I run the way of your commandments, for you enlarge my understanding.
How has God enlarged my understanding, and do I, in fact run the way of God’s commandments? I have discovered that whenever my world is feeling small, or my outlook diminished, scripture does push those boundaries. It reminds me that there is another way of living and looking at the world, a way that isn’t constrained by my self-imposed limitations.
Sometimes conditions outside me make me troubled. Work, family, health. I feel a little like Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh’s downtrodden friend. Almost without fail, I find in scripture either something to remind me of the goodness of God, or I am reminded about some poor soul who has many many more woes. My outlook is lifted. I once again understand that I do not need to be fearful or saddened by circumstances outside me. I have an ever-present, ever-loving God who will resolve all of my woes.
Sometimes I wonder about how this ever-present, ever loving God can allow crappy things to happen. Scripture frequently helps me understand that God will resolve crappy things, and that pesky free-will sometimes creates the crappy things. God will be present through the crap. Misery loves company.
I run towards Scripture when it affirms something I know, but have forgotten. I run towards scripture when my understanding is expanded in support of the way I see things.
As it turns out, I don’t run towards scripture when it expands my understanding in contradiction to my tidy way of seeing the world.
Sometimes I am grateful to be amidst like-minded people, who understand the value of caring for others, of striving for kindness, of doing things I think are important. Scripture nearly always reminds me that I need to be grateful for all people, like minded or not. I need to love all people, whether they care for others or not, whether they’re kind or not, and whether they’re doing things I think are valuable or not.
Scripture nearly always expands my understanding. When it’s comfortable, I’m happy about it. When that new understanding is not as comfortable, I’m not as happy and definitely don’t run. To be sure, it’s good, and I’m glad. But it’s not always easy, to have my tidy understandings bust open.
This morning, I’m thinking about when my comfortable understandings are enlarged, and paying close attention to my attitude about that enlargement. I always want to be enlarged, even if I don’t want to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment