The string holder that had always tethered my kite into the sky landed on the floor in a broken tangled web. I’m still deciding whether to untangle the mess or just toss it into the garbage. Untangling a web of kite string can be as hard as sorting through opinions to get to the truth of a matter.
My sister sent me an amusing quote about God, the Bible, and our opinions:
“You know what God left out of the Bible? Your opinions.”
Miriam Webster defines the word “opinion” as, an idea that is believed to be true or valid without positive knowledge.1 When it comes down to the important things of life, I want to base my decisions on more than an idea. I need knowledge and understanding based on truth that leads to wisdom, and the courage to act on what I know. Some of you will recall how my orphan grandfather challenged me to put halting, incremental confidence in God following a crisis of faith. My grandpa based his security on more than an opinion, and his trust had deepened for over seventy years. Whether we have seventy years or seventy minutes, our foundation of faith in God is equally sure. And as I stretch toward the age my grandfather was that day, I too, have come to stake my life and my eternity on the truth that God is good and can be fully trusted with my life. Check out the video below.
The Treasure: God weaves our personal and generational past into the fabric of our stories, even the [tangled] seasons we don’t like and want to forget. (from Rediscover the Dance, p56)
If you’d rather read than watch the video, here’s the full video transcript:
I don’t think I’ve welcomed you inside Pilgrim before. But here we are and maybe at some point I’ll take you on a tour, on another blog. It won’t take long; believe me. But here I am. I haven’t untangled the web of the kite string, but I do have a couple of thoughts to share with you (or maybe just one). I’ve had plenty of opinions in my life, even for God. I just knew that I could remind Him of things He hadn’t thought of to make my life a bit easier and have the outcome look a lot prettier than it did now and then. But at this age as I look back, I’m so impressed with His wisdom and understanding and that He didn’t need my counsel at all. In fact, in Romans chapter eleven it says, “Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable his judgements and his ways beyond tracing out. For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? But of him and through him and to him are all things, to him be the glory forever, Amen. So when I need wisdom, I know I can go to God who’s not going to give me an opinion. He’s going to give me some rock-solid good wisdom. And He says, if you lack wisdom come to me and ask, and I’ll give it to you liberally. I’ll give all you need. But ask in faith. Don’t waver, because if you waver, you’re like the wave of the sea, driven with the waves and tossed. So, I’m just so excited—I don’t know, maybe not excited—I guess I’m humbled that the God of the universe would be so attentive to me and that I could ask Him for wisdom and know that I’m going to get more than an opinion. (from, Romans 11:33-36 and James 1:5)
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