Look toward heaven and count the stars.
God has made a covenant with Abraham, promising him heirs. The reflection questions surrounding this story have to do with how God interacts with us, beyond just our faith. For Abraham, God interacted in very meaningful ways – giving this old man an heir by his old woman. And when he promised that to Abraham, Abraham believed it. The reflection by Dallas Willard likens that to our faith that Jesus will interact with us in very present and human way.
This morning I’m thinking about whether and how I believe God interacts in my human every day life. It’s tricky for me. I don’t tend to imagine God’s action moving forward, or in the future. I don’t imagine God will fix this, or drop that prosperity in my lap, regardless of how much I believe it. In my mind, that’s because my concept of what’s to happen today, tomorrow or next year is so fallible and constrained by how I understand and see things. If I were to pray for some specific outcome, who’s to say that is the right outcome? As Garth Brooks says, sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers. It’s not so much that they’re unanswered, but rather that God heard, and knew better.
All of that is to say that I don’t tend to believe God will do something specific in my life in the future, in part because I haven’t had the luxury of having any clear two way conversations with God. Now, if like Abraham, I heard God and knew it was God, that might be different. But I’m not exceedingly clear about God’s direction to me, moving forward. There’s too much Carter in the way.
But, in hindsight, I absolutely see the hand of God in my life in all sorts of big and little ways. Looking back to yesterday, or last month, I can see where God’s love, mercy and providence were imminent and present. When my son dropped out of high school, at 15, I couldn’t see it. But as he navigated his own way to his current third year at Harvard Law, I can see that every step in his journey and my part accompanying him was the handiwork of God.
My loved one is currently struggling with her persistent significant mental illness, after nearly three months of stability. Again, in hindsight, I can see how our lovely Christmas and visit with the family was spectacular, something I desperately needed, and the handiwork of God. As the illness takes hold once again, I don’t know how God’s involved in the future moving forward, but I know two things. First God will be involved, and things will happen as they need to. And second, I may not understand as it’s happening, or even after the fact. But knowledge that God is involved makes the uncertain journey less frightening.
Today, I have the great honor of serving as deacon at the consecration of my incoming bishop, and also serving as chaplain for the outgoing bishop. It will be magnificent and emotional. God will be acting and present. I might cry.
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