I willed myself to accept the ambiguity, hunker down, and lean into the piercing wind.
Amidst a howling wind on the side of a steep, icy mountain, my life delivered a lasting definition of ambiguity.
Without warning, a menacing cloud swept in bringing with it blinding snow and ice-pelting wind. WHITE OUT—the dread of every downhill skier. Enveloped by the elements, I immediately stopped, planted my poles, and gripped the sharp, uphill edges of my skies into the mountain. Fighting vertigo, I sought to ascertain my position in relation to the drop-off. Trying to inch forward, I realized the distance to the edge might be near, so I halted and hugged myself to maintain balance.
In this overwhelming sense of isolation, I squelched my impulse to panic. Despite the disorientation, common sense told me to stay put. My calculated decision required bulldog tenacity to maintain, but I willed myself to accept the ambiguity, hunker down, and lean into the piercing wind.
Time froze in this treacherous situation.
Finally, peeking out from behind my hands, I witnessed the cloud clearing and the light returning. Relief! Rattled but intact, I tentatively calculated my surroundings, pointed my skis downhill, and left my hard-earned definition of ambiguity on the side of the mountain.
… until our recent white-out of COVID-induced ambiguity.
Now, an avalanche of uncertainty affects my family, my friends, my colleagues, and it affects me! On every front—whether in Zoom meetings, planning sessions, or Face Time visits—this uninvited guest saunters in and takes a seat, seeking to commandeer our lives and sabotage our calendars.
There are no masks, no sanitizers, and no social distance guidelines to deal with this culprit. Yet, like gripping the side of a mountain with the sharp, uphill edges of skies, you and I need to grip the realities of our lives with a mental vigilance and wait for the bitter, icy winds to pass.
Enlisting the help of an acrostic, I offer my suggestions:
A: Acknowledge the high-intensity degree of ambiguity which exists in our current way of life
M: Make a conscious decision to peacefully accept the challenges we face
B: Be aware of the far-reaching tentacles of ambiguity, but resist its domineering control
I: Insist on pursuing a meaningful life today, even in our trying circumstances
G: Get outdoors; grill, go on a walk, sit by a stream, buy a kite and watch it soar
U: Understand that—honestly—we never possess our future, even in the most ideal conditions
I: Intentionally lower the bar on expectations
T: Take time daily to meditate on the promises of Scripture, which defy ambiguity
Y: Yield to God. Make every effort to be both realistically-minded and spiritually-guided
And let us join our voices and praise God that ambiguity is not a part of His character and will never be among His attributes!
Living With Eternal Intentionality®
What is your greatest challenge in dealing with the COVID-induced ambiguity?
Where is God in the midst of your ambiguity?
Please offer your suggestions here for moving forward into this ongoing “unknown.”
