Lent Day 25 - Positively Powerless

People of addiction, who are serious about not being addicted, come face to face with the reality of their powerlessness. Despite all efforts, promises, prayers and tricks people who struggle with addiction know that eventually, the addiction wins. This is a terrifying and heartbreaking reality. The powerlessness they come up against is a painfully negative force that is threatening to everything that is near and dear, including life itself. Yet, by the admission of powerlessness, the addicted person can begin journey to draw on strength outside of themselves and eventually discover a new strength inside of themselves. This is truly a spiritual and mysterious process.

Today, as I drove through the back canyons of Malibu, venturing from Thousands Oaks to the ocean, I was surrounded by breathtaking beauty and stunning views. The rain this winter has ignited the hills with blazing green fire. The temperature was set to heaven's thermostat, 75 degrees. The sun was defiantly arrogant in its brightness, refusing to be anything less than brilliant. As we wound our way through the motion sick road we came upon the first glimpse of the Pacific. There it was in all it's splendor. It is constantly there, constantly moving, constantly alive and overwhelmingly majestic. Today I was keenly aware of my powerlessness. I was powerless against all the life and beauty around me. All of God's "it is good"ness in creation was going to happen whether I liked it or not. The inherent goodness of creation was marching on, as it has since the beginning of time, and I am totally and positively powerless to stop it. So, today I decided I would join in. I chose to be a part of the grandeur of God's overwhelmingly good creation. I chose to take it in and be humbled, awestruck and baffled by the beauty of it all.

God, who created all of this goodness, is still creating and moving regardless of how powerless I feel against struggles and difficulties. I am also realizing that I am powerless against all His love and goodness. He declared to the Israelites, while they were a powerless and homeless people (in exile without a country to call their own), "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." (Isaiah 40:28-29, NIV)

There are plenty of painful experiences and happenings in life that I am powerless against. They get a lot of attention. Today I realized that there a plenty of incredibly amazing experiences and happenings I am also powerless against. Today, I am choosing to give attention to the incredibly amazing. I will chose to be positively powerless. I will allow the goodness I am powerless against to give me strength. I will choose to draw power from all the "glory" around me.