Kim's County Line: The Evidence of Things Not Seen

Sometimes, I motor across the gravel road bridge on the Zenith Road without a thought. I'm hurrying to pick up Randy or deliver a meal to the field. My mind - and the car - are on auto pilot.

But there are other days when the beauty of the moment literally stops me in my tracks. Recently, a scene caught my eye as I drove over the bridge, and I literally backed up for another look. The blue sky dotted with fluffy cottonball puffs of white was reflected in the blue water of Peace Creek.

I got out of the air-conditioned comfort of the car and stood - first looking east and into the pasture we rent and the water that gives sustenance to a small group of cows and calves this summer.

Then, I turned and crossed the road for the view to the west, just beyond where the creek tunnels under the road from a neighbor's pasture onto our side. On a day when the Kansas wind had taken a summer vacation, the top of the water's surface was disturbed only minimally with the gentle movement of a lazy creek.

But, all of a sudden, I heard a "plop" on the other side and hurried over to see what creature had added its own form of percussion to the lilting song of birds in the trees.

And I saw that the mirror surface of the water now had ripples radiating outward.

And I thought about life: Sometimes, the way is smooth and unblemished. Other times, the ripples break up the "perfect" picture and make some waves.

On Sunday, Pastor Nate preached on Hebrews 11: 1-16. That passage begins with a much-loved verse:

11Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

As Pastor Nate reminded us, we humans would like to receive everything we hope for or pray for. But life isn't that simple. There are tragedies - pain, suffering and loss. There are health scares and job losses and family breakdowns. There are low commodity prices and breakdowns and uncooperative weather. The list goes on and on.

So how do we keep going in the face of those struggles? It all comes back to faith. We may not see it at the time. It may not be the timing we'd prefer. The Hebrews passage reminds us that these Bible heroes weren't immune either. Abraham, Sarah, Issac, Jacob and Noah all had to have faith in a future they couldn't see right in front of them.

So there can be beauty in the ripples, too. There is life in those ripples - much like there is life in Peace Creek from the frog or the fish who disturbed the peaceful scene. I ask for eyes to see the beauty in both the smooth sailing and the occasional bumpy ride ... and for the faith to make it through.