Questions Unanswered

This single line on a blank page made up a magazine advert for Channel Five. I'm not sure how this is in fact relevant to Channel Five, however... that perhaps is missing the point.

The thought that immediately came to mind was how that is so true in particular for Christians, being true to Jesus does not ever come cheap. I have seen the truth of this in the last year so clearly, first hand. It's tough.

Choosing Christ is NOT a cop out. Choosing Christ is life or death. Choosing Christ or choosing death. Choosing Christ when it might even mean death. There is no middle ground. And that is not only in making a commitment to follow Christ. It's a decision. It's the cross we take up daily. It's a choice. Every single day.

It's a sobering thought.

To watch someone say yes to God, not knowing what the outcome might be, and then see them reach the conclusion-without the answer they were seeking, without the happy ending. Our God is BIG. And I'm beginning to learn that to not have the answers is ok. To not know why, that's ok.

It's a paradox. Between the God you know to be so constant, so loving, so faithful. And the world, the situations without solutions, the questions without answers. Yet, it's ok to stand in the middle of the paradox, and not know how or why or who or when... but simply to know that He is there. He is with you. It's the hardest thing I've had to learn. And that's because it comes through pain. It comes through being utterly vulnerable. It's dangerous. If He is there though, it's also safe. It's the safest place to be.

Sounding confusing? Well, I was thinking about it, and came to the conclusion that contrary to my thoughts, feeling and in fact even my will-the most dangerous place to be is when I am in control. When it's me who decides. Because I can guarantee that every single time, if I leave God out of it, I will get it wrong. If not the actual decision, then the timing. Why is it so hard to trust God when we know that He is the only one who has the answers?

I don't think that doubting is wrong. I think it gives us space to find out what we believe, and why we believe it. If we're giving our lives to this cause-we need to have conviction. We need to know why we are doing it. But what we don't need to know, is why God is doing it.

We are never promised that we will have the answers. All God promised Moses when sending him to speak to Pharoah was that He would be with him. All God promises is that He will be there. That He will never leave.
There is always a bigger picture, there is always a bigger plan, and there is always a greater good.

And He is right at the centre of it all.