Happy Little Trees

My eyes were drawn to a sign today on a map that was a large red circle that had the words, “YOU ARE HERE” written inside. It’s kind of comforting to know where you are. Sometimes it would be nice to know where exactly I was going to, “YOU ARE GOING HERE.”

That’s where the trust factor has to come in. No matter how much we plan or study or tinker with life or circumstances, the plan is in God’s hands. Our brains are so itty bitty that what we see as our world, is our world, when there’s so much that we cannot see or even imagine. Our lives can drone on at the same speed and tempo for years, or it can change in the blink of an eye.

When I really think about it, the mystery is far more exciting than always seeing the sign of where I’m going. The uncertainty of life is one of the ways God romances us.

Like taking a leap into your daddy’s arms for him to catch you.
Like diving off the high-dive for the first time.
Like telling someone you love them.

It’s all butterflies, and nervousness at first, and then it’s the milliseconds that are later suspended into slow, replaying memories, and then the finish—the great sigh of relief.

The father’s safe embrace.
The shock of being briefly surrounded by the heavy sound of water to find safety at the oxygen-filled surface.
The unbelievable feeling of knowing you finally got the words out whether they came out right or not.

The best thing about it all is that God’s red circle says, “I AM HERE” everywhere I go. Thanks, God. I need you.