I Don't Get It

As we watch the Winter Olympics, the greatness of these athletes blows us away. It’s remarkable to watch them perform at such an elite level.

Since many of us have ice-skated, skied, or snowboarded with limited expertise, we understand the level of talent these Olympic skaters and skiers have. We appreciate their unique abilities and acknowledge the difficulty required.

If we're honest, though, we'll turn on some of the other Olympic events we aren't as familiar with or have never participated in, and we don't really understand what the athletes are doing.

We often lack experience and knowledge of sports such as curling, skeleton, and biathlon. It doesn't make sense to us that someone would slide headfirst down an ice track on a little flat sled, or that someone would have fun pushing a stone down the ice to knock into another stone. 

When these sports come on, we often think or say things like..."I don’t get it."

"I don’t understand."

"Why do they do that?"

"What exactly is happening?"

"What am I missing?"

We are limited sports fans and can’t grasp what these athletes know and what they’re really doing because we don’t fully understand or see what they see.

That means we don’t recognize their greatness or notice the little things they do that lead to victory. It’s beyond our scope, and often leads us to turn it off or walk away rather than lean in to see how it all plays out. 

After all, these athletes do know what they’re doing, and they are the very best at their sport. Even though we don’t know exactly what is happening or the intricacies of their sport, they are accomplishing incredible things. 

As followers of Jesus, we see clear ways God is moving in our lives, and we appreciate His greatness. We have experience with His faithfulness and know how He’s transformed certain aspects of our character.

However, there are certain seasons or situations in which we don't have a clear sense of what is going on or what He is doing. We can't comprehend what we're witnessing in our lives, and it doesn't make sense to us. 

We begin thinking, saying, and even praying the following:

"I don’t get it."

"I don’t understand."

"Why would He do that?"

"What exactly is happening?"

"What am I missing?"

Instead of these questions causing us to walk away from God, we must lean in and trust Him, recognizing our limitations in grasping what He knows and what He’s actually doing. 

Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NLT) says, "Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.”

We might not fully understand the intricacies of His handiwork or recognize His greatness when we’re in the middle of an “event,” but let’s believe that the things He’s doing, which we can’t see, are leading to victories. 

Psalm 145:3 (AMP) declares, "Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is [so vast and profound as to be] unsearchable [incomprehensible to man].”

He is the God of the universe, and knows what He’s doing. He knows what’s best and is accomplishing incredible things for His glory and His purposes.

When Jesus was washing His disciples’ feet, they didn’t understand why He was doing that, and they also didn’t realize what He was about to do on the cross. Yet, Jesus went on to tell them, “‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but you will [fully] understand it later’“ (John 13:7; AMP).

Today, as we admit we don’t know how curling works or what an athlete is doing in a bobsled, let’s trust they do and believe greatness is taking place even if we can’t see it.

Let’s be encouraged: even though we don’t always know exactly how God works or understand what He’s doing in our current situation, we can trust that He does, and we can believe greatness is taking place, even when we can’t see it.

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I admit I don’t always understand why You do certain things or allow certain things to happen. Yet, I trust in Your goodness and Your greatness. I know You are worthy of my trust, and I know You are doing incredible things all around me and in me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.