11 min
”Flecks of Gold on a Path of Stone - Simple Truth’s for Life’s Complex Journey” - Part One Life Talk with Craig Lounsbrough
-
- Christianity
"Flecks of Gold on a Path of Stone - Simple Truth's for Life's Complex Journey" - Part One
We yearn for security. There is an inherent need deep within the fiber of our being that desires to be able to lean on and lean into the things around us, knowing with steeled assuredness that they will hold us firm and steady. We want life to be safe because we have a passion to engage life. And to engage life out to its furthest edges, we must of necessity step out of ourselves and into that which is around us. We have to step up, step off and step out. Any real journey is of necessity a journey beyond ourselves. A robust journey unapologetically takes us outside of all that we are able to keep safe, into that which we cannot. To do that, we by nature need some degree of safety in the endeavor.
Not only do we naturally yearn to lean out into life, life at many junctures demands it, and a real journey is not possible without it. Life frequently arrays itself before us in a manner that forces us to trust; to moderate or marginalize caution and to step out onto ground or relationships or circumstances that have not entirely convinced us of their certainty or safety. Sometimes we have to step out into things that are not of themselves safe at all.
Yet, if we are to journey, we must step out into these things. Likewise, if we want to embrace everything there is to embrace, we must step out into and onto all of these things for most of them do not necessarily come to us. We must of necessity go to them; extending not only the effort stepping out, but taking the entire initiative of seeking them out as they move either largely hidden or complete obscure. Life most often calls us outward. It beckons with grand and rich invitations that hold out the promise of growth and great adventure. But it does not always come to us with those invitations. We most often must go to it. The hard evidence of our passion for the journey is illustrated in our willingness to chase it however elusive it might be.
The Risk in it All
Life however is terribly imperfect. It seems that there was some grand design that granted us tremendous ability and then graced life with tremendous opportunity. There seems to be shadows of some great correlation where we were equipped to do great things and then life laid out great resources and ample space within which to do those things. The chemistry of it all made life something potentially grand.
Somewhere the whole marvelous arrangement seemed to have gotten marred. Somehow it was apparently damaged. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), which is the ultimate loss of the ultimate gift. The original intention of grand opportunities remains, but it now has to overcome obstacles, barriers, and various difficulties. Life demands that we battle disappointments, cruel turns, unexpected twists and surreal pain. Life remains for the taking, but it now comes with risk; sometimes great risk.
Betrayal as Part of the Risk
Into all of this comes betrayal. Betrayal is a cruel reversal. It takes the trust entrusted and uses it for purposes contrary to trust’s intent. Trust is a powerful thing. It willingly bequeaths both power and vulnerability when it extends itself to another or to life. Without trust, the greatest things in life are simply not achievable. Trust pushes out the boundaries. It allows us to extend ourselves out into places we would not otherwise venture. Whether that trust is vested in the destination itself, who we’re journeying with, who we’re journeying for, or whether that trust is vested in ourselves, it must be present. Trust is the prerequisite to risk and without risk little can be accomplished.
Betrayal takes trust and cruelly uses it to the advantage or purpose of the one initiating the betrayal. The agenda is most often self-centered. It’s about using trust to achieve an agenda that trust was not extended to achiev
"Flecks of Gold on a Path of Stone - Simple Truth's for Life's Complex Journey" - Part One
We yearn for security. There is an inherent need deep within the fiber of our being that desires to be able to lean on and lean into the things around us, knowing with steeled assuredness that they will hold us firm and steady. We want life to be safe because we have a passion to engage life. And to engage life out to its furthest edges, we must of necessity step out of ourselves and into that which is around us. We have to step up, step off and step out. Any real journey is of necessity a journey beyond ourselves. A robust journey unapologetically takes us outside of all that we are able to keep safe, into that which we cannot. To do that, we by nature need some degree of safety in the endeavor.
Not only do we naturally yearn to lean out into life, life at many junctures demands it, and a real journey is not possible without it. Life frequently arrays itself before us in a manner that forces us to trust; to moderate or marginalize caution and to step out onto ground or relationships or circumstances that have not entirely convinced us of their certainty or safety. Sometimes we have to step out into things that are not of themselves safe at all.
Yet, if we are to journey, we must step out into these things. Likewise, if we want to embrace everything there is to embrace, we must step out into and onto all of these things for most of them do not necessarily come to us. We must of necessity go to them; extending not only the effort stepping out, but taking the entire initiative of seeking them out as they move either largely hidden or complete obscure. Life most often calls us outward. It beckons with grand and rich invitations that hold out the promise of growth and great adventure. But it does not always come to us with those invitations. We most often must go to it. The hard evidence of our passion for the journey is illustrated in our willingness to chase it however elusive it might be.
The Risk in it All
Life however is terribly imperfect. It seems that there was some grand design that granted us tremendous ability and then graced life with tremendous opportunity. There seems to be shadows of some great correlation where we were equipped to do great things and then life laid out great resources and ample space within which to do those things. The chemistry of it all made life something potentially grand.
Somewhere the whole marvelous arrangement seemed to have gotten marred. Somehow it was apparently damaged. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), which is the ultimate loss of the ultimate gift. The original intention of grand opportunities remains, but it now has to overcome obstacles, barriers, and various difficulties. Life demands that we battle disappointments, cruel turns, unexpected twists and surreal pain. Life remains for the taking, but it now comes with risk; sometimes great risk.
Betrayal as Part of the Risk
Into all of this comes betrayal. Betrayal is a cruel reversal. It takes the trust entrusted and uses it for purposes contrary to trust’s intent. Trust is a powerful thing. It willingly bequeaths both power and vulnerability when it extends itself to another or to life. Without trust, the greatest things in life are simply not achievable. Trust pushes out the boundaries. It allows us to extend ourselves out into places we would not otherwise venture. Whether that trust is vested in the destination itself, who we’re journeying with, who we’re journeying for, or whether that trust is vested in ourselves, it must be present. Trust is the prerequisite to risk and without risk little can be accomplished.
Betrayal takes trust and cruelly uses it to the advantage or purpose of the one initiating the betrayal. The agenda is most often self-centered. It’s about using trust to achieve an agenda that trust was not extended to achiev
11 min