Romans 8:28

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

Yes, I love God. How exactly, then, does a near miss with a car when I had front and rear lights fully lit, plus right-of-way with other motorists giving me way, fit into Your plan?

I could take a variety of views into account, the first of which is the "it was a miracle you didn't get injured" view. While that is true, and for which I am immensely thankful, I certainly didn't need an incident like that to prove the importance of being lit-up and riding defensively.

A lesson in humility? Perhaps so, for my mortality loomed large in that moment as the car screeched to a halt scant centimeters from my rear wheel. I can practise all the defensive riding I want, but like I always say, "If someone genuinely wanted to knock you down with his vehicle, there's very little you can do to avoid it."

Perhaps, the most pertinent view is also one that I scarcely gave thought to - the lesson was not for me, but for the driver of the vehicle. He was clearly sober, which meant his decision to not slow down along a deceleration lane exiting the expressway, and not stop at the "Give Way" line when there is another vehicle on the outer filter lane blocking his line-of-sight, was a matter of habit. This is clearly a habit this driver needs to kick, if he was to stay out of future trouble.

Coupling this view with the knowledge that my God is a God of mercy, love and justice, this is perhaps the best assurance I can afford myself, given the information at hand.

Postscript: Yes, it was very scary, in case you wonder how I can state such a situation with sobriety and no cursing. I had half a mind to reprimand the driver, but he knew he was at fault, so all was forgiven.

Press on in good works.

Frankly, I am pretty frustrated with this week. All I have is 24 hours in a day. I cannot do everything. I am not unthankful, and while it has been tough, I have had grace from the good Lord for many areas in my life. It took good men, with sound faith and dedication to excellence, to put into action what I had began. They were able to be present at the activities which I had hoped to be present. For these good men, I am thankful.

It is not easy to be a Christian, and reading the entire epistle to Titus (it's not hard at all, since it's only 3 chapters long). I had always thought that this was a book in which Apostle Paul described the requirement for leaders and older people in a church to Titus. No, it wasn't. It was written this way because at its heart, it needed to convey one important point that I missed.

It is about preparing God's people to show God's glory in them. We represent God through our lives, and if our lives do not carry a commitment to good works, then we fail to demonstrate the good God that we serve. The point of it is NOT the doing, but what good works demonstrates to others. Good works are a testimony of God's goodness in our lives, a signpost that firmly points to the Hope living inside of us - Jesus Christ.

To quote the book of Titus,
 "But—“When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace He declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone." - Titus 3:4-8

Therefore, I ought to stop whining about the difficult good works I have opportunity to do and press on, "for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)

Redeeming Reason.

Reason is a faculty of the mind, and I thank God that I possess a sufficient amount to appreciate the universe at large. But reason is a power honed through use, and a power we take for granted. In its simplest form, it helps us make daily decisions, especially in unfamiliar circumstances.

For example, when I have to be at a particular venue at a particular time, I exercise reason in deciding what time to leave my house, what mode of transport to take, what route to travel via, and in a case whereby several options are available, to weigh the pros and cons of each option. Reason, therefore, is an important necessity for every man.

In a more developed form, reason allows a person to set a course of action for his life. A plethora of factors influence one's reasoning, but in the light of my recent interactions with young children, I realize the development of reason (whether sound or not) rests on the presence of three factors: 

1. Knowledge

2. Curiosity

3. An environment that fosters the former two.

Like fire, the absence of any one of these factors mean that the faculty of reason will not arise. However, the analogy ceases to be useful from this point forwards, since there is no possibility that these three factors do not exist at all.

Knowledge is acquired through a variety of means, the first of all through our five senses. Even if born blind, the remaining senses continue to provide the mind with knowledge about one's surroundings. Therefore, in general, knowledge is not in short supply. Empirically useful knowledge, however, is not always readily available. Empiricalness is established by repeated observability. In children, I believe this to mean that they must be able to perceive the knowledge repeatedly through their senses. As we all differ, so must the manner with which young minds be trained to acquire knowledge with their senses. Some require more manual and deliberate input than others.

Curiosity, fortunately, is inherent to all human beings. The only problem I have noticed about curiosity is how to keep this tender organ intact throughout all of life. It is not a frail organ, but with repeated abuse through starvation (i.e. not satisfying curiosity), it can shrink and become negligible. Preventing this requires constant care, first by the human influences in a child's life, second by the young mind made aware of the importance of his curiosity.

Lastly, an environment that fosters useful knowledge and curiosity. This factor can be both controllable and uncontrollable. I deem it controllable, as the first place where we gain reason is at home, and our family (keyword: parents) have a significant part to play. At the same time, I must say that there are uncontrollable aspects of the environment, i.e. those outside of the home. 

Whether controllable or uncontrollable, the environmental factor is to reason as oxygen is to fire. Without oxygen, the hottest fuel merely glows, or at best, is a scalding vapor. But fire gives off both light and warmth. While the environment is key here, but bear in mind, what good is the promotion of good habits if good habits have no place in society?

Proverbs 22:6 - "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." 

James 3:1 - "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." 

Indeed, whether of the Word or of the world, teachers have a daunting task, to wrestle against preconceptions in their pupils, and society's decay into nihilism and hedonism.

Postscript:  At the end of this lengthy and cumbersome post, I must state my purpose of writing. I am entering a time of transition, to decide soon whether to have personal freedom or greater opportunity to fulfill a calling. Either way, I do not want to leave God out of the decision-making process. I just wished He made it easier to decide.

Lastly, for the more refined thinkers who chance upon this post, please bear with the gross simplification. The intent is not to educate, but to create awareness.