Life Doesn't Always Make Sense

When I was 28 years old, I did something most, if not all, of the people around me thought was more than a little bit nuts. And if I really want to be truthful, I have to admit, I never tried to argue with anyone who made any such implications because I wasn't entirely sure any of them were wrong. I even said it a few times when it was happening and many more since, I was honestly pretty sure they were probably right.

A few months before the incident that led to all that occurred, I had sent my résumé off to a newspaper in Central Texas on what really amounted to little more than a whim. At the time, I was a sports journalist, I had a really good friend living not too far from the town in which that newspaper was located and honestly, I just felt like I needed a fresh start in my life. I didn't really think anything would come of it since it was a small town paper so far away and I figured that meant they wouldn't really have any interest in me.

Boy, was I wrong.

Out of nowhere one day, I got a phone call from the publisher of that newspaper. It wasn't a call for a phone interview or even to ask me if I'd make the trip to Texas to interview in person. It was an offer. Not only did that publisher have an interest in hiring me, he wanted to do it immediately, sight unseen. I tried to turn him down twice, to no avail, so I eventually said yes and the preparations began.

Two days later, I was in Texas for the visit I demanded as a stipulation of my acceptance of the job and by the time that visit was over, I had made my acceptance of the position official and had even already found a place to live. And so, the process of getting things in order so I could move began.

I started telling everyone I thought should or would like to know that I had taken the job and would be moving in a week, and I still remember some of the looks of shock and bewilderment I got. But given the way things had already gone, combined with the fact that I owned nothing when the week started, but ended up with all the furnishings, dishes and other supplies I needed to make the move without spending a dime over the next few days, I knew something far bigger than me was at work. I still believed it when everyone around me made it clear they thought I was nuts, butt I knew it was what I was supposed to be doing and went ahead with it, anyway.

Five months later, I found myself in the hospital for a medical issue that would have been treated with far less trouble than the doctors and I ultimately had if I hadn't made the move and had been able to see the doctor who last treated it. The crazy part about it, though, was the fact that the new team of doctors I was seeing ran into several issues that wouldn't have otherwise happened, but ultimately led to the discovery of the kidney cancer I wouldn't have survived if it hadn't been treated when it was.

For those who have read a lot of my writings in the past or who know me on a personal level, that story probably sounds pretty familiar, as I've told it numerous times. The point of telling it again, however, is to convey a much more important overarching point than the simple fact that something that seemed so completely random is the reason I'm alive today. That point is simply that especially when we're following the will of God, life just won't always make sense. There can and usually will be at least a few instances along a person's journey of faith that might seem a little bit nuts at the time, but end up having dramatic unforeseen consequences that are often far better than what would have come if a more "sensible" decision had been made.

If you'd like a biblical example of that concept, just look at the life of Jeremiah or the encounter Paul had with Jesus on the road to Damascus and its aftermath on not only his life, but Christianity as a whole. There are many other examples throughout Scripture that illustrate this concept and there's no denying at least some aspects of those examples seemed pretty crazy when they were happening, but they happened, and the lives of innumerable people were made better for it.

If you're reading this and can't come up with any examples from your own life of when something you did seemed crazy, but turned out to be a pivotal point in your faith journey, keep looking. Either it did and you're just overlooking it, or it will probably come at some point if you're really devoting your life to Christian discipleship. It may not be some huge thing like what happened to me or the biblical examples mentioned above, but that doesn't make your experience any less significant. If such a memory did come to mind, I, for one, would love to hear about it.