CONSTRUCTION
projects will inevitably prove one thing: no matter how good the instructions
are, there will always be re-work. This I found out afresh as I assembled a
basketball goal set recently.
I quickly
got to thinking there’s so much complexity in a set of technical plans, that
even someone with a trade ticket like myself is bound to miss details. And
several times I did — only to pull apart and fix what I’d put together.
This
specific illustration is real to life.
Our minds
and hearts and souls cannot absorb the wisdom that God has set into motion in
our individual contexts. We don’t have a chance of absorbing all the truth
before us, because we simply do not see.
We do not
see why our dreams falter and why our losses are meant to define us. We can
only see with our eyes, and we do not
like discomfort of any kind — we cannot see its use unless we believe it’s
beneficial, i.e. by faith.
We do not
see the reasons why there are roadblocks ahead — whether literal or figurative.
We yell at the drivers ahead of us (or if we’re more refined we fume) without
having the foresight that there’s a delineable cause of the delay ahead. It’s
not just their ‘poor’ driving!
We do not
see the life experiences, the hurts, the reasons for others’ dysfunctions, and
we’re so quick to judge and criticise. The dualistic mind is our perpetual
nemesis. Because we do not see. We don’t see how our influence impacts on
others negatively, because we cannot see the effect it has on them.
We do not
see the faults of those we favour, and we downplay our own faults, proving once
again that we do not see. And yes, everyone plays favourites. Because we do not
see.
We do not
see how much we do not see in
communication; we’re laden with assumptions. The outcome is conflict, and
conflicts are more likely to confuse our relationships into irreconcilable
differences because we just do not (or too rarely) see the purpose, process or
goal of conciliation.
We do not
see the problems of others we would otherwise envy. Everyone has problems no
matter how much we deny them. Comparison and curation of image are two sides of
an insidious cycle in our social-media-dominated world.
We do not
see how important it is to invest in some lives and not in others or in
activities that reap little reward whatsoever. Because we do not see we lean on
our own understanding.
And we do
not see how technical plans actually translate into a finished machine. We’re
destined to ‘have a go’ only to find out we got it wrong… again!
Because we
do not see, we’re destined to need to learn. And that fact has its purpose. God
has designed life full of learning opportunities — humility producing moments.
We do not
see God. We cannot see Him in His entirety in life. We try to see Him, but we
do not see Him in life, or in our lives, as He is there.
Bible verse for reflection:
“Trust in the Lord with
all your heart
and lean not
on your own understanding;
in all your
ways submit to him,
and he will
make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs
3:5-6 (NIV)
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