Get Inspired by Life’s Mysteries

It is God’s privilege to conceal things. Proverbs 25:2 (TLB)

My first contribution to Daily Guideposts was in 1988, 28 years ago. There were only 31 writers that year. Ronald Reagan was president, and America was singing Bobby McFerrin’s hit song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

The first letter I ever received from a reader was from a middle-aged woman whose husband had just died. She was going back to college to learn some new skills. She wrote, “I feel like I am getting ready for something, but what I am getting ready for is a mystery.”

She was not disturbed by the mystery. In fact, she seemed excited about it, as if the future was a series of Christmas presents to be slowly unwrapped with joy. I had never thought of mystery as a pleasure, but after reading her letter I began to see how mystery could be a gift from God, something to add a bit of zing to life.

READ MORE: DOODLE YOUR WAY CLOSER TO GOD

After all, would I even want to go to a ball game if I already knew who would win? Would I enjoy a movie very much if I had seen the ending before? If I knew I would someday inherit a million dollars, would I become unhappy in my job?

Not knowing the future frees me to pay attention to the present, and maybe that’s the best way to be ready for the future. There may be trouble ahead, but if I manage my money well now, I should be ready for it. If I make the people I love happy now, there should be a harvest of joy someday.

Bobby McFerrin was right. “In every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double. Don’t worry, be happy.”