2023-03-24 A Meditation on Creating a Reality

“For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pe 1:11 ESV)

Words come, words go. Scripture on the lips, at the last, this one had a word of encouragement. At the last, this one was upbeat. Because we talk a reality into existence. Bullets overhead, God sometimes overwhelms us with options, inspirations, simple thought processes as to what He is getting up to in this world of ours. And those words lost, forgotten, the dream scarcely felt out, no longer remembered; all these things are that God’s reinventing power might be on display. He reshapes and reworks. Man hoards and tries to prepare for a rainy day; God removes even the high thoughts of inspired words: these, too, I can rework. They are not the ultimate. They are not what most matters. What matters is that God is supreme. What matters is that we alight upon the panicked response to those bullets overhead, with calm recreation. Calm restoration. Calm sane facing of the hour. This much is lost, that much is never to be seen again; my body and soul are in an uncertain hour; all this came upon me so suddenly, the existential suddenness of panic or the calm mourning. All this, and I knew that haphazard day when I no longer feel in control of my emotions, of my peace, of my deeds. Because God is proving the salvation of the saints, by familiarity in the hour that matters, with forgiveness, with approval, with no need to get the ticket punched via good deeds and mastery of composure.

Master we are, in faith. In certainty that our hero complex as much as our frightful disposition, is in God’s hands, and judgment is real: that lost word might have afforded us an earlier entry into Heaven, a better station in final Heavenly rest, more success with evangelizing, and so on. Yet jumbled around, the ordering of the saints, is of a finality so wonderful, we do well to be content in any setting gifted to us. We do well to know it will overwhelm with that same goodness on the lips of the dying soldier and friend. It is more that He intends to give us, than what we ask or imagine. It is true judgment, and true redone Creation, blessed estate, good parents where we long for authority; good sisters and brothers where we long for family; good neighbors where we long for fellowship. All those things we clasp and grab onto, finally are leased out, lessened in firm grip, unto a grasp of come-what-may. Unto a soul patiently bearing the new fruits of having been reassured again and again, unto a perfected state ready for Heaven.