“In all thy ways acknowledge Him…” (Proverbs 3:6a)
Did you know that’s the antidote to any fear based on circumstances that seek to inundate you? It surely is. Think about what Solomon is saying when he says “in all thy ways”. When I was a kid and my dad would admonish me to live according to this verse, I would get supremely discouraged as I felt it was a literal thing—to be actively engaged in sharing every single sensation I felt with my Heavenly Father. The thing about my dad was that he sought to live it out in that very way though. He would tell me this story of having gone back to school after Winter break. It was during that two weeks off that he met the Lord and so everything going forward had been wiped clean of the past and all was fresh and new. He tells me he has this jacket of indigo blue with red, yellow and green lines running the length of the sleeve (and, I assume the body of the jacket). He remembers looking down at his sleeve seeing individual snowflakes light on the fabric and stand out like intricate diamonds against the dark, multicolored backdrop. And now I have this story. There’s obviously something there because the story fires in my mind when I really screw down my attention to this verse and ponder its truth in light of my avalanche of circumstances. But then there’s the rest of the verse:
“…and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:6b)
The thing about the details of life is that life is made up of millions of tiny details. Details are the stuff of life. Thoughts are about the smallest thing I know, only because they would seem to be symbolic of something else: that synapse firing in your brain (another intangible) that gives rise to whatever thought is in your mind while you read this. I’m reminded of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians wherein he tells us to bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) And it would seem any and every physical detail we elect to focus on to the neglect of the greater whole (seriously, letting go of the big picture at times is a sign, an act of trust) has its own thought. Like a snowflake or a piece of glitter you notice in the carpet. A mote of dust floating through the air. Any pattern on any surface you encounter has exquisite detail if you know how to look. It isn’t even a matter of knowing where. Revel. All around you is this rich, beautiful loam of perception that you (and I) get the gift of experiencing.