It’s not like it is unique, but I live in a fairly extreme tension every day.

I have the most amazing wife and marriage.  Just last night we had a date night where we got a babysitter, took a walk by the river, had an amazing dinner at a slightly too expensive restaurant, then went to a second Sunday church service and worshiped Jesus for over 2 hours.  Who else could I build a life like this?  No one …this is obviously God’s plan for my life, I am walking in stream of blessing, every day is better than the one before.  …aaaaand… 

there is only one other woman on this Earth that I love as deeply as Whit …my daughter …whooooo wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t married and divorced before I ever met my God’s best.  What was His plan?  

Was I in His plan the WHOLE time?  

Did He mean for me to divorce?  

If not - how would I get Paige?  

You get the idea - the logic is fuzzy.  

Even as you read that, you may have an urge to email an idea that will simplify the tension at the foundation of my life - and I want to tell you that while I appreciate your heart, I have no interest in your easy answer.  It bores me.  I choose the tension because it leads me to the only one strong enough to hang out in there with me.

We love easy answers. They give us comfort, control, and a sense of security. In a world full of complexity, it's tempting to cling to extremes because they offer us clarity. But let's be real -  Life isn’t simple, and God doesn’t fit in some simple box.

But they miss the tension of real life—the fact that sometimes God does intervene miraculously, and sometimes He doesn’t.

Take miracles, for example. One extreme says, “God doesn’t do miracles anymore.” - or at least not because of any sort of human request.  This view can feel safe because it explains why bad things happen—if God isn't intervening, then the world just runs its course. On the other hand, some say, “God always does miracles!” This can be comforting too, because it implies that if we just pray hard enough or have enough faith, God will always show up in the way we want.

Both of these are easy answers. But they miss the tension of real life—the fact that sometimes God does intervene miraculously, and sometimes He doesn’t. Why is that? We don’t know. And that discomfort pushes us toward something deeper than our beloved easy answers: it pushes us toward relationship …and real relationships are MESSY

This tension shows up in many areas of our faith:

• Are we supposed to sit back and let our sovereign God do whatever He's going to do, or do we have an assignment in bringing His kingdom to Earth
• Should we only be seeking God's will, or do our desires have a place in our connection with Him - do we follow Moses' lead and suggest a different plan??
• Is the Bible the only way we can know what's on God's heart, or does He still communicate with us today?
• Is there some sequence of actions, prayers, repentance, lifestyle, and sacrament that marks a person for Christ …or was Jesus being real when he told the thief that they’d be together in paradise later that day?

There is an attractive safety in the extremes—an illusion of certainty that shields us from the confusion of life's complexities. Yet, the tension between these opposing beliefs is not a flaw to be corrected, it is a space, intentionally designed, for us to inhabit. This discomfort is not incidental; it is formative. 

He’s not asking us to solve the mysteries of the universe. He’s asking us to trust Him in the middle of them.

The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter, not because life with God is inherently comfortable, but because engaging authentically with Him guarantees discomfort. If we construct our faith around the pursuit of safety and predictability, we insulate ourselves from needing the Comforter at all. We forfeit the depth and authenticity of a relationship that thrives in vulnerability, uncertainty, and trust. It is specifically IN this tension that we are set up to encounter the transformative presence of God.

It’s not a massive revelation - from the very beginning, God showed us His heart. After creating the world, He didn’t immediately hand out tasks or demand worship—He hung out with His creation. He chose to walk in the garden with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening. Not to check on their progress. Not to assign duties. Just to be with them.

That’s the point. Connection. Relationship. Not mastering theology or figuring out how to get God to perform miracles on command. Just being with Him.

Living in the tension—accepting that we won’t always have easy answers—is uncomfortable. Honestly, it feels impossible in our own strength. But that discomfort invites us into deeper conversation with Jesus. He’s not asking us to solve the mysteries of the universe. He’s asking us to trust Him in the middle of them.

So the next time you find yourself craving an easy answer, pause. Ask yourself if you're trying to feel safe or if you're being invited into deeper trust. Maybe the tension you feel isn’t something to escape but rather an invitation to a more authentic relationship with Jesus

Reflection Questions:

1. Where in your life are you clinging to an easy answer instead of leaning into tension and trusting God?
2. How does the idea of God simply wanting to be with you—without expecting anything—challenge or comfort you?
3. What would it look like for you to invite Jesus into the areas of your life where you feel most uncomfortable or uncertain?

BONUS POINTS:  In the areas of life where you feel the most challenged, you are the most anxious, and you do the most complaining - consider repenting for not trusting His Lordship and trusting yours instead.  Then recommit to choosing Him as not only your savior, but also your LORD.

Look …the bonus points points are SUPPOSED to be a little painful.