THE FINITE VS THE INFINITE

It is estimated that a person who lives to age 80 will take 672,768,000 breaths in their lifetime.

It’s interesting isn’t it that life can be measured that way. We all have a moment in time when we take that first breath and we all have a moment in time when we breathe our last. In between those two breaths stands the measure of our finite lives.

Yet, our Father charges us ever so gently to measure our lives in terms of His infinite provision, love and life. (John 3:16) Grasping that concept allows the traumatic setbacks of our human experience to find its rightful place within us. The loss of a home, a spouse, even a child devastate us for a time but cannot dominate our lives. We move on with the knowledge that we long for a city whose builder and maker is God! (Heb 11:10).

Activity consumes most of our lives. Making a living, making a life, children, spouses, yard work, house work, laundry, dishes, recreation and on and on leave very little time for us to ponder our finite existence. We tend to leave that to philosophers and people with degrees who obviously (for whatever reason) do have time not only to think about it but to sit down and write thesis papers and reports on what it means for life to have an end.

Even if Christian scientist correctly deduce that the earth is only 10,000 years old, our paltry 80, 90, or 100 years make up only a miniscule percentage of the whole. Our lives fade like vapors (James 4:14) on the winds of time. Yet, think of all we experience in that short lived life. Immeasurable joy, disturbing disappointment, debilitating emotional distress, gigantic obstacles, undeniable defeat, unbridled love, unfettered passion, laziness, moments of highly productive activity, times of spinning our wheels – the list of our commonness could go on and on.

However, in that commonness, our reactions and responses make our lives uniquely our own. How rich and lively or boring and inconsequential our life depends on our responses and reactions to the stimuli that come our way.

For instance, my friend, whom I recently helped fight a bogus foreclosure attempt by an unscrupulous bank and unethical attorneys lost his battle. You need to understand. The proof from beginning to end pointed to the false and forged documentation. The bank admitted not having the Note nor being the Holder in Due Course of the Note.

Yet, in the face of all the evidence, the judge took up the battle for the bank and proved unwilling to hear any argument that left my friend with (what the judge called) a ‘free’ home! The battle took place for nearly a year with my friend’s motions being denied and facing an unsympathetic judge who seemed agitated that my friend would even dare to raise his issues.

In the end, my friend lost his home. Which brings me to my point. With his credit shot and his home lost, my friend found a new place to live and determined to start over. He’s not blaming God, holding a grudge or giving up. He knows his reaction determines his future. He determines to press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. He laid hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him.

He chooses not to bathe in bitterness or sink ever so slowly into disappointment until the very breath of his life leaves him too early without leaving his presence felt on earth. He focuses on what’s positive in his life and builds around those hitching points.

I know I’m taking my liberty and this is a bit crass. But, the following humorous story sums up my point pretty well: An old cowboy walks in to the barber’s shop and tells the barber he hasn’t had a close shave in a long long time. “What’s the problem?” the Barber ask. “Well” the cowboy says, “I have all these wrinkles on my face from age and being out in the weather all my life. I can’t get down in the lines to cut the hair.” “No problem,” the Barber says, “Just place this ball in your mouth and push it against your cheek as I shave over that area.” The cowboy does as the Barber instructs him, gets out of the chair, rubs his face and says “That’s the closest shave I’ve had in years! Just one question though.” “What’s that.” the Barber wanted to know. “Well,” the cowboy says, “what would have happened if I swallowed that ball?” “Oh,” says the Barber, “that’s not a problem. You can just bring it back in a couple of days like everyone else.”

It’s gross to think about but the Barber makes a good point! What seems to be a real issue to us often turns into nothing more than a minor inconvenience when we think of it in a different way. Nothing makes sense outside the hope of a wise God who watches us struggle and judges our reaction or response. He watches to see how we fair. Of course, He’s willing to intervene when He’s given the opportunity. Often, though, He holds off His powerful assistance to allow us the ability to grow and expand our understanding.

Of course, we make mistakes that hurt us (sometimes very badly). But we also learn to move on in the face of horrendous opposition and great loss. We repent when necessary. We cry when necessary and we determine from there to take one step – then another – then another until our steps, once again, come as natural as breathing. Those among us unwilling to sum up the energy and determination to keep forcefully moving forward one step at the time, will, in the end, remain stagnant, unproductive and hopeless. Our Heavenly Father will sustain us there but He cannot bless us. We must decide to trust, obey and continue by faith. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours. Often we cannot grasp His reasons for what He allows in our lives, our family, our nation.

He never seeks our approval. He desires that we trust and believe in Him – even to our very last breath. Our happiness depends on our ability to rest in His will even if it leads us in a direction that brings temporary pain and regret. He promises that, though we weep for a night our joy, will come in the morning. (Ps. 30:5). Those who endure in this way find real life – infinite existence. (Rom. 2:7)

As Americans, we face very real issues. Our godly heritage, biblical foundations and our very way of life seems consistently threatened by invisible unnamed entities. A dark cloud of impending despotism grows every wider over this nation. No American escapes it. In our futures, we must find hope in God’s infinite attributes. He assures us that nothing removes us from His hand. The price He paid for our redemption demonstrates His great love toward us. Let us, likewise, demonstrate our great faith in His ability and stand strong in the face of America’s destruction.

N Victor Reus