LIFE is a journey.
That is probably a well-worn and overly mythologized statement, but, as Albert
Camus said, such is life.
If we were to make
the most of the analogy – for the purposes of sustaining our living hope through
the lifespan – we might invest in some journey metaphors. Three come to mind:
laboring in childbirth, tour of duty, and one championship season. Each
provides the imagery of 1) a tumultuous journey, 2) an end result, and 3) key
indicators of success (and of hope) along the way.
Firstly, though, I
want to confess that for many years I was afraid of my journey. I felt there
was no way I could sustain a good life. I was afraid of failing. I feared the
journey was too long, though I didn’t ever want to die. But when I was truly
won to Christ (like, when I fully surrendered, and grace permeated my entire
life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit) two things happened immediately: 1)
my fear of not being able to sustain this ‘good life’ vanished – it was no
longer about my effort; it was my surrender and his power, and 2) I became
fascinated with Glory and was no longer afraid to die (though I still did not
want my family to suffer losing me).
Laboring
Through Childbirth
I suppose many
women will have their own thoughts, but the laboring process is ebbing and
flowing, acutely painful journey, mostly with a beautiful result at the end.
When we can see any journey we are on as inherent with its painful
contractions, times when we need to breathe through them, we will endure these
pains through faith because of the result we hope for – what is birthed will be
something that attests to the glory of God.
Tour
of Duty
Every soldier
overseas, far away from family, his sweetheart and children, is both alone when
away from them yet never more fulfilled in serving his country. An amazing
spectrum of contrasting emotions, as in laboring through childbirth, is
evident. The tour of duty will be the making of him, as he gets through it.
What doesn’t kill him makes him stronger, and there is sound biblical basis for
that philosophy.
The
Championship Season
All championship
seasons feature a pre-season, a series of home-and-away fixtures, before the
playoffs commence in earnest, in finding the best team/player. There are ups and
downs for every champion and for every champion team, but it is the champion
ethos to bounce back resiliently. This is all about harnessing the emotions,
preparing and executing well, and foraging each performance for things to learn
to stay ahead of the pack. When the championship is won, all the pain that was
endured is forgotten.
We need to
remember, in life, we compete only with ourselves.
***
Life is a journey encapsulating innumerable
micro journeys. The best life is about finding a way to get beyond fearing the
overall journey so we enjoy the ebbing/flowing facets of each journey. We would
no longer fear failure or reaching the end of the journey itself. Life is a
journey: it is what it is.
What strength is experienced when we journey
faithfully (as best we can) with God! Only by faith in God can we endure the
journey. Only by accepting life as it is, on its own harsh terms, will we have
the strength to sustain it.
© 2013 S. J. Wickham.
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