He's Got the Whole World (and History) In His Hands

Montgomery Advertiser Article - July 2010



"I do." "I will."

These words remind me of spring and summer – seasons of transition. It's when many people move on to new jobs, new towns, graduation and marriage, and say "I do," or "I will" to the future. Though joy and excitement often fill the hopes of a bright tomorrow, new beginnings often mix with a healthy dose of uncertainty and fear.

The future by its very nature is unknowable. "There 'be dragons out there!" We can guess at what lies ahead, but we can't be sure until we get there. This element of uncertainty can make the decision to move forward or to move at all difficult to say the least.

Maybe you're at a point in your life where you have no excitement about the future,and are instead overwhelmed by the fear of what may be "out there." You must say, "I do" to a future without someone who has passed away. "I will" move forward without a loved one, when you've spent every day of what seems like forever waking up next to the same person. For others, it's making the choice to walk away from a relationship that must end, even though it's all we've known for decades. What has happened to my life? Can I make it out there alone? What happens when I get knocked down? What if my world that seems so out of control never gains a sense of order?

I was looking at an old map in a book the other day. The map had a rough outline of countries I recognized, but the coastline veered off in unusual directions and lacked details. The only clear images were of dragons and sea monsters creeping out of the depths of the sea. Mapmakers placed these monsters in the uncharted waters to represent the undiscovered places of the world. The creatures represented the unknown, and the fear that often accompanies it. As I stared at the map, I thought about the brave souls who said, "I will," and climbed aboard ships and headed straight in the direction of the monsters.

I always think of David when I think of those daring to move forward. David was the youngest of his brothers and an unlikely candidate to lead anyone into the future. No one, including Samuel, expected David to be the anointed one to lead God's people. But, Holy Scripture reminds us that God doesn't look on the "outward appearance" and those things human eyes value, God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). This boy stepped up and took on the Philistines and the champion fighter Goliath, knowing that God would ultimately "deliver" him. (1 Samuel 17:37). He defeated Goliath and went on to be a mighty king. I can imagine more than a few fearful citizens, and David himself, questioning a future with a young king in the face of all that threatened the people of Israel. His future was not without turmoil and challenge, but it was one filled with God's presence. God doesn't always call the qualified, as the saying goes. He does, however,always qualify the called.

We live in a crazy world. We are in the midst of the worst environmental disaster in our nation's history as oil pollutes the Gulf of Mexico and changes our way of life. Our nation's troops stand in harms way in two theatres of war. The economic arena sees the world trying to contain greed and abuse of all kinds. The economy continues to sputter along as millions look at a future with no job, or limited prospects. State governments from the east coast to the west teeter on the edge of bankruptcy. Each trip to the airport reminds us that safety is not a given in a world with some determined to bring about terror and destruction. It's enough to shake even the strongest nerve.

And yet God is calling each and every one of us to say, "I do" to tomorrow. There are personal, family and community tasks and relationships that demand our best. They require everything we have. Our legs may shake with the fear of moving forward, but God's grace meets us in the midst of our fear and trembling. God walks with us as we move forward. But, God also goes before us. God is already in tomorrow, preparing it for our arrival and waiting to greet us there.

We stand on the edge of tomorrow, and,frankly, we have no idea what it holds, but we do know who holds it. When we recognize this power we can look at the unknowable future and whatever it holds and say with confidence, "I do."