Looking Up

Life is tough. We all know that. In the throes of daily living, we can sometimes feel consumed with responsibility, overwhelmed with worry or burdened by constant care. We can feel inadequate or unqualified to fulfill the responsibilities placed before us, and struggle to find joy in the simplest of duties. When we expect to feel confident, we may feel anxious or exhausted. When we expect the path to be bright, we may find shadows cast upon our course. Our direction may be shaken. So, how do we know where to look when faced with such heavy burden? Do we choose to look up? Do we look at the ground? Stare blankly at the space before us? Who do we turn to when feeling lost? Do we seek solace from the One who understands us or do we seek comfort in the things of the world?

Yesterday, while engaging in a particularly stimulating discussion on faith, I was reminded of a story about Moses and the children of ancient Israel. Moses and his people had been wandering the desert for many years. As they were trying to pass through the country of Edom on their way to the promised land, they were turned away from Edom's border and caused to make a detour through the high country. The people were hungry and thirsty and began to murmur amongst each other. They cursed Moses and their God, not understanding why he would lead them into the wilderness so they could suffer and die in their afflictions. They became discouraged and hardened their hearts. The Lord responded by sending fiery serpents into their path, which bit many of them and caused them to die. For those who remained with Moses, they pled with him for help. He built a serpent of brass and placed it atop a pole. He instructed the people to look upon the serpent if they had been bitten, and told them they would be healed. Many people beheld the serpent and lived; however, those who did not look upon it were not healed and died in their sorrow.

This story is interesting to me because the answer we are searching for may sometimes be right in front of us. Hearing this story now, we may wonder why it was so difficult for the children of Israel to look upon the serpent. What got in their way? Did they become distracted? Did they not believe? Did they let fear or pride get the better of them? All they had to do was look up. It can't be that hard, can it?

In my own life, I find myself in a similar predicament. When it should be easy for me to move forward in faith, I struggle to look up. I compartmentalize all my duties and say, "I don't need you, Lord. I got this." But in reality, my sentiment could not be further from the truth. In my own efforts to take command of my life and micromanage the details, I fail those in my stewardship because I can only give them a portion of what my mortal strength will allow. Instead of adding to my strength with the Lord's blessing, I fall short of my potential because I am a blundering mess of anxiety, worry, distress and exhaustion. I become overwhelmed, burdened and oftentimes resentful of my challenges. I forget that while I am blessed with many divine gifts, I must continually look up to heal my inadequacies. I cannot be satisfied with exercising faith in one place or at one time, for faith is not an abstract idea, but a principle that flourishes through action.

When Columbus set sail to find the New World, he embarked upon an adventure that required expertise far greater than his own. Although he was a skilled explorer, he still faced challenges and obstacles at sea. At times, he became afraid. Yet he did not shrink from his duties or let the magnitude of his goal discourage him. He simply looked up, exercising faith in a higher power. And his faith sustained him and carried him through, even when his course seemed uncertain. When we are engaged in the work of our God, He will always provide a way. He will always light our course.

Joaquin Miller, 19th century American poet and Indiana native, expressed his thoughts about Columbus in words which echo the virtue of faith:

Behind him lay the great Azores,
Behind the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of shores,
Before him only shoreless seas.
The good mate said: "Now we must pray,
For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Admiral, speak, what shall I say?"
"Why, say, 'Sail on! sail on! and on!'"
Then pale and worn, he kept his deck,
And peered through darkness. Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a speck --
A light! a light! at last a light!
It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!
It grew to be Time's burst of dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that world
Its grandest lesson: "On! sail on!"

Friends, we live in the best of times. We also live in the most challenging of times. As we experience the bittersweet trials of life's unexpected changes, may we find the courage, like Columbus, to exercise our faith. Embraced in the spirit of humility, faith becomes the bedrock of our foundation and the antidote for our uncertainty. As the foolish man built his house upon the sand, the wise man built his foundation upon the rock. The wise man was not free from challenge, yet he realized that his only hope was a sure foundation. He understood that no achievement, great or small, could be brought to pass by those who waver in their undertakings. The same line of reasoning applies to us today. As we strive to meet the tests of our own lives, may we remember to look up, so we may find the healing we need to move forward. May we realize that looking in any other direction could cost us the very opportunity to gain wisdom and strength.

For my own sake, I pray I remember these words when insecurity and doubt take hold upon my perspective. No matter how carefully I choose my steps, I cannot stop the rains from falling, I cannot keep the winds from blowing, and I most definitely cannot discourage the floods from rising. But what I can do is look up for guidance and inspiration, and exercise faith instead of worry. For as I seek wisdom beyond my own, I know that faith strengthens as we practice it, and grows deeper as we live it.

(Columbus excerpt retrieved from theotherpages.org)