Seek and You Will Find

Just about every other day, I misplace my glasses. I know what you’re thinking: put a leash on it, right? I asked—they don’t make them for glasses. Anyway, the reason I misplace them is because most of the time, I can’t tell where they are. Because the frames are made of an iridescent material, it’s almost impossible to spot them once I’ve put them down. As you can imagine, without my contacts finding my glasses is a lost cause unless, of course, I had some help.

Having an extra set of healthy eyes to help you look for the things that seem lost is absolutely vital! After looking for my glasses for what seemed like an eternity—but was really only ten minutes—I asked my sister to help me. Within two minutes, she spotted my glasses on the couch. At first, my initial reaction was one of disgust. I spent ten minutes looking for something that was right under my nose?!

But the more I thought about the less angry I became. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to find my glasses, I just couldn’t—my abilities were limited. What a powerful truth for the rest of us.

Why is that we get so bent out of shape or angry with ourselves for falling into ditches that we never saw coming? We point fingers, cast blame and condemn ourselves into “knowing better.” In spite of doing all of that, we’re no better off than we were before. Here’s a timeless truth: human beings are limited. There I said it. We lack the capacity to fly the plane, be the passenger, the co-pilot, as well as the flight attendant. We simply can’t do it all and that’s okay. The Shinto faith encourages its believers to aspire to “makoto” which is sincerity of heart. The first step to sincerity is honesty. Are you being honest about your abilities?

You will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:13

The bible says that we all fall short of the glory of God. In other words, if we could do it all there would be no need for God. There would be no need for the work of the cross. We need God to show us the seemingly hidden things in our lives. We need a God who can see clearly. We need a God who can look miles into the future, see the ditch and alert us to the danger. We need a God whose abilities are limitless. We need a God who is every bit as multi-faceted as we are so that if the moment calls for a flight attendant and a pilot, He’s got it covered. He doesn’t have to bring in someone to fill the role.

Let us not become slack in seeking after God. Let us be mindful to prioritize our lives so that we’re spending quality time with God.

 

©2010-2013 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved