Monday, February 13, 2012 - The Big Questions

"God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 

2 Timothy 1:7

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, 

a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of truth." 

2 Timothy 2:15     

     I'm getting dressed to go teach High School Math as the predicted "wintry mixture" begins to fall.  Today is one big question still to be answered: Will we have snow? Ice? Will it be a little or a lot?  Will it disable transportation?  Will I get stuck in a room filled with math books, too afraid to dodge high school drivers? Will I understand the lesson and be able to teach or explain it to students with that morning glaze in their eyes?  
     So many questions; so few answers.  The teaching plans for these math classes say:  "This is a new lesson for them but they should understand it quickly."  Right. Not if it were me in high school math:  the word "new" would have pulled the shades down on my brain if the "real" teacher wasn't there to explain it, step by step. 


Every day is a big "?"  and mostly because we ask questions with long-term, unfolding, section-by-section answers. Asking for answers to all the things we think we need to know is like expecting a quick answer to questions like: "How do you do math?"  "How do you speak another language?"  "What is the meaning of life?"  "What is my purpose in life?"  Answer: Let's focus on one new step today of this long-term process.


Today is a step, a section, a new lesson, a new solution.  Today is an opportunity to see whether we're God-trusting or fear frozen. Most days, it's a wintry mix of the two.