Living with Mystery

Living with Mystery
(Florida) Spring 2023

How are you at “living with mystery?”
If you’re like most of us, the answer is… not very good.
Most of us, especially in this culture, have a need to have all the answers all the time.
We also like to keep busy. We’re not very patient. We’re not very good listeners.
And we don’t like to be still.

Does this describe you? If so, you’re not alone, and in good company!
And have marvelous things for which to work and for which to set goals!
We can become more patient. (It’s one of the pieces of fruit of the Holy Spirit, listed in Galatians 5:22) We can become better listeners. (Two ears, one mouth; James 1:19 “… be quick to hear, slow to speak…) And we can practice stilling ourselves before God. (Psalm 46:10)

But what about “living with mystery?”
We first learned this phrase from a marvelous Dove International leader, Bryan Stevenson.
He was sharing a word with us about how, as a church, we’re moving from “tabernacle to temple.” Woohoo! After 14 years of lovingly persevering in worshiping and serving at Creekside Middle School, we will finally be moving into our own (the Lord’s own) facility very soon.
We realize we’ve been in “the incubator” of the school, all these years, to learn the church is not a building; to grow closer to one another and truly learn to truly love one another;
and to walk in true unity with shared vision.

Now we’re ready to move into “the temple.” Ah, but not quite yet!
There have been delays. Instead of thinking it’s coming from one direction, it actually might be God. It actually might be Him moving behind the scenes in ways which we can’t even see, yet.
It’s learning to live with mystery.

This time of extended waiting has caused us to learn not to be frustrated, but instead, to totally trust in Him and wait on His perfect timing. We’re getting closer, but we’re also content to simply dwell wherever His Presence is. In fact, we’ve always sought to be a “Presence Based Church.”  http://www.powerpointpress To learn to live with mystery is to learn to stay in His Presence. To trust in Him. To have faith in Him. To believe that He is working all things together for us who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

So, how about you? What is that one situation in your life which is driving you crazy? Can you choose to quit worrying/fretting/feeling frustrated about it, and turn it over completely to Jesus? He’ll happily take that burden from you. And then… you can live in the mystery.
Our ability to grow spiritually coincides with being able to do this. Let’s give it a try!