Depth. Depth Happens.

| April 21st, 2014 Journal |

My question remains; why and how come? If He knew all the misery that would come to be-why even bother creating the world? Is it because He also knows the glory?

It goes like this. You have a child whom you love very, very much. Enough to die for. This child is destined for something so great and unimaginable it can barely be contained in the mind. But because of the laws of the natural world-namely sin and death- your child must go through hardships now to obtain this great life. You-being the parent-can see the pay off and know it will be worth it so you allow the struggles, temptations, and hardships. You remove them from their bubble of innocence and ignorance and allow them to walk the thorny path. Close to them you remain- ever so close for leaving them would be a greater pain. When they stumble and fall, you are there to tend their wounds and pick them up-never stepping over the line to deter the pain so much so that the glory at the end will be tainted.When they cry- you cry. When they scream out in anger-of course you listen. When they turn back, you turn them around for you know that these sufferings are only temporary and the glory to come will be worth all the pain.

When sin entered the world- God's palette of chosen colors drastically changed. What was once void of anything dark now became tainted by the stains of black. Rather than paint with pastels and vibrant true colors-shades of black and gray were dumped into the mix. Surely a disaster to destroy such pure pigments of color...but not when you're an artist-the Artist none the less. Not that humanity before sin was by any means dull or void of depth and meaning, on the contrary- a true pigment of color cannot be compared to a blend of shades and hues. But now there is darkness in the color and perfection is lost to it's overbearing tone.

Tell me-what happens when you add darkness to light?

Depth. Depth happens. Contrast. Dare I say, a picture can often be made more beautiful when shadows are introduced. It becomes so realistic and rich. 

I often wonder why-how-could God allow this darkness to taint His perfect palette. Why even begin painting? He saw and still sees the big picture. He knows the depth it has and the magnificent story it creates. 

For a God so holy and so perfect to willingly create a world in which He knows darkness will invade-His bright, beautiful, and perfect creation tainted- for Him to still create and begin painting, surely the darkness has a purpose.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained."
[ Philippians 3:12-16]