I just returned from a retreat today at Oakey. The theme for this retreat is “God Talks in My Life”. The whole two-days-one-night thing was actually short to discuss everything about this theme. There were so many things that we touched on as we progressed through every session. The insufficient time had compelled us to move rather fast and quick in thinking and reflecting, than taking all the time in the world reflecting our own life. However, everything turned out to be enjoyable and experiential and beneficial.
One of the things that we touched on is Trusting God, as it relates so much to the theme. It probed the questions of, Where is God in our life? Where is God when good thing happens? Where is God when bad thing happens? How much do we trust God when bad things happen? How much trust do we have in God? When things fail to go your way, do you still trust Him?
One good way of putting these questions in context is whether we lead our own life, or we allow God to lead our life. Lead in this sense means having the authority or control. Admittedly, in our life, more often than not, we tend to control our own life. We tend to plan things according to our own ways, to our own goals, to our own desires.
And, as human being, planning our ways usually takes an easy process rather than taking a difficult path. In other words, we plan to use the fastest and easiest routes to see the instant intended outcome of what we want to achieve. Yes, it is accomplished. What you want is totally achieved. But, as the time passes, when you ponder over what you have achieved, one day you might think, what is the purpose of doing this? Is there any meaning behind achieving all these things? Do I feel any better having to do this?
It is certainly not impossible to achieve something that is not planned by God. But, the happiness and joy that you have of achieving that will only be a temporary thing and not lasting. For instance, if your gift of God is to playing music, and you end up being a fashion designer, you might be able to achieve the earthly fortune a fashion designer desire, but you may not be happy with what you are doing. Instead, achieving what God has planned for you is more worthwhile and joyful than doing thing that you don’t like to do though it is something you can do and you can gain in material stuffs.
Following God’s journey is never a simple journey. Rather, it’s always filled with challenges and obstacles and falls and unforeseen circumstances. It requires Trust. Very often, what makes us decide to follow our own desire is the lack of trust that we have in God. We afraid that things may not go the way we want them to be when we have followed God. Anyway, I don’t think I am going to express myself much. But, I can provide you with a story which I heard from this retreat and fortunately, I got a photostat copy of from the sister.
Here is the story about a tandem. *a tandem is a bicycle made for two people who sit one behind the other*
The tandem
At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there, sort of like a president. I recognized his picture when I saw it, but I didn’t really know him.
But later on when I met Christ, it seemed as though life were rather like a bike – a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal. I don’t know just when it was he suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since I took the back seat to Jesus, my Lord. Christ makes life exciting. When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring and predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points.
But when he took the lead, he knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places and at breakneck speeds; it was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, he said, “Pedal!” I was worried and was anxious and asked, “Where are you taking me?” He laughed and didn’t answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into adventure. And when I’d say, “I’m scared,” he’d lean back and touch my hand.
He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance, and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey, our journey, my Lord’s and mine. And we were off again. He said, “Give the gifts away; they’re extra baggage, too much weight.” So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.
I did not trust Him at first in control of my life. I thought he’d wreck it, but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, jump to clear high rocks, fly to shorten scary passages. And I’m learning to be still and pedal in the strangest places, and I’m beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Jesus.
And where I’m sure I just can’t do any more, he just smiles and says, “Pedal.”
