“Be patient….For what was written for you was written by the greatest of Writers.” – Syed Usman

“You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” – Psalm 139:16 NLT

What is it about life that causes us to live more on the surface of things? 

It’s like a visit to the ocean, where we play in the shallow waters, let the tide sweep in to wash over our feet, and look for all the seashells and beautiful rocks that are more visible closer to the surface.

But the ocean is vast and mysterious.  We fear getting too far out in the deep waters where rip currents, out-going tides, and rogue waves can overtake us.  The shallow waters seem safer – far easier to navigate and far more comfortable to traverse.  Sailing in deep waters leaves us more vulnerable – not being able to see or understand what lies underneath in the depths of the ocean itself.

We can live out our lives in a similar fashion – looking at our circumstances, the people who enter our lives, or the major events that unfold in a shallow, surface-oriented, less vulnerable way.  We can dabble on the fringes – in the shallow waters so to speak when it comes to relationships, our work, and our future legacy.  It seems safer that way.  When we get in too deep, love too much, put in vast amounts of effort – that’s where we get hurt when things seem to fall apart.

We can look at the events that transpire in our lives superficially – interpreting them for what they appear to be on the surface – fearful of thinking about them and analyzing them on a deeper, more meaningful level.

Quite a few years ago when I first moved to Utah, I was involved in a situation that was causing me great distress.  I was consumed by the events that began to unfold and what seemed on the “surface” as something that would affect my entire life moving forward.

One of my dearest friends at the time said something to me that not only impacted the way I looked at that particular circumstance, it has stuck with me to this day:

“I wonder what God is up to in all of this?”

That simple sentence moved me from the shallows of my situation into deeper waters – into contemplating and considering the far deeper purposes that lied within it.  What was God up to?  What were His plans for this and how was He involved as it unfolded?

If we believe that all of God’s actions are based in love, that His infinite wisdom understands each and every detail of what is happening, and that He and He alone has the power to stop it, change it, or let it continue in His ultimate sovereignty, then nothing that seems unloving or hateful on the surface, nothing that outwardly makes no sense or looks unreasonable, and nothing that seems visibly out of control really is at all.  God is up to something….something deeper and more meaningful.  There is a deeper purpose that lies within EVERYTHING.

That relationship that didn’t work out or the job promotion that slipped away – was there a greater wisdom within it that cannot be seen on the surface – a deeper reasoning behind the hurt or disappointment?  That accident or that unexpected death – could there be a deeper love at work within it – a profound meaning to it that was more about tenderness, sympathy or affection than it was about loss and defeat?

The family problems that seems to be chaotically spinning out of control or the financial situation that seems impossible to overcome – could it be that what seems frenzied and confusing has a strategic, purposeful plan to it?  Could what seems impossible to remedy and out of control really be an event designed with meticulous, loving intent – crafted to bring us to a place of deeper trust and faith in the long run?

I wonder what God is up to in all of this?

Stop looking at the relationship in a shallow way – look and you will see the deeper purposes within it.  Stop viewing your circumstances for what they seem to be on the surface and look for the deeper meaning that lies within them.   Stop playing safely in the shallow aspects of life and realize that deeper, much deeper things are at work – filled with a purpose that has love, wisdom, and jurisdiction that oversee and protect it.

Nothing has a greater or deeper purpose behind it then your legacy – your destiny here.  Start tonight by realizing that each event, every circumstance, each person who crosses your path, and every situation that unfolds is a vital part of that destiny – each with a deeper purpose and meaning behind them.

Embrace this truth and feel the peace that surfaces within your heart and mind 🙂 

God bless!