Recently I wrote to a young friend who is in the midst of a royal mess. “In my experience,” I told her, “The fact that I can’t see my way out of a bad situation means almost exactly nothing.”
I have learned the hard way that there are many, many reasons I can’t always see the way out.
The number one reason is that at the outset I am often so blinded by fear, anxiety and confusion that I’d miss a flashing neon sign pointing me in the right direction. Emotion gets in the way.
The second reason is that I can only see so far into the future: the way things will get resolved is currently beyond me. Time makes the path clearer.
Reason number three is that it’s highly likely I’ll need to develop new coping skills and new knowledge and deeper faith in order to see what I need to see. As I grow in wisdom, my vision of the way forward will improve.
And, finally, there’s this: God probably wants me to trust Him more than He wants me to feel comfortable about what lies ahead. Confusion and fear have the benefit of forcing me to turn to Him, then turn to Him again… and again… and again. This is good.
So I’ve stopped panicking when I am unable to envision the way out of a mess. The fact that I can’t see the path forward has almost zero bearing on whether or not one exists. If one does, I can move forward, inch by inch, reaching out to Christ. And if one doesn’t, I can suffer through the mess with Christ at my side. Either way, I’m good.
