Yesterday I rode 30 miles. As I rode, I smelled the air, observed the bison and the burros grazing in the pasture, watched the buzzards circling around overhead. It was a beautiful day. I thought: how fortunate, how blessed to be alive and here right now.
Our existence is pure gift. If we were to really consider the circumstances that lead to our existence, the appropriate response would be awe. Just from the biological point of view, the millions of possibilities of others being conceived instead of us, or no one being conceived at all is mind boggling. Consider how weak and dependent we are when we are born- almost anything could harm us if we were not protected. Think about how we are able to even contemplate our existence. Do the plants do that? Do other animals on earth muse on the meaning of their own being? We might investigate the circumstances leading to life being able to exist at all, at least on this planet. We have to be certain distance from the Sun- not too close, not too far. We must have a certain chemical makeup of the planet - a sufficient amount of water and air, etc..., so that life could live. Whether there is life elsewhere or not, we do not know for certain. But we can know that our participation in life is almost miraculous. It is a gift for which we did not ask, but which is awesome.
Our existence is pure gift. If we were to really consider the circumstances that lead to our existence, the appropriate response would be awe. Just from the biological point of view, the millions of possibilities of others being conceived instead of us, or no one being conceived at all is mind boggling. Consider how weak and dependent we are when we are born- almost anything could harm us if we were not protected. Think about how we are able to even contemplate our existence. Do the plants do that? Do other animals on earth muse on the meaning of their own being? We might investigate the circumstances leading to life being able to exist at all, at least on this planet. We have to be certain distance from the Sun- not too close, not too far. We must have a certain chemical makeup of the planet - a sufficient amount of water and air, etc..., so that life could live. Whether there is life elsewhere or not, we do not know for certain. But we can know that our participation in life is almost miraculous. It is a gift for which we did not ask, but which is awesome.
In the area of faith we have also been given a tremendous gift. It is true that naturally we can come to surmise that God exists (if existence is a gift, then who is the giver?). We can even know that God is perfect, and therefor, perfect in His love. To know Him personally and intimately, however, that is a bit different. God must reveal Himself to us. Jesus said No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him (Matthew 11:27). But the Lord desires us to know Him and to love Him, so He has revealed Himself to us. All this is gift.
If we have received so much that we did ask for, that we did not know to request, how much more might God do for us? Is there any reason to doubt His goodness? Is there any cause to doubt God’s love?
No comments:
Post a Comment