over our heads

Photo from our time in Portugal, December 2006.

In a recent blog entry, David Fredrickson of familyroommedia.com wrote:

 "Yesterday I read a statement that T. Austin-Sparks made in a great little book called The School of Christ. He said, 'The mark of a life governed by the Holy Spirit is that such a life is continually and ever more and more occupied with Christ, that Christ is becoming greater and greater as time goes on. The effect of the Holy Spirit’s work in us is to bring us to the shore of a mighty ocean that reaches far, far beyond our range..'.  That got me to thinking about how the tendency of human nature is to organize life within perimeters that can be easily managed and controlled. I like the idea of limitless vistas yet to be explored, yet have never enjoyed the how-am-I-going-to-survive part. I generally feel insecure when that which I deem important is not clearly defined. And I definitely don’t like to find myself out of my depth. But that’s where I often find myself.  Yet relationship with God is beyond definition and always leads us where there are no pat answers, no measurable successes or failures, no final place of fully knowing or having arrived. He’s just too big to fit into any religion. If it wasn’t for the fact that we’re over our heads in an ocean of his love, most of us would probably crawl right back into a box of formulas, pet doctrines and petty principles. But the joy and security that comes from being loved and loving in return has a way of turning the waves in the mighty ocean into a gentle reminder that Father’s in control and we’re about to discover another facet of his fathomless character."