Elemental: S2 - Day 12

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1

You survived the first two rules: 1) I’m wrong about stuff, and 2) I don’t know which stuff. Now, let’s address rules three and four simultaneously.

RULE #3: Dig deep & RULE #4: Believe hard.

Something in me chooses to double down on my “unknowing.” Like an excursion that would disappoint if it ever ended, I chase after the uncapturable God. I am Moses asking to see God’s face in Exodus 33, only to be shown a sliver of His back while hiding behind a rock. I am Elizabeth in Luke 1, trying to explain the sensation that the baby in my womb recognized the presence of the Almighty God in the womb of another standing near me. I am Peter in Matthew 17, moved to worship at the transfiguration of Christ, wanting to build three tabernacles to house grandeur in the festivals of the past. I’m so often wrong. But I am giddy with God’s presence in my life.  

I want more. I am the little boy chasing my Father who knows exactly how fast to run so that I will never catch Him, but also, I’ll never stop chasing. I accept the premise of the first two rules: today’s truth may be overturned tomorrow. But I choose to reject discouragement and embrace the adventure of ever-growing zeal. This is the other option at the fork in the road.

I like birdwatching. Sometimes alone, but best with my dad. He knows birds. At least, I trust he does. We’ll trudge through woods listening, stalking, occasionally lifting specialized lenses to our eyes, confirming the bird we believe exists. And occasionally, my dad’s voice or mine will pitch differently because of what we see. Something new or rare has materialized along our path, sometimes meriting a life-list notation. We’ll emerge from our time together with stories and experiences, some of life’s treasures. But none of our sightings can be proven to someone who wasn’t there. You’re just going to have to trust us.

Here we discover an important wall for our house of faith—pursuit. The goal of Christianity isn’t to achieve certainty, as if we could capture God. Instead, the goal is the experience of faith. Sure, it involves your mind. But it fully engages your soul panting, longing after God.

1. What hobby do you have that supplies both peace and adventure?
2. Have you ever tried to explain an experience and weren’t believed?
3. What area of your life would you love to see God show up?