Collisions

We spend a good portion of our lives colliding with things that we do not comprehend -- like running into things that jar us from our own sensibilities about things.  I remember several collisions along the way:

1. Getting really mad at things during my high school years...not knowing why
2. Questioning whether my faith held muster during my time in Europe and then especially after I returned
3. Realizing that marriage wasn't as awesome as I'd hoped it would be
4. Several situations along the way where I really wasn't letting others be themselves...realizing I wanted them to be more like me
5. The first time I lost a job
6. The second time I lost a job
7. Learning to let God be in charge of my kids

I have noticed similar collisions occurring in the lives of my kids, in my friends lives, in the lives of people I don't know that well.  Makes me think that this is much more a regular part of the design of life than I had originally imagined.

It’s the colliding that gets our attention and us contemplating what all else might actually be going on (like quite Ahas).  It’s starts us on the road of self-discovery, which leads towards one of three paths:

1. Endless and confusing collision – from which we learn nothing...we just plod on, running into one thing after another
2. A belief that we can organize our lives to avoid collisions (life) –  leading us to arrogance of one kind or another, believing that the problem is 'out there' and largely something simply to be solved
3. A recognition that we are dependent (not independent afterall) and not all that self-determining  –  allowing us to accept and offer grace like we have received to others

In time, collisions become more about running into ourselves as we run into others as we learn that they offer us more opportunity than threat (though it is often the threat we feel that provides the opportunity).