Some Things I'll Never Understand

I don't get math.

I was helping (or trying to anyway) my son with his homework tonight. I believe it was Egyptian hieroglyphics, but he assures me it was Algebra. Some of the symbols looked familiar, and the feeling of lost hopelessness I felt brought back dark memories. We slogged through it, but I don't understand it any better today than I did 25+ years ago.

I made it through math in high school, and tested out of it for college, by following rules I didn't understand to solve problems that made no sense to me. It was hard and unnatural, completely against my nature. Math is supposed to be logical, or so say those brainiacs who understand it. I like logic, but that's a different kind of logic than what I understand.

Kind of like God's plan.

I'm puzzled by what God does, and why He does it. I don't understand young kids losing their lives. I'm confused by election, predestination, and free will. I'm perplexed by why He waits to conquer evil. I'm dumbfounded that He gave His only Son for me. I don't get it. Not really.

I know enough to follow the rules, to pass the test, if you will. But I am not, nor do I think I ever will be capable of thinking like He does. His logic is not my logic. His understanding . . . I do not understand. It makes sense to Him, but I'll never get it. Not in this life, anyway.

It comes down to faith.

I understand that the fundamental laws of math govern a large part of my life. Physics, statistics, geometry--even algebra and calculus define God's creation in human terms (at least they tell me that stuff is human!). Simple as I am, I have to take it on faith. I don't see it, I can't make it work, but I believe they are correct.

So it is with God's plan. I have a better chance understanding fractional trinomial equations than I do trying to determine what God has in store for me tomorrow, or even what He did for me today. I just have to believe, have faith, and trust. I know that He works all things out for the good of those who trust in Him.

Even if we don't have the slightest idea what He's doing.