“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Corinthians
– A Tribute to What is True –
Life is such an interesting journey. With so many twists and turns; so many ups and downs; times when we take one step forward and it seems like two steps backwards. During these times one really needs to beg the question, “What is this all about?” Or equally important, “What am I working towards?”
In my life as I have pondered these mysteries I have come to understand the more I search the less I really know. The more I discover the more I realize there is to be discovered. All of my days can be spent immersed on this road through life but it is finally sinking into my understanding that I will never fully grasp the magnitude of this life. Where I can rest in peace is in my belief God created me with a distinct purpose and is more than capable of connecting the dots I will need through the course of the life of Eric Lyons.
So what do I focus on? As I have grown older, I believe life experiences and venturing outside of the shell of comfort I built around my world has helped mature my view of life and the world around it.
Truth be told, I have walked down all sorts of life’s avenues – imaginable and unimaginable. I have stumbled (willingly or otherwise) into lairs of “evil.” There have been moments when I wasn’t sure if I was alive or dead – whether breath was still being breathed from my body or if I was caught in some middle ground waiting to see if my final resting place would be anything different than what life had thrown me so far. Or was there some other place where the sun always shone? Was there a place where waking suddenly from a sleep wouldn’t leave me in a panic about life passing me by or a fear of being awake in this world. Would there come a time when walking alongside fellow humanity actually restored my faith in it?
After bouts including Buddhism to booze, fleshly battles and attempts to flee life’s challenges – life has come to its final resting place for me. It is one that requires strength I don’t possess; stamina I cannot conceive; obedience that doesn’t make sense; perseverance of a battered warrior; trust of a blind man walking across the busiest intersections of life; and a tremendous acceptance that the world is not prone to accept you on this path.
The sum of these parts leads to a death of the way that seems normal to live. Yet it offers a life I cannot imagine and one which will live on forever without the worldly stamp of difficulty and hardship. The sum of these traits leads to an incomprehensible desire and understanding to let go of the joystick controlling my steps. The sum of these parts was hung on a tree 2000 years ago. Whether or not you believe it, you can’t deny it if you truthfully and passionately pursue it. Start by looking at Jesus. It is an interesting story and he seemed to be a cool dude.
So I go back to my original thought. What is true? What is true is what we cannot see. It is a belief in the unseen. If you want to find this truth it starts with what Bebo Norman sings, “I will life my eyes to the Maker.” Does this make sense? No! Does it work? Explore it yourself to get that answer. What you need is right in front of you and has been with you all along.
Do not let poor influences, negative or hurtful people or insecurity stand in the way of your pursuit of what is true in this world and in your life. Very often we have to make difficult decisions to eliminate things not walking alongside or tracking with our lives. But we will see the ray of life shining radiantly in front of us in wonderful ways when we focus on what matters.
Very often we fill the bucket of our lives so full we are unsure what is actually in there. We can lose sight of what we may actually need or what is truly important to our lives, our growth and our ability to make the most out of the precious lives we have been given. Jobs and careers can get in the way. An abundance of groups, meetings or associations can cloud why you decided to join in the first place. We may have people that take from us more than we have to give – or they try to give to us more than we should take from them. As the level of stuff inside our bucket rises the more saturated we can become with the stuff of life. We then lose sight of what we are really all about or should be focused on.
I have found as I journey through this life there are a few key ingredients to staying on the tracks headed in the direction of what is true. Most important to me is to keep my eyes on the prize as often as I can. This prize is to reflect the mercy and grace shown to me through my actions towards others. This is a very tall task as it often fights against what feels right or the essence of what seems “normal.” It often demands of me a responsibility I do not feel like offering in times I feel wronged or the motive of another was questionable at best – or downright selfish at worst.
Another critical element to keeping my steps aimed at what is authentic and genuine is surrounding myself with people who are like-minded in this search; people who will “hold my feet to the fire” if and when I stray from finding and following after what is undeniably reliable. People who have stumbled onto a similar pursuit of faith and are attempting to walk the same walk as I is crucial to the condition of my soul. These people are very often walking in a manner that I respect or one in which I would someday like to arrive at – even if the pursuit takes a lifetime. These individuals lovingly and willfully offer honest guidance if and when I may stray from this path. They also choose to walk alongside in times of trouble as well as share in moments of joy. They accept me for who I am and love me in spite of who I am not. These traits are critical of true friends to pursue life alongside.
In one’s own search for truth it is often ourselves who get in our own ways. We think we know what may be true or what may be real. If we can just learn to open the eyes of our hearts to be able to see fact from fiction; what is real and what is fake. Then we have a better chance of not straying down the wrong paths in life. What is true in this world allows us to overcome great hurdles. It enables us to conquer unbelievable tasks. It reveals areas of life or the world that needs exposure. The conviction of the spirit dwelling in each of us is a guiding light in our quest to follow this winding and confusing road.
Life and its mysteries very often don’t make sense. People we trust betray us; tsunamis wipe out hundreds of thousands; children are abused and neglected; senseless acts of murder occur; bonds are broken and hearts willfully deceive. This is the core of truth in this broken world in which we live. We have a choice to make – ultimately! We have the opportunity to pick ourselves up; dust ourselves off and move forward with our lives. God can and will take the most tragic things in life and make positive come from them. We have to sometimes rely on what we have heard or believe is truth. not simply on what we can see or touch. This discernment can be quite a challenge. But once it comes, we very often see how some Higher Power was at work behind the scenes from the beginning. This is the truth in which we can believe. In spite of horrific events in life or people choosing to harm others there can be great freedom found in giving the reigns of our lives back over to the care and redemption of this God.
So, to all those people in my life and to all those who have sacrificed in their demonstrations of authenticity I humbly thank you for my eyes have been upon you. I have witnessed and I have come to understand better and to accept what is true. May God continue to bless you all!
eric
P.S. And yes, there is a place where the son always shines!
Welcome! Lovely, eloquent post. May God bless you in your journey with Him. In Him,
Eden
Thorns and Myrtles
edenellis.wordpress.com
Eden,
How encouraging to receive your reply to the post. Sometimes God reveals himself to me through random comments which don’t ultimately appear to be so random. Without faith, what would we have? Certainly not any peace.
May your journey continue to be blessed and focused on God and His grace.
Eric
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing your heart…
Although I am not Christian, I do believe in God…as I read this post, I felt like it spoke to me directly at times…my life’s bucket is overfilled with a lot that doesn’t matter or make a difference…and that isn’t me. I truly admire what you do. No material thing in the world can compare to helping a child out of a living nightmare.
Finally, I just wanted to say thank you for the post. And, although I am certain it has nothing to do with me whatsoever, it was something I certainly needed – and wanted – to hear.