Managing the Unknown

This past weekend at mass, Fr. Steve talked about how the Ascension, graduation, and all sorts of moving forward moments happening this time of year are exciting events. But in that excitement also lays much unknown because one can’t always see clearly what’s next.

That leaves us feeling uncomfortable, especially because in so many ways we live very comfortable lives– indoors we are often climate controlled, we can take medications to ease pain, and eat a variety of foods to satisfy our hunger.

When we want to move forward, we get excited, happy, and hopeful until we realize we aren’t sure what it looks like once we cross that graduation stage or take those next steps to the goal we so excitedly set.

In this photo, I can see the ocean in front of me, the ocean I’m walking toward, the footsteps of the path I’ve left behind. And yet do I really know what that ocean holds? On that particular day it was fairly mellow, not flat, but low key. Other days the waves crash much harder, louder and can tumble a person around.

Sometimes it’s hard to manage not knowing where the next steps will take us. Yet we don’t want to give up on the possibility of what the next steps will bring us. That’s the beauty of life– allowing ourselves to sit with that unknown. We can choose to be stagnate and miss out. Or we can choose to risk being uncomfortable for greater joy and accomplishment. And meaning.