Life's Mysteries

Life is a mystery.

Have you ever opened a box of Cracker Jacks and wished so badly that they would have placed the prize at the surface? What a pain it is to have to dig through all of the content {{while getting your hands sticky in the meantime}} in order to reach the prize. It's like the stuffed animal vending machine. How many attempts does it take for it to no longer slip through what you thought was a good grip? There's nothing worse than feeling like you've missed the mark. Oh how frustrated we become when we feel that the mark is so far out of reach and the prize will never be surfaced.

Life is a mystery.

Like a little child anxiously awaiting the arrival of the day when the pine-scented room filled with wrapped up boxes, with gold bows that sat in utter stillness for a month could finally be unleashed and exposed. I feel like a little kid at Christmas time saying, "Jesus, when can I finally open the present? Why does it have to remain a mystery for so long?" I'm so tired of shaking the box wondering what's inside. But I know if I try to peek, then the mystery is no longer extant and soon becomes a dream awakened too soon, a vision not fully birthed, or a caterpillar escaping its cocoon far too early. Soon enough the anxious child then hears her father say, "My child be patient; wait just a little while longer. I desire to give you gifts you've never dreamed of. I possess surprises for you beyond your imagination. But if you try to guess, then you ruin the mystery of all that I've been working on. Just wait; you're going to love it!"

Life is a mystery that at times frustrates me to my core. But if the prize was surfaced, then all of the content that the box entails would be instantaneously forgotten. The content is what makes the prize that much more exciting. The anticipation makes all of the digging and searching a vital process that then makes the gift later revealed a much more precious treasure. Life is a mystery that I dare not try to figure out. I just keep on digging and plugging away. One day that prize will be worth the content I endured.

I love the mystery of life.