“One day you will look back on this and it will all make sense.” “You’ll understand why this had to happen whenever you’re older.” With these phrases, I disagree. Quite frankly, it doesn’t make sense when a loved one passes away, when a relationship has to end, when one’s career goals become out of reach; there are a lot of things in this world that seem to happen for no fathomable reason.
But, I understand. It is human nature to seek out answers, to think that with the proper amount of thought and analysis we will be able to piece together this puzzle called “life.” However, this idea that all answers will be provided to us “in time," has created a perpetual waiting game, a waiting game in which we convince ourselves that these solutions we are searching for will somehow solve all of life’s complications up to this point. What if the real answer is to abandon our understanding, to find contentment and satisfaction in the simple joys of today?
To quote every person over the age of 50: “I blinked and my life flew by.” Clichéd as this statement may be, it holds so much truth for our lives. It feels like just yesterday I graduated high school, a sporty nerd with a bad haircut, ready to escape my small town for something I thought to be “bigger and better.” Scary to think that my something “bigger and better,” similarly known as college, is almost over; to think that I blinked and my life flew by. The good times and the bad times, they all passed without a moment's notice.
Though, let me be clear, the speed at which our years go by is not to be feared, but rather to be embraced. What good does it do to dwell on life’s pitfalls, when there are mountaintops waiting for you to climb? Regardless of our circumstances, we have a God who will guide our steps, and to dwell on the negatives is to miss out on the positive ways Christ is working around us.
Choosing happiness amidst struggle isn’t easy, but why not make the most of this short life? After all, would understanding why bad things happen make life any easier? We don't have the ability to go back in time, and we cannot make changes to what has already taken place. Instead, push forward, find comfort in the small things, get excited for the big things, and give yourself the freedom to chase your dreams. Perhaps we should stop waiting for it all to make sense, but instead accept the unacceptable, forgive the unforgivable, and surrender this irrational idea that we have the ability to answer all of life’s questions.
