There’s at least not that I know to be true deep down in my bones. My mind contains a lot of supposed information. There are a lot of facts in my head. A lot of theology and philosophy, But a lot less of the kind of knowing that I might really qualify as faith. Living in your head your whole life, as it turns out, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Faith comes from somewhere deeper.
But there is one thing I really do know—in the deepest way I can know anything—and that is that Jesus instigates surprising reversals:
Just when you think your life is great and you’re laughing up a storm, you are struck with grief.
Or while you’re walking around wallowing in your misery, you are knocked off your feet by a flood of joy.
Or while you think you’re winning at life, you suddenly wake up to see a loser in the mirror.
Or as you go about your usual hum-drum, underdog day, you find out you’ve won the proverbial lottery.
Or despite having been a good little religious boy for most of your life, you inevitably find you can’t outrun your own inadequacy.
Or after living like hell for a few years, you are shocked to return home to find a tremendous party thrown in your honor.
All of which simply warns me to not get too attached to my present circumstances. If I’m serious at all about following Jesus, I ought to expect the unexpected. Which is often quite the opposite of whatever state I’m in at the moment, this state that I can’t imagine would ever change. It will. They always do. And Jesus has some kind of good purpose in all of it.
