"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Cor.4:16-18)
We have a number of very dear friends whose mamas are enduring a mighty tough season of life right now. Just for the record, this aging thing is not for the faint of heart. The reading glasses that worked beautifully last week suddenly seemed to have lost their effectiveness. Creaky knees. Failing memories. Increased exhaustion. Not to mention the wrinkles. O mercy.
And aging means seeing your children grow up and move away. Not a plan I like one bit. I think of my Heavenly Father willingly sending His Son--away from Him, away from fellowship, away from glory. And the Father watched Him arriving upon an inhospitable planet that would do nothing but mistreat and murder Him. Yet the Father gave His Son knowing all this, planning all this, for us--His often disobedient, undeserving children.
Thank You Father. I would not willingly give any of my children--not a one of them, not for a moment. But You did... for us.
But surely one of the hardest challenges of aging is seeing your beloved parents struggle and suffer with aging. As my daddy always said, "Old age isn't for sissies." And it's not. And as a child, it's doubly difficult to see someone you love diminish before your eyes--and you are helpless to stop it or alleviate the suffering.
But in the words of Paul from 2 Corinthians, "we do not lose heart." Because while these old shells are wearing away, God is inwardly renewing and preparing that eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all. Our problem is simply that we cannot see that which is unseeable--but just as real-- as this chair in which I'm sitting.
I can't see the cell phone waves that carry my various conversations to friends and family--but those invisible waves are there, and they enable us to talk away to one another! I cannot see my daughter in Charlotte nor my son in Davidson, but they are there. And right there with them is the Holy Spirit enabling and helping and guiding and undergirding them just as surely as the Spirit is with my friends' mamas and my friends and all who call upon Jesus by faith. We can't see Him--but He is there, just as surely as that sun that is shining behind the thick clouds.
The sun is always there... but sometimes the clouds and rain hide it from our sight. Does that which obscures the sun from our sight make that flaming star any less real or powerful? Just because we cannot see it or feel it, does that mean the sun is no longer there? Of course not!
When we cannot see God's hand, we can trust His heart.
The question is: will we believe even when we cannot see? Do we trust that the sun has not vanished from the universe just because we have several days of dark, rainy weather? Will our circumstances determine our faith or will our faith be fixed upon our forever faithful Father?
We have the choice every single day--see with our faith or see with our feelings. Trust not in what we see but in what we do not see, because we trust the One who is eternally worthy and glorious and faithful.
"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Heb.11:1)
This all reminded me of one of my favorite books growing up--The Little Prince--by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. The fox in this tale teaches the little prince a very simple but profound lesson: "On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur"--"One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."
O Lord, give us hearts that see and remember! Give us faith even when we cannot see and the darkness is closing in--that the sun still shines unabated behind those clouds, and You are on Your throne, working all things out for our ultimate good and Your greater glory. Help us to recall that "Anything essential is invisible to the eyes" and enable us to see clearly because we see with hearts of faith. Keep us focused, Lord, upon You. We choose to place our hope in You, for we are certain of what we do not see.... and we will not lose heart. To God be the glory.
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