The Bookends of Time

When I was driving home from church on Sunday, I started thinking about Genesis 1. I thought about God acknowledging that each of His creations was good. Up until now, I had looked at it like God was a craftsman. He was driven to make something, He made it, and He was pleased with the outcome. After all, that's how we react when we create something.

However, I realized (yet again...for the umpteenth time) that God is not bound by time. When He was creating the Light and the Darkness, when He was creating mankind, He knew already what the ultimate outcome (the fulfilling of His Plan) would be, and with all that foreknowledge, that's the mind from which God acknowledges "it is good." And, in doing so, He really provided the ultimate comfort to us all. He's saying, "Mankind is gonna make it hard on themselves, but I've chosen to use them to fulfill My purpose, and with 100% certainty, that purpose will be met!" And, that's why the creation of it all is so good.

That's really the first connection I've ever made between the beginning of Creation to the End of the Age, and it offered me a glimpse into how big the "Big Picture" is to God. I mean, "the body of Christ," as a metaphor, isn't bound by time either. Sure, there is a real-time aspect to the church, whereby you literally work beside your fellow Christian to achieve one of God's many mini-purposes. Yet, greater than that, the "body of Christ" that fulfills God's ultimate goal includes Paul and Peter and Billy Graham and all the generations before and after...and you and I are working along side them as well.

God's knowledge of our lives is complete and full. He knows all the sins each of us will commit. However, He also knows how much God-inspired goodness each of us will do in our lives. And, the great comfort is that--whatever that amount is--that will be enough. That's the exact amount that God planned for, and that's the exact amount that you will give.

So, to the earnest Christian, take heart. Imminent victory awaits the Body of Christ, and you are a part of it. Release yourself from the burden of "measuring up."

Alone on a Park Bench

I know it's a little crazy, but I'm totally posting twice in one day. So, after you read this one, go right ahead and read the one below it!

Loneliness is a fickle emotion. It's like a bitterly cold wind that comes out of nowhere, completely overtakes your senses for a moment, and then fades away, leaving no trace of itself until it blows through again. At least that's how it is for me. I can be moseying along, doing just fine, and in a blink, I feel desperately alone.

In all honesty, I'm not alone. I'm surrounded by family; I keep in close contact with lots of friends...my life is not transcendentalistic. But, in that moment when the loneliness hits, you don't feel anything but the profound emptiness, as though all your life's been just as empty. All the warm collegiality that I experienced an hour before or that I will experience an hour later means nothing. Loneliness is an emotion that's firmly rooted in the present.

And, I think that's what makes loneliness so hard to deal with. Whenever you feel bold enough to do something about it, it's not there. It's kinda like taking your car to a mechanic, and saying, "It made this horrible rattling sound all the way here, but now that I'm here, it's not making it anymore." Of course, that's the situation I'm in right now. I'm not lonely now...but I was. And I think most everyone lives with similar ebbs and flows of loneliness. That's one of the reasons that human companionship is so important to all of us--in its most complete form, marriage. It's so appealing to have someone so close that they are, in effect, part of you. It seems like the death knell to loneliness, but surprisingly, it doesn't turn out that way. I'm sure that's the reason for many divorces out there. And, I think people sometimes want children for the same reason. As a matter of fact, I heard a woman say that not too long ago. I don't know where it was, but she said that she assumed that after she had children, she would never be alone again. Yet, she realized that it didn't turn out that way.

The most poignant depiction of loneliness comes in the form of a photograph I once saw in an art gallery. (I hate I don't have an image of it to post, but just envision it.) The photo was of a old man sitting on a bench in the park. He was seated to one side on the bench, leaving room for another person, but no one else is there. In one way, the photo is all about him; he's the only person in the photo, after all. But, in another way, the photo is completely not about him--it's about that empty space next to him, about that other person that's not there. And, that's another facet of loneliness. On the one hand, it's a completely selfish emotion, because it's 100% internal: I'm saying to myself, "I'm lonely." But, on the other hand, it's unselfish, because what I'm really saying is that I don't want it to be 100% about me. I want there to be someone else there. It's a painful duality.

Now, how does this contemplation relate to God. For me, it has a lot to do with my incomplete appreciation for the many roles that God is intended to play in my life. I mean, there are some that I "get": God as Sovereign, God as Provider, God as Savior, God as Healer, etc. However, I don't yet understand God as my friend. Well, and I think it's because I closely associate "friend" with "peer," and God is not my peer, similar to the way my earthly parents aren't my peers, but even more so, since He's God. He knows me better than anyone, He understands every facet of who I am, He's been there in every second of my life, but I can't relate to Him. And, really, relatability isn't the name of the game with God. I mean, Jesus, the one embodiment of the triune God that's closest to me, is the example to follow, the ideal to chase after. Yes, He was tempted just as we are, but he aced the test. I can't say the same for myself. Not much relatability there. But, I still want relatability. Why? I could go into a long dissertation on that one, too, but this thing is already long enough.

Jumping straight to the point (thankfully, right?), I'm trying to put a round peg (God) in a square hole (peer relationship), but what I don't realize is that I'm overdosing on square holes already, and leaving the one round hole totally unattended.

Are human relationships a gift from God? Yes. Do they have the power to enhance insight into God and His Plan? Yes. Are they, sometimes, the only thing that breeds sanity in this world? Yes. However, can human relationships overshadow the importance of communing with God? Yes...just like any other addiction.

Hello. My name is Trey Hankins, and I'm a people-holic.

Idol Chatter

Okay, I admit to being an American Idol fan. Of course, most of America is made up of American Idol fans, so it's not like I'm an outsider. :) I'm more on the outskirts with my other two reality show favorites--Project Runway and America's Next Top Model. All three of them offer something artistic, and I think that's why I like them.

Anyway, last night was the 2nd live performance for each of the 10 remaining female semifinalists, and all-around, it wasn't a very exciting night. I think all of the ladies have decent talent, which isn't something I necessarily would've said in years past, but none of them really showcased it. Nonetheless, I still have my favorites: Mandisa, Paris Bennett, Lisa Tucker, and Katharine McPhee. All of them throw some soulful style into their singing, and I think all of them will make it through to the finals. That leaves 2 spots, and dang it, I don't think there's any way to avoid Kellie Pickler getting one of them. She's gone way overboard on the country-girl-in-the-big-city bit, and her sob story is already ringing in my ear like a broken record. Granted, she has had some tough things to deal with, but goodness, America doesn't have to know all about it...every show. Still, I'm sure she'll get through. Now the 6th spot could go a few ways; history has shown that America does like at least one raspy-voiced, rock-ish girl in the bunch. That would be Melissa McGhee, who's rock-ish in the Country vein. She couldn't go all the way, but neither could any of the other girls. Ayla Brown and Kinnik Sky are both good, but there's no spark with either of them. And, as for the last two--Brenna Gethers and Heather Cox--they should be gone after Thursday's results show.

Tonight's the guys' performances; it'll be only fair for me to post about them as well. After that, though, I'll have gotten it all out, and I probably won't waste blog space on it any more. I know there's some of you out there that will appreciate that. ;)

However, I am curious to know if any of you that regularly read my blog follow American Idol. It's a guilty pleasure, definitely, but it sure is a fun one.