Unfolding
Time-lapse photography fascinates me. Watching a blade of grass sprout in seconds, or a flower blooming, fading and dropping its petals in the time it takes a heart to beat a dozen times. It is a technique in which the frequency of film frames captured is much lower than the frequency used to view the sequence so when played as a video at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster.
It is a matter of perception, of course. It does give one pause, however, and for me it is a beautiful but sobering reminder that humans are but a vapor. (James 4:14) And, we are often prone to assuming we know what a day will hold. We make our plans and are surprised when there is a trial or adversity that interrupts those plans. I can still hear my father saying to a friend, “I will see you tomorrow, Lord willing.” He often prefaced or finished an expression of thought with “Lord willing.”
These days I am comforted by the reality of God’s sovereignty and His kind intention toward men. My husband and I try to take each day as it comes, and we are learning to rest in the peace of God’s rule, knowing that we are not our own and our lives belong to Him. We do make plans, and it is right that we should look to be good stewards of the treasure, talent and time God has bestowed. We also know that we are not in control, and we hold our plans loosely in light of that truth. We are grateful to be part of a community who also understand, who do not judge us when we need to make adjustments because of physical limitations, who are committed to walk this journey with us, and who pray. We are all looking to see what God will do, and we are charmed to see how He will do it. We find ourselves saying, “Lord willing” with greater frequency than ever before.
It is a profound freedom, for those called according to His purpose, to rest in God’s character and know that He continually works all things together for good. (Romans 8:28) Yes, our days are numbered. Yes, we are but a breath in the space-time continuum. But everlasting life is also our reality. We have believed Jesus, and we follow Him. At some point, He will return. At the appointed time, He will roll up this realm like a robe. (Hebrews 1:10-12) And we who believe, when we see Him, in the twinkling of an eye will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
Dear one, what in this life are you clinging to? What or who do you need to see from God’s perspective? There is so much more He wants to reveal. So much more He wants to do. Let us look to see His appearing and believe that we will be changed from glory to glory as we behold Him. (2 Corinthians 3:18)