A Floating Life

Are we going with the flow?

This is a pretty common analogy. Life as a stream. We, like the leaf, going wherever the flow takes us. This morning I was feeling thankful for being saved out of a life of futility and drifting powerlessness, and it occurred to me that most people probably don't realize just how totally out of control their lives are - without Jesus. I never did. There are the vagaries of weather, the stock and financial markets, the quirks of disease and genetics, biased professors and teachers, peer pressure, media propaganda, subliminal advertising, and in your face marketing. Even the planets, and the moon phases may have an influence, all aside from Satanic input and, of course, God's various attempts (and he may use any of the above) to get the attention of straying, disobedient humans.

There is what is called "chaos theory." In the past scientists thought the universe could be explained by various laws. The closer they looked, it began to seem more like chaos. Now, as they look even closer at "chaos" there appears to be a sort of order once again, and not only that, but purpose:

All chaotic systems seem to have an unusual sensitivity to initial conditions. They are systems in which seemingly inconsequential changes turn into major differences in outcome. Scientists have found evidence of ‘chaos’ in astronomy, epidemiology, meteorology, air turbulence, the stock market, and the human body. It is in the study of the human body that some scientists are beginning to realize just how important chaos is. Ary Goldberger of Harvard Medical School believes he has discovered not only that the rhythm of the human heart is chaotic, but that chaos in the heart is necessary. When he compared the variations in the heartbeats of a healthy person to those of one suffering from heart disease, the healthy heartbeat was actually the more chaotic.

This has opened some scientists’ eyes to the possibility that chaotic behavior may not be an abnormality, but a characteristic essential to the design of some systems.

Christopher Lampton, Science of Chaos: Complexity in the Natural World

Surprise is a given. And, aren't we glad that God is in control.

"For he guards the lives of his faithful ones, and delivers them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 97:10b

Thank you, Lord, for you lifted me up from

darkness

death

despair

and into your marvelous
light

love and

life everlasting.