April 21, 2025 Embracing the Not Knowing
Monday, April 21, 2025
Embracing the Not Knowing
By faith Abraham,
when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,
obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Hebrews 11:8, NIV
As Jerry buffed the lenses on my new glasses and manipulated the nosepieces to ensure a snug fit, our conversation drifted to his upcoming retirement. For years—who knows how many—he had cut lenses, straightened bent frames, and rescued earpieces from the brink of destruction. Now, he stood on the edge of something new.
“So, what’s next?” I asked, expecting a well-laid plan of activities.
Jerry shrugged, a slow, easy grin spreading across his face. “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.”
Me, I didn’t retire until I did figure it out—perhaps not every detail, but enough to feel secure in the next step. Moving forward without knowing the destination? That had never been my style. Jerry’s response to the future was what I lovingly call one of my “developmental opportunities.”
For years, my training in Quality Management drilled into me the importance of setting a goal, anticipating obstacles, identifying potential failure points, and crafting contingency plans. And yet, despite the best preparation, the unexpected always had a way of barreling onto the path, scattering my careful plans like pollen in the wind.
But where’s the adventure in certainty?
The longer I live, the more I become comfortable with “not knowing.” To plan to the extent that I can. But, to trust the evolving. To embrace the mystery. To surrender to wherever the trail of days leads.
Maybe faith looks less like a five-year plan and more like stepping into the unknown, trusting that when we arrive, we will find ourselves exactly where we are meant to be in God’s unfolding story.
Reflect: In what areas of your life is God inviting you to trust Him without having all the answers? How can you practice embracing the journey rather than just focusing on the destination?
Pray: Lord, You see the path before me, even when I cannot. Help me to trust You more, to step forward in faith even when the way is unclear. Give me peace to walk in the uncertainty as the trail appears and to find joy in the journey. Remind me that wherever I am, You are already there. Amen.
By His Grace,
Gloria Ashby
Lay Leader