Day 45: Transcendence

I firmly believe that there are transcendent moments in our lives when we really connect with God. As a Christian who's been going to church since day 1, I know all of the "churchy, Christian-ese" tag-lines. You could ask me about God's love, grace, justification by faith, sanctification, etc. and I'd probably be able to give you an sensible response. It's unfortunate that the Christian faith is often reduced to a few cute, trite lines. But then, there are those circumstances in life when the principles that are so familiar to us become real. There are those moments when God's power and work in our lives transcends our sin and apathy.

On day 45, I remember sitting on a bench overlooking the Indian Ocean and reflecting on the GP. I wrote in my journal: "Wow, thank You God." Now, don't get me wrong: I thank God everyday. Oftentimes, it's just a routine part of my prayers, but this time, as I looked toward the horizon, I truly meant my thanks to God. It was one of those moments that I could just bask in God's presence and recognize all He had done in my life. I knew that going forward, as I was getting ready to go home and prepare for my senior year of college, there would be challenges and trials. I just knew, however, that God would be at the center of my life, working in obvious and hidden ways.

I began to think about the future and about what I wanted to do with my life. If anything, the GP only made going into my final year of college more difficult, because now I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I joked with Brian that I wish God would just give me a giant signpost telling me what to do. He told me that as our own hearts and desires align more and more with God's heart and will, some things become clearer to us. It's not that we get signs, but certain paths and choices become less appealing and others more so.

Today in the present, I realize that these moments of transcendence are few and far between. I am now done with my education, came back from my last InterVarsity chapter camp, and probably won't see many of my college friends in a long time. I'm going through yet another transition phase in life, but I know how I want to live. For me, when it comes down to it, I just want to live faithfully and humbly in the small things. I know there will be powerful moments when God will be explicit in my life, but for the other 99% of my life, I just want to do my best to be a man after God's own heart. There should be no principle in my life more transcendent than that one. I think I'll be alright if I can do just that.