The Paceline

Doubt, disbelief, more doubt, and now uncertainty. A common thread has appeared in my titles over the last nine months.

My daily devotional for 2016 comes from My Utmost for His Highest, the classic work by Oswald Chambers. Yesterday I was encouraged by the graciousness of uncertainty.

This is especially important to a guy who has spent decades trying to get everything just right.

My life: as a Boy Scout, be prepared; an Air Force pilot, use a checklist; an engineer, use predictive analytics; a salesman, forecast revenue.

Think ahead. Plan ahead. Precisely predict. Set two alarms. Be on time. Allow for every contingency. Eliminate uncertainty.

Chambers explains that gracious uncertainty, the mark of a spiritual life, replaces the need to know what’s next with joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Letting go is tough. But being a little out of control is kind of fun.

Will I stop using Dark Sky for micro forecasts of the weather? Probably not. But I suffer no illusions about controlling the weather. Maybe it’s time to cede control over other things in my life and embrace joyful uncertainty.

“To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring.”

Oh wow. I am certainly uncertain.