Ain't That Simple

It just ain’t that simple.  Life.  It’s complex.  Seriously, and I’m sorry about this, I know I often find some comfort in this effort, but - there really is no way to break life down into a few easy steps.  It’s not something we can wrap our brains around.  If I’m paying attention, really aware of all the different pieces of any experience, I can’t even wrap my head around one event.  In the end, even in the beginning, this is better.  Infinitely better.  Imagine if we really could understand – boredom would overwhelm us.

To illustrate complexity in a simple event, let’s take pounding a nail. 

First, from somewhere came the idea that smashing a hard pointy thing with a flattened top through the grain of a very purposefully chopped up tree could be part of a process in which something useful or beautiful or both would be created.  Where did the idea come from?  How did we come up with the idea to cut down, mill, measure and add together tree parts – now known as lumber – so that we could build something that would match a design that began in someone’s imagination, got transferred to paper (or a computer) and would end up as a dog house, a home-made go cart or a compost bin?  Simple?  A guy pounding a nail in his driveway all by himself in the sun is a small part of a process that literally involves thousands of people, hundreds of generations of thinking, creativity and invention and knowledge developed through shared living.  Yes, he is just pounding a nail.  You could say it’s a simple task, but every simple task or thought is part of an infinitely complex cooperation of thoughts, actions, people, circumstances, experiences and capacities.

All this and we have not examined eye hand coordination, the domesticated dog, composting or transportation.  Have you ever tried to teach someone how to swing a hammer?  It is literally impossible to do effectively for some people.  Really.  I’ve taught many, many people – male and female - how to function gracefully in the construction environment.  Some people can, some can’t.  If you got it, it comes “naturally,” if you don’t, you can work hard but you will never, ever get it without a re-ordering of your basic make up.  It’s like singing, guitar playing, running fast or coffee tasting.  There are levels of ability and every single person has different abilities in different areas.

Now let’s look at human relationships – simple?  Please…

The solar system…

The biological, chemical, emotional, mental and spiritual make up of the human being.  Complex.

Communication.  Languages. 

Coffee, Wine, Cigars, Fine Whiskey,

Computers, automobiles, Ships on the ocean, planes and space shuttles.

Life is not simple!  There is literally no example we can look at that would suggest it is.  Life, all of it, every single piece is infinitely complex and far, far beyond our control.  And that, for me and probably for you is why I want to reduce it to something simple.  I want to control it.  Understanding (we think) somehow translates to the security of control.

You know where that comes from?  The idea that we can control life comes directly from the enemy of the One who is in control.  The God of our lives, who has given us everything we need, laughs at our pleasure (created that to), leads us in peace, sustains and protects us, gives us the capacity to appreciate a sunset/rise and the beauty of snow capped mountains, trees in the wind and the simple joy of pounding a nail straight and solid into a 2x4 – that God, our God, the only true God is in control.  One who betrayed him (for jealousy) to take control was soundly defeated and now moves about insidiously on the earth to destroy the glory of our creator.  The idea of control, of wrapping our brains around ideas we can never fully grasp so that we can make life bend to our wills came from the archenemy of our God.  His intent is to steal, kill and destroy.  It’s a bad idea – control.  It can’t work and it never has no matter how hard we have tried.

Life just ain’t simple.  No. It’s complex and beautiful.  It will never get boring.  We will never run out of experiences and opportunities for discovery.  It’s dangerous this side of eternity.  It’s opposed by a fierce enemy who challenges us to make it our way.  When we try to give up control and instead trust our God, he comes against us in subtle, terrible ways.  The battle is in a realm that is governed by one of our own.  He who became one of us, lived among us, lived, loved, died and gave us the strength of his won kingdom to battle victoriously with an enemy who does not have the proper weapons.  Our enemy has no defense against love, kindness, forgiveness, faith, joy, grace, mercy, hope, sacrifice, humility and peace that passes understanding.  He can only fight violence, striving, anger, vengeance, selfishness, hatred, ambition, fear, anxiety and meanness.  When we fight with these weapons, he has already won.

Control is not for us.  It is for the one who knows the entire complex plan.  Control is for he who inherited all things.  It is for through whom the universe was made.  It is for he who sustains by the power of his word and has provided purification for sins and sits at the right hand of the Father(Hebrews 1:2-3).  Simply put, no one else has the capacity to control and if they try, things get messed up.

So, let’s just give it up.  Let it go.  Forget the idea and walk on water.  Breath deep of love and peace and rest.  Work hard for a bigger result than you imagine.  Enjoy the beauty and fun of creation, humanity, relationship and small fluffy animals.  Suffer through the hard parts knowing it all counts some how.  Look for clues, be suspicious that there is more to it than immediately apparent.  Remind each other that control is a lie and belongs to one more capable. 

It takes practice.  It’s not easy.  It’s the only way.  The right way.  The Way.