By Mark Maher
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain
Always learning, always growing. Sometimes the eyes deceive us. Our heart can lie to us. Certainty is somewhat of an illusion. Faith is required. Trusting God is part of the journey. Life changes and twists, and turns. You’ve got to be able to adapt and be flexible. When in your life have you been faced with the most uncertainty?
“You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:14-15)
The only thing that is certain is that life is going to change. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
God can work in our life in a lot of different ways. Who can predict. “Maybe God will work for us. There’s no rule that says God can only deliver by using a big army. No one can stop God from saving when he sets his mind to it.” (1 Samuel 14:6) We might as well just admit it; “We just don’t know.” “Experience is the friend of wisdom, but it can be the enemy of faith.” Steven Furtick
I’ll never even come close to understanding the sovereignty of God. When I try to put my limited understanding on it, I know I come up short. Sometimes yes, sometimes no, so in other words, how do I know? 50- 50 faith, put on your love and faith lenses, hoping, praying, and steadfast trusting, that this is the God’s chosen path for our life.
I guess the key is knowing what matters. What’s most important and choosing to work backwards knowing the ultimate outcome. When I die, I want to know I lived my life for others more than myself. I know love and faith will shatter most obstacles, if not all. If you are confused and not sure of the direction you’re going, focus on loving God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and how’s your love for others. This is the primary objective.
Transitions can be very challenging. Sometimes we simply have to wait. “We are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently.” (Romans 8:25) Yet, other times it feels like we need to move suddenly. Move forward, be patient, which one is it God? Sometimes I have no idea, but I do know that God‘s timing is impeccable. He has my life measured out.
Due to the brevity of life, I say when in doubt move forward. It doesn’t take long to transition out of the uncomfortable and into the comfortable. This mindset will allow you to have many experiences in life and hopefully by the end you’ll have no regrets. “Life is not measured by how much you own.” (Like 12:15) Life is about friends and family.
If God’s giving you a vision, pursue it. By faith, there is a reason for that dream. I found God’s voice to be true. What He has for me is for me, I have to learn how to walk in it. He ordered the steps. I’m to take the step and find out, because we are called to “walk by faith.”
Open up the lines of communication with God. Get your heart in a good place of reception. The path will get illuminated as you step. Follow the promises of God. “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) The most beautiful stories are not rushed. They are experienced, nurtured, felt, absorbed and then sustained.
God plants the seeds. These seeds are often nurtured by others or found deep in our hearts. Seeds will either grow into something or die. Christ warned us about the distractions of this world, worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth.” (Matthew 4:22) Christ also warned about calloused hearts (v15), troubles and persecution that leads to falling away. (v21)
So for the seed to grow into full fruition, mustard seed faith leading to the tree, acorn to the oak, you’ll have to guard against everything Christ talked about. It’ll be on you to nurture the seed, but the good news is that you have a partner in Christ. So we trust God right in the middle of the process. The seed is still on schedule, as Christ is always working, simply keep trending towards God, nurture the seed, the small plant, and soon the generational family legacy created by your obedience. I know you don’t see it yet, but those children are growing into adults, and those adults lead to grandchildren, and that leads to great grandchildren. Keep walking, keep trusting. 
Your greatest contribution to your family will be to leave a legacy of faith. All else falls away. This one has the potential to trickle down family lines. Let those grandchildren know you by your faith. Let them tell the stories about how your faith never waned or quit.
