Call Me Naïve

By Linda Hogue

There are many things that could be attributed to chance...  or circumstance...  or the generosity of others… or our own wits. 

I don’t doubt that these things play a part in the events of our lives (though I’m still wondering about that chance bit).  But what if I attribute a good thing to God?  Am I being naïve?  Am I simple-minded to call something an act of God when there is a perfectly rational explanation?

The way I see it, God is the originator of everything.  Whether directly or indirectly, it all comes from His hand.  Makes sense if He’s the creator, don’t you think?  I see spring bloom again after a long winter, and I thank God.  I see someone recover from an illness and trace the medical community’s knowledge back to God’s design.  I’m grateful for the things that we have, knowing God provided the skill to perform the job which pays the bills.

But why?  Why not just let it be, live life, and trust in the explanations that are so evident?  I could do that.  I could study how the planets came to be, how weather patterns change, how different personalities conflict or harmonize.  And I do find those things very interesting.  But, to me, magnificent as they are, they seem a bit shallow if they end there.

I want more.  I want to go further, to see where all that came from and why it’s all there. 

There is a song by Ceili Rain that says, “I know that You’re out there because I long for You.”  I know that’s circular reasoning, but there’s truth in that.  We’re not thirsty for no reason.  We thirst because we need water, and that water is available.  We hunger for the same reason.  Food is necessary to life.  So is hunger.

And so we hunger for God, each in our own way, some more aware of it than others.  But I believe it’s true.  It’s simple, it’s mysterious, and it’s satisfying.  Call me naïve, but I’m going to continue to live this way.