Facing the Unknown

There are a lot of things I don’t know.  There are a lot of things you don’t know.  In fact, the older I get and the more I learn, the more I know that I don’t know much.  I can’t even begin to imagine how vast are the things that are able to be known.  Shoot, if you only looked at all of the things that can be known about mathematics, most of which I don’t know, you’d be overwhelmed.  I would love to present the statistics on what percentage of things there are to be known that we actually know, versus the percentage of knowable things that we don’t know.  Trouble is, I don’t know that either.

Sometimes the unknown can be exciting.  Like when Paul and I went on a cruise this past December.  I’d heard about cruises from those who have been on one, and I’d read about cruises from those who sell them, but unless you’ve been on a cruise, you don’t really know what it’s like.  You do, however, expect it to be a good thing.  Counting down the days until the cruise was exciting.  The cruise line we chose even puts a countdown at the top of their web page that tells you how many days until your cruise begins.  It was fun to see the countdown get smaller and smaller. For the most part, our cruise did not disappoint.  We had a good time.  I’m ready to go again.  I wonder what the next one will be like.

Other times, what is unknown can be a source of stress and anxiety.  A woman at my church recently experienced this type of unknown.  Her sister had been very ill and took a turn for the worse a week ago.  The family knew it wouldn’t be long, but they didn’t know when their loved one would pass.  It happened this morning.  There is now grief where the stress of the unknown was. 

Facing the unknown is something we deal with every day, we just don’t always think about it.  We don’t know what’s going to top the news tomorrow.  We don’t know for sure how we’ll feel tomorrow.  And even though the weatherman is calling for another sunny, beautiful day here tomorrow, I don’t know for certain that it will be.  Storms down here on the Gulf Coast can blow up before you can turn around and spit.  The storms of life can blow up just that quickly as well.  You just don’t know.

I’m facing my own potentially stressful unknown at the moment.  Sometime tomorrow or early next week I’ll receive a phone call from my oncologist, telling me how my biopsy turned out.  Truth be told, when I went in for a follow-up visit just two days ago, I didn’t know I’d have to go through another biopsy at all.  I feel great.  It was a surprise.  An unwelcome surprise with an unwelcome unknown to go along with it.

I have figured out how best to handle the unknowns of life.  You have to cling to all of the things you do know.  For instance, I know that cruise ships have life boats – lots of them.  I know where the ibuprofen is in case I have a headache tomorrow.  I know which room in my house is the safest in case a severe storm blows up.  I know that God comforts those who mourn when a loved one is lost and that, if they knew Jesus, we’ll see them again.  And I know that no matter what the biopsy shows, God is good, that He loves me, and that He won’t leave my side, even for a nanosecond.  And with just that knowledge, I can face a lot of unknowns.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  Deuteronomy 31:8

Lord, I thank you that you are with me; because of that, I can face anything…