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“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”–Frederick Buechner
The Questions We Keep Chasing
All the things I cannot understand—the why, how, when, where—I hope to surrender. So much of life is trying to understand, explain, answer, and explore mysteries, often to no avail. Life is a “fathomless mystery,” as Frederick Buechner said. A deep abyss of questions and enigmas that keep us asking and searching for the keys that unlock the latest unknown.
What If We Aren’t Meant to Understand?
What if we aren’t supposed to chase these—the why’s, how’s, when’s, and where’s, and what if instead of pursuing shifting solutions, we chase God?
Trust: The Foundation, Not the Explanation
What would it look like to surrender the mysteries of life in exchange for the mystery of God? I believe it would look like one word: Trust.
One of the very first scripture passages I committed to memory was Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
God never said, “Figure it out, and then trust me, and He didn’t say, “Seek answers and lean on what you know.” He asked us to trust Him with all our hearts because trust is the foundation of a relationship, not understanding.
Jesus told his disciples, “Come, follow Me.” He didn’t say, “Come to Me, and I’ll explain everything.” Or “Come to Me, and it will all make sense.” He asks us to follow Him, not to obtain answers, clarity, or understanding. But for something greater.
I get it. I want answers too, and I like to know the ins and outs of situations, timelines, and next steps. I’d like to know the answers to many questions that have left me perplexed. In fact, I have a mental list I’d like to ask God when I get to heaven. But, I have a suspicion that these questions won’t matter, not one bit, when the mystery and fullness of His presence and glory are revealed.
Sometimes, God does reveal the why, how, where, etc. It is a gift of divine revelation, through supernatural understanding or knowledge. However, more often than not, the answer doesn’t come in the way or in the timeline we want. And perhaps that is because the answers we are seeking are a distraction from what matters most—not explanations, but the Lord Himself.
What We Receive Instead of Answers
Surrendering the pursuit of answers and understanding can lead us to a more intimate relationship with God and open us to receiving Him in greater ways. Focusing our gaze on Him, increasing our trust in who He is and what He can do, will diminish our need for answers and understanding. If we trade in our need to know and understand, I believe we will receive so much more than answers; we will receive what the Lord has promised us:
Presence—that is with us always
Peace—that surpasses all understanding
Rest—the kind that is only found in God
Love—unconditional
Relationship—to seek, trust, wait, and walk with God.
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us…”— Deuteronomy 29:29
As we continue our Advent journey, may we choose trust over answers, and God over understanding.
Reflection
What question or uncertainty do you need to place back into God’s hands?
