Hello and welcome back to the blog my love!
Thank you for popping by on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. I hope you are doing well, I hope your family is safe, and I hope you know you are appreciated.
I was reminded recently, by my own Instagram bio in fact, that I am to be writing blogs every single Sunday and Wednesday. I am sure you are aware that I have NOT been keeping to that ambitious schedule, and I am quite ashamed of my own failings. However, instead of removing that statement of intent from my IG bio, I have decided to pony up and be a woman of my word, so alas, here we are: back in the written word and enjoying one another's company through our digital screens.
I truly want to thank you for being here my friend, as there are MANY far superior blogs and works of literature that you could be indulging in at this moment. Your vote of confidence and interest in my thought-palace does not go unnoticed nor unappreciated; in fact, it is by your ongoing support that I have been drawn back to the sweet routine of settling in with my laptop while the Sunday sunshine peeks through my windows, and for that, I thank you.
Now, for today's post, we are returning to our heart and soul themed Sunday Series with a thought exercise regarding the fragility of humanity. This is of course, too dense a subject to sort through in a mere 5 minute blog post, but nevertheless, we shall be exploring the outskirts of this topic with much enthusiasm! Enjoy!
As I have adjusted to the new world "normal," I feel that I am returning to my typical posture of reflection. My thoughts seem to have transferred from frazzled anxiety over when I will possibly be able to get my hands on a container of my favorite Greek yogurt to a deeper contemplation on the philosophical nature of this pandemic. And what I keep returning to is the shocking reality of our fragile society.
In a span of a few short weeks, public sectors we once took for granted have been revealed to be glaringly delicate and susceptible to destruction. We are seeing the affects of this pandemic spread out across our country AND the world to such a shocking degree that one can only sit back in astonishment. Within a matter of DAYS, rather than weeks, public education has been made obsolete, careers have been labeled "essential" or "non-essential," and civil unrest seems inevitable. It's laughable that only a few months back, our greatest national crises revolved around pronouns and digging up celebrity Twitter histories.
Honestly, I feel slightly embarrassed to be so shocked by this reality, as I have been rightly reminded many times throughout scripture that man makes his plans but the Lord defines them, and that we are but withering grass, here one day and gone the next. Scripture has reminded me, since infancy, both of my great value in the Lord's eyes but also my great fragility and insignificance.
It might sound strange, but this reminder, of my deep fragility, has actually brought me more peace than distress.
The reflection upon my fragility, be it the fragility of my finances, my health, or my daily comforts, is soothing in the way that being reminded of a grave truth or something unchangeable about the world offers a sense of bleak solace. It might be disheartening or saddening, but the truth will always be more comforting than a reality carved out of well-meaning deceit.
And why is this? Why is a grave truth more comforting than a happy lie? Why do we find comfort in being reminded of the depressing unchanging realities we must all face?
I think we find comfort in these sad truths because the acceptance of the truth allows us to prepare for the incoming reality.
The acceptance of truth, be it sad or happy, allows us to prepare for the future, thereby offering a sense of security and comfort that living in a fabricated existence never could.
I would rather accept a sad truth than live in a state of feigned ignorance to the reality behind the happy performance. Maybe it is the unidealistic pragmatic within me, but I would always rather know the truth than be fed a comforting lie. For, it is only in truth that we can find lasting comfort. An acceptance and understanding of the state of reality enables us to plan, prepare, and seek REAL comfort applicable to our circumstances.
This belief is why I encourage ALL people to reflect upon their mortality and the reality that we live in a broken world. Meditating on our mortality allows us to comprehend the inevitable future that awaits all humans, and therefore PREPARE for such dark occurrences in our lives. It does us no good to believe that we are immune to pain, darkness, death, or loss! While we will never be able to predict the misfortunes that may visit us in life, it is a far superior posture to be prepared for such occurrences rather than to find ourselves astonished at our own fragility.
Grave truths will always be more comforting than happy lies, fabricated realities, or false words said to comfort.
So much of our modern world is built upon fabricated words intended to create a false reality for the benefit of the listener. And the sad truth is that these false realities will never provide the amount of comfort that the truth will.
And the truth is that we are fragile; humans are not infallible. We will all one day face the dark fate of death, and before then, many trials and tribulations. The truth is that life is not perfect and we will all face hardships. Even the most glamorous subjects of online admiration have endured or WILL endure some disturbing or difficult circumstances in their lives. I know I have, and I know you have.
The world is a broken place operating at the fingertips of broken people.
The true comforts in this world will never be the fabrications falling from the lips of politicians, celebrities, motivational speakers, or even bloggers like me! No amount of manifestations, laws of attraction, or meditative yoga retreats will ever allow us to escape the reality that humans are broken, our bodies are susceptible to failure, and our world is inevitably headed towards expiration.
True and lasting comfort will never be found in anything worldly. Rather, we must turn to Christ if we desire to have any semblance of spiritual, emotional, or mental peace while we remain on this earth.
This true peace can be found in Christ and in the promise of eternal life, an open gift, available to EVERY PERSON. A gift given in exchange for our our repentance of sins, acceptance of God's grace, and commitment to living a life in obedience to the Word of God to the best of our ability, offering ourselves over to the Sanctification of the Holy Spirit, washing us clean from the disturbing sins in our lives and of this world.
This gift, though it does not offer us a pain-free life, is absolutely the key to eternal life spent in the utmost joy and comfort, as it will be spent with the Almighty God himself.
So, as I reflect upon the fragility of our society, and even the fragility of my own body, I have decided that if there was only one more thing I could EVER write to you all, it would be that God's grace is a free gift, available to all of us, and that I know where I am going when my life inevitably expires. I will meet my Maker and be welcomed into His arms forever. And truly, I hope to see you there.
xoxo,
Cait