It’s fall or rather should I sound sophisticated and say autumn? Either way, it is the most wonderful time of the year! After intolerable heat and humidity the crisp breeze is a welcome change.
Now…I am onto this whole thing about corn mazes. I was watching the news this morning and they had an aerial view of a corn maze that looked like a medieval labyrinth of some kind. The audio headline declared, “Couple gets lost in corn maze and police are called to get them out!” Nice! This is encouraging news especially since I plan on making my first visit to one in just a few days. Not to mention that I have been roped into going in the dark. I believe the statement straight from the lips of the owner contained the phrases, “very dark”, “flash light” and “good luck”.
I will now let you in on a secret about myself that will make the story that much more laughable: I am a self-professed fraidy – cat (whatever that means..out of the same dictionary as “swanee” I think). So, I am fearful at best when it comes to being in the dark even when I am with people. I will walk from my house to the neighbors house whooping and making a lot of fuss so that the lions and tigers and bears oh my! won’t eat me alive in the 10 yards from my front door to theirs! You can never underestimate self-preservation and overall paranoia, it can keep a person alive – at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself for the better part of my life. But, that’s a whole different issue and we’ve gotten off the point. Let’s WIND our way back to the corn maze…
So, now that I am armed with all of this second hand knowledge I started to actually think about what my plan would be if I got lost or impatient. My first plan of attack would be the cell phone. My hope is that even though we are in such a rural area I will be able to text for help. (Note to self: Be sure to ask about cell coverage before we begin!) Then, well, then I don’t really have a plan after that except for prayer…and a lot of it…that is very loud and enthusiastic, just in case there are people around me who can come to my rescue. If all else fails I can send S.O.S. signals into the dark sky with my trusty flashlight until they send out the helicopters. (Second note to self: Make sure batteries are new, take snacks and look up S.O.S. signals via internet prior to arrival!)
All of this makes for a good laugh and I promise to update you when I return (keep your eyes peeled for news updates on GMA next weekend!) In the hilarity of it all there is a greater metaphor to think about: the corn maze of life! Now, don’t laugh, I know it is a bit of a stretch but when I was privy to a view from a thousand feet above a corn maze I immediately thought, “That’s life!” When I look at my life I see a maze. Although I know that at some point I will reach the end, for now, that knowledge is hidden from me. There are times when I can only see the next step in front of me, I don’t know where I am or even where I am going but we serve a God with a thousand foot view!
It is not for us to know the times or the seasons, the why or how of everything, it is simply left to us to trust. The interesting thing is that trust is not built on circumstantial evidence. Trust is built on concrete evidence of things from the past.
Recently, we had a trust issue with one of our children. It dawned on me at that moment that we really have no reason to trust them, they haven’t necessarily done anything to earn our trust at this point in their lives. Until now they have taken orders and been told how and what to do but eventually we have to back off and create room for independence. However, independence doesn’t come with 100% trust right off the bat! Over time, they will tell us whether or not they can be trusted based on their past behaviors.
So it is with the Lord. Faith is another word for trust but often times we think that faith is like courage, something we have to muster up within ourselves. Faith is not only a gift from the Lord, given to us by the Holy Spirit that we might believe in Jesus but faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Words like substance and evidence don’t conjure up weak imagery. The truth is that our faith is a firm foundation on which to stand because it is grounded in the character of God. Scripture says that God cannot be anything but faithful which means he will be true to His promises. How do we trust for the future? Because we know the past! We can see God’s work in our own lives, in the lives of those around us and in the lives of men and women since the beginning of time. We serve a God who is able to be trusted when we cannot see tomorrow, the next hour or even the next minute. He has the aerial view and is able to rescue you, see you through to the end or sustain you while you wait for help..snacks and all!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths!” Proverbs 3:5-6
