I just love closure. Don’t you?
The End of an Argument
A Paid Off Bill
A Happy Ending
Like eating a piece of chocolate in a warm bubble bath, a resolved issue offers a little slice of heaven on earth. While nestled in this place anxiety ceases and fear subsides: soothing the unrest in our souls. Instantly, we experience the peace that resolution brings.
Wouldn’t be great if we could live here? Housing all of life’s woes in cute little bow topped boxes would be awesome. We could keep all crises at bay, thus rendering a controlled and predictable life.
Herein lies the root of my love affair with closure: I’m addicted to control. I want to establish an end date for the curve balls and foreseeable challenges in life. Quite frankly, I would like to predetermine which scenarios I experience altogether.
I realize this utopia does not exist for anyone. No matter how amazing someone’s life appears to be from the skewed perspective of social media, everyone faces the uncertainty of an unresolved circumstance.
A Broken Relationship
A Loved One’s Sickness
An Unclean House (Ahem)
A Childhood Hurt
A Troubled Marriage
Infertility
Sometimes this is life. Like tiny drops of rain before a downpour, the unexpected happens. When it does we are often left with one big pile of unresolved mess. This is usually the point where I try to fix things.
That doesn’t work.
After multiple DIY attempts I end up succumbing to the reality that there are some things in life I simply cannot solve. Despite how much I finagle, scheme, whine and diligently work, there are dilemmas beyond my control. It is here that I realize how finite I am in the sight of an infinite God.
As I surrender to His strength in light of my weakness I see that there is power in the unsettled places of our lives. When life is unresolved we can depend on God who resolves all things. Maybe this is what the apostle Paul was talking about when he made his own cry for closure.
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12: 8 – 9 (NIV)
Paul, a bold servant of God, made a desperate plea for resolution not once but three times; yet he was denied. Scripture does not indicate the source of Paul’s discomfort but we know he was tormented by it. As a result, Paul decided to highlight his weaknesses in order for Christ’s power to manifest.
From Paul we learn that true peace is not dependent on closure but persist in the absence of it.
In the midst of unsettling circumstances we can seek safety in the shelter of God’s word.
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When our outcomes are unknown we can cling to the known attributes of a God who never changes.
The temptation is to equate God’s love for us with the absence of unresolved problems. If He answers our cries for relief, if he resolves the unresolved then He cares for us. Unanswered prayer does not invalidate God’s abundant and audacious love for His daughters.
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We are loved deeply by God regardless of what we experience in life.
What He allows may be the very tool He uses to draw us closer. So if you, like me, find yourself smack dab in the middle of unresolved life, know that God is with you. Our greatest challenge is a great opportunity for God’s compassionate power to be displayed.
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