I spend more of my life remembering than knowing

Faith is remembering the sun will rise

I know the sun exists, because I’ve seen it so many times.

Perhaps more accurately… I’ve experienced the sun indirectly (I can’t actually look at it directly and unfiltered 😅). I see the light and feel the heat, and I choose to ascribe those to the sun. That reinforces that I know the sun is there :)

However, I recently experienced several rainy and overcast days here in Virginia, where it was harder to experience the sun.

Honestly, I also spend more time than not indoors… at work, home, and so many other places, and about half of my life in night time.

Needless to say, I spend most of my life not seeing the sun… not currently knowing through direct or indirect experience that it’s there. However, I never doubt it’s existence :) because I remember knowing.

Faith is remembering that God exists

I know that God exists, because I’ve seen and felt His presence in my life. That’s the premise of this whole blog and all my posts! I choose to ascribe those experiences to God, and it reinforces that I know He’s there.

But honestly, I spend more of my life not currently experiencing obvious evidences of God’s hand in my life… Most of my life is pretty routine. However, I choose not to doubt His existence, because I remember knowing.

“Knowing” is often more accurately “remembering that I knew“

So, I guess that when I say

“I know the sun exists” or “I know God exists”,

I’m really saying

“I remember having experienced the existence of the sun” or “…of God.”

And then when night or an overcast day comes, or when life’s experiences cast spiritual doubt, I don’t throw all my other experiences out the window.

I choose to see an overcast day within the context of many previous evidences of the sun’s existence rather than the other way around. Wouldn’t it be crazy if the next time I experienced night time, I said to myself..

“I guess I was wrong all those times I thought I experienced the sun in the past.”

???

That’s the same perspective I choose to take with God :) I remember knowing.

A side note on relationships

I’m guessing the sun is indifferent, but I think God appreciates when we give Him this benefit of the doubt.

The same is true for me, and for people in general.

I appreciate close friends and family, who, when they see me in moments of weakness, shame, guilt, confusion…etc., choose to remember all my times of strength, confidence, and light.

May we do the same for others!

If someone I know well offends me, perhaps instead of saying…

“I guess everything good I thought I knew about this person was wrong.”

I can rather say…

“Good thing I have so many good experiences with this person to rely on, so I know this one experience doesn’t define them or our relationship.”

What does it mean “to know“

I think it often (maybe more often than not) means “to remember knowing”. I’m reminded of what Paul wrote to the Hebrews about faith:

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

My faith is made up of memories of knowledge, and I rely on these memorie as “evidence of things” I don’t currently see :)

My recent HWN has been in reflecting on how knowing God exists is like knowing the sun exists :)

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p.s. I’ve been in Arlington now for two months! I’m enjoying exploring the area and meeting lots of great people!

This is my friend Donovan (center) who I got to baptize about a month ago :)

I’ve been able to reconnect with an hang out with my friend Benjamin. We were roommates 10 years ago!

I’ve also met lots of other great people and work (top), church (bottom), and other places :) and I’m enjoying going to lots of museums.