“It looks like I’m going to have to let go of what I expected and enter a mystery.” – Eugene Peterson
There seems to come a time, when you have things figured out.
You have your ducks in a row.
You have your 5 year plan.
You know what to expect out of life.
You know who you are.
Then something happens to the best laid plans, they get turned upside down.
The expected crashes to the ground and bursts like a bright red water balloon.
You find yourself in a most mysterious place.
We like easily solved mysteries.
We prefer stories that wrap up in 24 minutes when a group of meddling kids and their dog reveal that the zombie swamp monster is actually Old Man McGafferty in a mask. Then they ride off into the sunset in the Mystery Machine accompanied by a suspicious cloud of smoke.
Roll the credits.
Play the theme song.
Real mystery doesn’t work that way.
It seldom seems to be easy or controllable.
THAT is what makes it mystery.
It is foggy.
You have to step into it to start to see.
Things happen in the mystery that can’t happen anywhere else.
We are changed.
Mystery turns perspective right side up.
When we enter a mystery it might just redefine us.
We might have to leave behind WHO we have been.
We will encounter seasons when WHOSE we are is so much more important than WHO we are.
Mystery opens the door to wonder.
But, first, often there is wilderness.
Wilderness looks different for all of us.
I’ve been alive long enough to realize that wilderness is never a one time deal.
In the course of the journey we will encounter wilderness more than once.
But the goal of wilderness is always the same…
Let go of the expected and trust.
Wilderness isn’t a choice, but entering into the mystery is.
“Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip toe if you must, but take the step.”
Walk on through the fog, enter the mystery to see what wonders await…
carbonated joy 