talked with a friend who has worked for a bank for years, during this last little slump a couple years ago her 'sure' pension was cut by a third.
I think back to when my husband worked for a mill, a big company, a 'sure' cheque coming in biweekly. 'Sure', that is, until a hap meeting happens away from home and you hear from others, from another town, that pink slips will be handed out that week.
I consider the choices before me. I think of the 'should'ves' like 'I should have gotten my nursing or teaching certification before I had kids'. I think 'if only I had a job that gave us benefits, pension and insurance', I think 'I wish financial and business sense came easier to me'.
Then I think about what I'm thinking about.
Being a good steward is important, learning and growing should be a life long journey, seeking wisdom, understanding and counsel is wise. However, in the long run, our trust and hope cannot be in these things. I cannot rest in the belief that because I have insurance nothing can destroy me, or that because I have pensions and investments that I will have a comfortable retirement. Or that because I live in a blessed country that it will always be able to support those who can't support themselves, or that I will always be able to find a job to at least put milk on the table.
So, although I do seek to wisely live my life with my husband and family, where DO I put my trust and hope?
Solomon, a King that I have been told is the richest and wisest King in history, wrote a book called Ecclesiates. He carries on describing all the achievements he had, but concluded that in the end they were all but 'chasing after the wind' and 'meaningless'. He says, 'When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.' (Ecc.7:14)
I don't know what the future holds - but I DO know Who holds the future.
In the wise book of Proverbs - some of which Solomon wrote - we are assured that, 'There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.' (Prov.23:18)
Jeremiah quotes our Creator as saying, "For I know the plans I have for you,"declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." (Jer.29:11)
And Paul stands firm when he said, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present not the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 8:38-39)
I have chosen to put my life into the hands of the One Who created it.
He spoke everything into existence, from the tiniest specks in a DNA strand to the outermost parts of space that we cannot even fathom. Then He knelt down, took the dirt of the speck called earth, formed a male and breathed life into him - making a spiritual being that could have fellowship with Him. He formed a a female from the rib of the male, designing two distinct beings, that when brought together could make one - designing a beautiful picture of our union with Him, and a powerful spiritual force when in unity. He has woven a tapestry of time, types, pictures; and a tapestry of love and grace. Ephesians says, "He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment - to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ."
We really make our Creator much too small.
He uses analogies in His inspired scriptures like He being a Father and we His children, and He the husband and we the bride. He does this to help our minds wrap around it with a minut bit of understanding. Do you know science has discovered that we have roughly 3 million years worth of memory space in computers - called the human mind? Do you know we have only begun to scratch the surface of how infinitely tiny we can go - or to how infinitely vast space spreads?
From Jesus' conception to His death He fulfilled all the prophesies of the Messiah. He is a historical fact; and by His grace to me, through all my questioning and doubting, has graciously bestowed on me faith to believe and drawn me to Himself. He is God, He was there in Genesis when He said "Let US make man in our own image, male and female...". Yet He humbled Himself, gave up all His entitlements (which our society wreaks of today), took on the form of man, and sacrificed Himself that we may be with Him.
To say my hope and trust is in God can sound so canned and religious.
I am straining to share my heart ... how short my articulation falls!
- I had a terrible allergy for 5 years, was prayed over and saw multiple specialists. But God's timing is perfect and He wove beauty out of my pain.
- I had our first baby before we had 'planned'. But God knew we would need the extra incentive to fight for our marriage.
- I wasn't expecting to decide to move to my mom and dad's and be gone within two weeks. But God knew my daughter would be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and that I would need the support of my mom and and UofA team. But God knew that we would want to be closer to Roger's mom as she was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer and passed away. But God knew the blessing it would be for my children and I to build a relationship with their Great Grandma.
- I wasn't expecting to find myself unemployed in October and both of my husband's legs taken from under him. But God knew.
He knew back in 1973 (and truth be told, before the foundations of the earth! :) ) that I would make decisions that have lead me to the place I am today.
AND
He knows where my loved ones and I will be next week, next year, and twenty years from now.
He knows when He will call my children's hearts to His.
He knows what will happen to the economy.
He knows what dangers lerk around the next bend, and where all the gold and silver is that He created.
So please know,
I am not trying to give a canned answer,
nor a religious one,
but a faith infused,
grace grown
belief statement,
that my hope lies in my Jesus ...
Lord of all, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
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