Enjoy the Ride

There's a student in my class named Calvin. The professor took notice yesterday and probed as to why his parents chose that name. He responded, "They really like Calvin and Hobbs." Of course, who doesn't like Calvin and Hobbs? I think everyone loves that Calvin, but not everyone expresses that same affection towards John Calvin (the French Reformer). This post has nothing to do with whether one holds to Calvinism or Arminianism, but simply truth beyond affiliations. It's why one can read any author objectively and see truths in both because all of its God's anyway (truth that is).

I do enjoy reading John Calvin because of the rich depth and confidence in which he writes. Which is why I'm not afraid to borrow a phrase he used when speaking of Abraham's (father Abraham...the one who had many sons) obedience and faithful reliance upon God's word. The phrase is verbum nudum. It's Latin for the "naked word of God". It's this understanding of God's word that moves beyond our feelings and beyond our understanding. I think we often get caught up in our feelings that we confuse them for what's reality. I can't go a day without wondering, "How do I feel about this? I'm not feeling up to it. I have a weird feeling." Or, "This doesn't feel right." It's ingrained into our language and there's no shaking it. But I believe that verbum nudum supersedes feeling. Not only that but I think it goes beyond what's visible, tangible and visceral.

I notice with almost every area of my life where my faith is tested, I resemble a pathetic individual groping around in the dark trying to see, hear, smell, touch, and taste anything that would give me assurance or security in my faith. But all Abraham had was verbum nudum. He didn't know any details. He just knew what God had said. That's it!

I remember as a kid driving somewhere (I was a young driver, jk)............anywhere really, and always wanting to know if we arrived at our destination. We could be going to grandma's, to the store, to school, and the unending chant would begin, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" As a father, I'm already dreading that day. It didn't take long for one of my parental units to make threats on our lives and say things like, "Don't make me pull this car over!" Or, "When we get home you're gonna get it!" Sometimes, I believe just for the fun of it my parents, without warning, would yank the car to the side of the road in a very threatening manner just to instill panic and fear (I'm pretty sure I need counseling for this). I'm sure my mother would disagree with me today, but I'm positive this is how it went down.

Needless to say, children have a completely different perspective than that of their parents when it comes to their destination including the ride there. I could never see what my parents saw because I was a child. I could never enjoy the soothing background music, the artistic scenery, the beauty of my wife, or the rich conversation during the ride because I was simply too childish to even notice.

What a picture for me in my own life! It occurred to me that this may be exactly what God is communicating to me. He's the Father in the car and I'm the childish son who wants to know, "Where are we going? Are we there yet? Tell me, show me, let me see!" All the while God is telling me, "Can't you just be quiet and enjoy the ride? I'm doing good things in your life. Stop worrying and just enjoy the ride. Enjoy Me!" What I'm realizing today is that in reality......He's the destination. And if we're with Him, well...then....we're already there. We just need to enjoy Him. That's exactly what I haven't been doing lately. I've been so focused on some distant place waiting for some future destination to be happy when He's saying to me, "I'm already here....right here in front of you. The thing you seek is Me."

Being exposed to the naked word of God has not only exposed my immaturity, but it's exposed my heart. It reminds me how fleeting my feelings can be and how unfailing God's is. I simply need to enjoy Him. That's my goal. Maybe then I'll finally enjoy the ride.