Clarity When There Is None
Can you imagine if all the water in the world had complete clarity?
Think about what all might be avoided..
There would probably be a lot less sickness.
A lot less accidents.
I probably wouldn’t have gotten stung by that jelly fish.. or stepped on those barnacles.
None of us would freak out when that sea weed touches our leg.. (Yikes).
If water is completely transparent, a lot of our worries go away. We are able to see what’s in it and what’s coming.
Nothing can hide.
Clear water immediately gives us a sense of safety and security.
It is clean.
It is pure.
It is beautiful.
It is good.
This is why the most sought after beaches and lakes have crystal clear water.
We become calm, cool, and collected when we we are able to see beneath the surface.
Clarity puts us at ease.
But the opposite is also true..
We become anxious, worried, and fearful when things lack clarity because they are murky and hard to see through.
A lack of clarity puts us on edge.
Think about it:
Maybe your boss hasn't been clear with his or her expectations, so you live in constant fear of doing something wrong that might cause you to lose your job.
Maybe you are dating someone, but they aren't being direct and honest with you, so you are constantly anxious about a potential break up.
OR MAYBE you're just not feeling well and you decide to look up the symptoms on Web MD, but it isn’t immediately clear, so your mind goes to the worst case scenarios and you live with a fear of what is .. most certain death.
We’ve all been there.
Whether it’s something as simple as water or something as complex as health, we can agree that with added clarity comes peace of mind.
So the question becomes: What do we do when things aren’t all that clear?
I think there are three things we can all begin doing right now:
Communicate - Communication is key. The more we talk about it and get issues out in the open, the better. Even if it’s a little uncomfortable, choose to be direct and upfront. Communication has a knack for clearing things up quickly. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions and bring others in. I know it’s hard to not just want to sit on it and think through every possible scenario in your head, but I’ve learned from personal experience that oftentimes, as soon as I get it out in the open and ask questions, answers become clear.
Trust - Trust that ultimately God has everything under control. Pray for clarity, but acknowledge that God’s plans are far better than anything you can come up with on your own. Believe that if he needed you to have all the information, you would have it. Know that the God of the universe will never forsake you.
Be patient - You don’t run when you’re heading into murky water; you walk. Do the same in life when it feels like you need more clarity. Go slow. Take it one step at a time. Don’t make any rash decisions. Sometimes a little more patience would do us all some good.
These things, if you’ll do them, may not fix everything, but I believe they will help you take a step in the right direction.
My hope is that they clear things up for you because with a little more clarity, we can all be at ease.