Jim, Did You Find It?

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We all face mountains in life from time to time. Each of us will experience threats, life-challenges! A standard and valid question is, 'Did you grow from it?' Does there remain tangible evidence of growth? A deeper exploration of this question brought me to the realization that my perception of "growth" is not nearly as important as God's perspective. What question would God ask? What answer is He most seeking as He walks me thru life's trials? What does He most want to see from me during these seasons?

Is God's question for me going to be, "Jim, did you speak to every challenging mountain, casting each into the sea? Did you smooth-out every obstacle and did your faith take charge, eliminating and conquering every barrier?"

Is He going to ask about my battle scars and war wounds and comment on all I have been through? "Well done, Jim. You are an amazing example of survival and endurance!"

I am realizing this is not an exercise to gauge the power of my faith-commands, nor is it an effort to determine how much stress and strain I'm capable of enduring. Father's "final grade" for me will be dictated neither by how much I commanded the situation nor by how much I was able to put up with. His overriding question will be, "Jim, did you find it? Did you find the table I prepared in the midst of your 'enemy,' your challenge, your wilderness? Amidst the problem, how much time did you 'log' truly in my presence? Did you ever locate the Presence in the midst of the pressure?"

Uh, it's been kinda hard to get there, Father. It's a little intense, down here...

Jim, how much time did you spend trying? ...I mean really trying?

The point of this discussion: In the midst of the pressure of the problem, is the Presence still the prize? Selah \o/