A WELCOME NOTE:
Greetings, and a very warm welcome to you. Thank you for taking some time to share in my philosophical foibles. It's my hope that within these entries you might find encouragement, challenge, laughter, counsel and companionship for the journey ahead. Carpe Diem!
Check out www.grantcyster.com for more details. Catch me on Twitter at: GACyster
Yesterday, along with others that I know of and numerous more that I don't, I chose to exercise my right not to participate in the South African elections.
This choice attracted fervent criticism from some, and a number of accusations were levelled against me. Now, as much as I don't owe anyone an explanation for the choice that I made, a choice which for all of us is an inherently personal one, I have no desire to fend off countless interrogations in the days or weeks to come. So, herewith follows a brief summary of my feelings on the matter, in response to criticisms directed towards me.
A little while ago I did something I have not done in quite some time...I watched a sunset. It was the first time I did so in an age. I admit this with some embarrassment given the fact that I live in a city which offers so many great vantage points from which to experience this beautiful natural spectacle.
As I stood watching the solar fire ball dip below the oceanic horizon, it felt like my soul was taking its first deep breath of fresh air in far, far too long. Since that encounter with nature's beauty, I've been thinking about other important things that haven't been a part of my life for an unacceptably long period of time.
(Taken from an article I wrote some time back for CrossRhythms.co.uk. The topic has been on my mind again of late, so here you go. I hope you enjoy it.)
I've seen it said that regret for things done can be tempered by time, but regret for things not done is inconsolable. These words have stuck with me since the moment I read them. They have echoed a sentiment that I have long clung to. Better it is to take risks in life in pursuit of a wild adventure, even at the expense of bruising your head, than to wrestle with the bitterness of regret over chances never taken and paths never followed.
Sometimes the thought of pursuing God or spending time in His presence makes me feel hypocritical because of the sin in my life that I seem unable or unwilling to let go of. I find myself waiting for some magical moment when I can guarantee a significant period of sinlessness before I approach Him. As I reflect on this, I find the thought rather flawed.
What are the properties of light? A burning candle doesn't glow in the dead of night because the darkness has volunteered to retreat. Rather, the flame does only what it knows to do, and the darkness must surrender it's grip. Never before in the history of this world has the smallest candle been extinguished by the darkest night. Similarly, Christ's light in my life doesn't shine because the grip of sin has relinquished it's hold. The light of Christ shines regardless, and the sin is overwhelmed. The emphasis is not on the weakness or power of sin, but instead completely on the omnipotent power of God. A candle shines because of the properties of light, not because of the nature of dark. It is in positioning myself in close proximity to the radiant presence of Jesus, however dark my heart may be, that I find myself reflecting his glory, goodness and greatness. I don't gain control of my sin before approaching a Holy God. It is in approaching a holy God that my sin increasingly loses control.
- The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.
- Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
- Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
There can be no freedom without boundaries. No talk of liberty without constraints. True pleasure and satisfaction without remorse lies in the enjoyment of the gifts that God offers, within the context of self-control and moderation. It is a paradox. Seemingly, the way of abandoned surrender to our desires and obsessions would promise the quenching of our weary soul's thirsts. But it is a lie. That road is one that leads to vice, bondage, and slavery. A tennis match without rules erodes the meaning of the game. A diet without constraints undermines the purpose of a nutritional plan. A country governed without parameters breeds anarchy and chaos. In his wisdom, God has outlined His guidelines for humanity, in the hope that we would embrace them, and through living them out discover the fountain of joy, to which no sorrow or regret is added.
Well now...what a day of days to splash my first post on this site. Yes race fans...Valentine's Day it is. The kind of occasion I rank right up along those other noteworthy phenomena like root canals and unscratchable itches. OK...perhaps not that bad. Although some of my experiences of this day are fit for a Comedy Hall of Fame, if there is such a thing. Anyway, to whomever may be reading this, heartfelt greetings to you wherever and whenever in the world this message might find you.
True love. What exactly is that? How do we recognize it when it appears? How do we cherish and protect if once we've found it? How do we handle the disappointment of always being eluded by it? Is there such a thing as a genuine soul mate...that one person that God has destined for us to spend our lives with, before the foundations of the world were formed and laid. Or does God present us with a number of potential companions during the course of a lifetime, and permit us the freedom to choose one over another? Personally, I don't believe these statements to be mutually exclusive. The one thing I'm increasingly aware of about the Creator of the universe is His defiance of any box or neat little file we could try to categorize Him in. And His dealings with us His children are as perpetually unique as the very children that He has fashioned in His image.
Essentially, I believe that both of the scenarios previously mentioned are possible, and in some cases they are intricately entwined. Just because God has purposed for me to be with someone, it doesn't nullify or lesson the value inherent in my choosing to spend my life with them. No more than God enabling me with certain gifts and talents, and my choosing to embrace them and to pursue a calling that utilizes them. I could argue that the traits He created me with left me with little choice with regards to the course my life would take. But that completely dismisses my discernment in recognizing them, my courage in pursuing them, and my faithfulness is cultivating them. Now...a word of caution is required here I think. Just because someone was destined to be my companion does not give me the right to shake an angry fist heavenwards when the relationship falls apart. This is a error that people have often fallen into. "Lord...the woman YOU gave me led me into this...", said the man Adam. God may have ordained for two people to be together, but the responsibility to grow, protect and nurture their union is theirs, and theirs alone. If one thinks, as I do, that cases exist where two people were specifically meant for one another, there is as much requirement for commitment, loyalty, honesty, devotion and selflessness as in any other scenario...until death do them part.
It's a very intriguing and fascinating concept, predestination...whether in regards to relationships or other issues. The days of my life were all written out before I was formed in my mother's womb. That is what God's eternal word says of me. Does that mean that my gift of choice is eliminated? Does it mean that I am just some cowering mouse running inside a cosmic maze, at the mercy of an inflexible path? I think not. The maze is wide open...every interlinking corridor and passageway accessible for exploration. It's just that the infinite mind of a loving God sees my journey outside of the constraints of time and space. My choices, hopes, dreams...all laid bare before Him.
In this maze of life with it's seemingly paradoxical randomness and rigidness, my course in it is absolutely clear in the mind of God...as if there never really was any other option open to me at all. In life and love...I am like a mouse running along the paths I choose...with alternative options and avenues whizzing constantly by. I have every choice in the world available to me. My heavenly Father sees those choices as good as made. My path has always been known and fixed...in an endless maze of possibilities. This is the beautiful mystery of the mind of an adoring, hopeful, omniscient Father.
