An elderly woman sat on a park bench crying. A concerned young man sat beside her. “Can I help?” he asked. The woman said, “I’m embarrassed for crying in public, but I couldn’t help it. My husband just passed. My life is so uncertain. How can I live without him? Who are you that you care?” He answered, “I am a Morman Missionary.” He then asked her a strange question. Do you ever read the Sunday comics? When I was a kid, I would put them right up to my eye, real close. I was amazed they were just a mass of dots, scattered around that made no sense. I think life is like that. From God’s perspective, He can see the whole picture. It makes sense to Him. Our lives are not just scattered dots. We are all connected to the One who made the dots. He makes it beautiful and meaningful and good. Seeing life close up, we can’t expect it to make sense right now. I believe God will one day show you the entire picture. On that day, you will laugh again just like you would do reading the Sunday comics.
All of us have felt uncertainty. I feel it right now as I wonder what God wants me to do in retirement. Uncertainty is not knowing what to do or believe, or not being able to decide about something. You can’t see the whole picture but only random events, the dots, that leave you confused.
There is one thing you must do when uncertainty and doubts creep into your soul. Take it to Jesus. Jesus knows you just like a shepherd knows everything about his sheep. Jesus knows you personally and intimately. He knows more about you than you even know about yourself. Jesus is the Good Shepherd because what He offers you will crush uncertainty. It is called Security. Security is freedom. Freedom from fear, freedom from anxiety, freedom from danger. God made humans to need security. A baby’s cry screams out, “Mom where are you? I want you. Hold me! Feed me!” One mother told me, “All my baby does is whine and dine.”
When life throws senseless dots at you, stay connected to Jesus. Have faith that Jesus can connect those dots into a beautiful picture made just for you. The Bible says, “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7) I testify that I feel His peace right now as I ponder my future. I have placed my future in God’s hands. I believe He will make it good.
I guarantee you, when you stay connected to Jesus, you will hear His voice. How does Jesus communicate with you? Sometimes it is through a dramatic event to get your attention. God knocked St. Paul off his horse before speaking to him. God generally uses less drama to communicate. I find that God speaks to me through my thoughts during prayer. When I sit at a blank computer screen before writing a sermon, I pray, “God, tell me what to write.” Then thoughts flow into my mind like gallons of eggnog at Christmas.
When Jesus speaks, you have to do more than listen. You have to follow Him. Sheep are not dumb as some think. Cowboys herd cows by going behind them to yell, shout, and crack the whip. I learned this by hearing the song “Rawhide” sung by the Blues Brothers. This doesn’t work with sheep. If the shepherd yells behind them, the sheep will run behind him. They want to be led. Jesus wants to lead.
Where does Jesus want to lead us? Revelation 7:17 says “For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” The “life-giving water” He offers will wash away all pain and suffering. There will be no need to cry ever again.
Blessings…Fr. Mike
