The Alternate Reality of “What If”
Several famous people have written upon this alternate reality of “What If.” The first of which comes to mind is Coldplay’s song:
“What if there was no light.
Nothing wrong, nothing right.
What if there was no time?
And no reason or rhyme?
What if you should decide
That you don't want me there by your side.
That you don't want me there in your life.
What if I got it wrong?
And no poem or song..
Could put right what I got wrong,
Or make you feel I belong
What if you should decide
That you don't want me there by your side
That you don't want me there in your life. “
Sad times, if someone chooses that “what if.” Yes? The second of which comes to mind is Rudyard Kipling’s poem:
“If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! “
Good times if someone chooses that “what if.” Right?
Well, though this concept of “What If” or “If” has been popularized by many throughout the years, I would doubt to think that anyone would agree it’s a preferred method of living and thinking. Yet we’ve all been there before. We think: “What if” this happened this way. “What if” that happened that way. “What if” that never happened at all. Though thoughts similar to those aforementioned linger through our minds and heart attitudes (especially during our more discontent or confusing moments of life), they produce nothing – simply because they fail the ability to do so. Relying on stock market of “what if’s” creates in you nothing more than a hope deferred, or worse yet, a false hope altogether. An alternate reality, if you will. A trap that deceives you into believing that adding or subtracting something from the life story God’s given you will make you feel better, act better, or become a better person, if you did things your way. It’s so false, yet it’s so prevalent in our human way of thinking.
All that to say this: while you and I could spend a whole lot of time and energy taking a mental hike through the “what if’s” of life, I challenge you (and myself) to simply focus on “what is.” And what’s more, focus on the God Who is over, on top of, and sovereignly in control of the “what is.”
As a child, I always remember singing a song in children’s church that went something like this: “He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands.” And last time I checked, that hasn’t changed. At all.
No matter what it is that invades your life – planned or unplanned – know that God’s got it all in His hands. Aaaaaand? He’s. more. Than. Capable. To. Handle. It. (pssstt….without your “what if’s”)
Stop setting up camp in the land of “what if.” Know that God has numbered your days. He's ordered the steps that you take. He has a divine purpose in every detail of your life. And love Him all the more for Who He is and whatever it is He plants in the soil of your dear little life. He may send sunshine. He may send rain. But He knows the final product from the beginning. He knows what’s growing while you’re struggling. Trust Him a little more with that today.
Several famous people have written upon this alternate reality of “What If.” The first of which comes to mind is Coldplay’s song:
“What if there was no light.
Nothing wrong, nothing right.
What if there was no time?
And no reason or rhyme?
What if you should decide
That you don't want me there by your side.
That you don't want me there in your life.
What if I got it wrong?
And no poem or song..
Could put right what I got wrong,
Or make you feel I belong
What if you should decide
That you don't want me there by your side
That you don't want me there in your life. “
Sad times, if someone chooses that “what if.” Yes? The second of which comes to mind is Rudyard Kipling’s poem:
“If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! “
Good times if someone chooses that “what if.” Right?
Well, though this concept of “What If” or “If” has been popularized by many throughout the years, I would doubt to think that anyone would agree it’s a preferred method of living and thinking. Yet we’ve all been there before. We think: “What if” this happened this way. “What if” that happened that way. “What if” that never happened at all. Though thoughts similar to those aforementioned linger through our minds and heart attitudes (especially during our more discontent or confusing moments of life), they produce nothing – simply because they fail the ability to do so. Relying on stock market of “what if’s” creates in you nothing more than a hope deferred, or worse yet, a false hope altogether. An alternate reality, if you will. A trap that deceives you into believing that adding or subtracting something from the life story God’s given you will make you feel better, act better, or become a better person, if you did things your way. It’s so false, yet it’s so prevalent in our human way of thinking.
All that to say this: while you and I could spend a whole lot of time and energy taking a mental hike through the “what if’s” of life, I challenge you (and myself) to simply focus on “what is.” And what’s more, focus on the God Who is over, on top of, and sovereignly in control of the “what is.”
As a child, I always remember singing a song in children’s church that went something like this: “He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands.” And last time I checked, that hasn’t changed. At all.
No matter what it is that invades your life – planned or unplanned – know that God’s got it all in His hands. Aaaaaand? He’s. more. Than. Capable. To. Handle. It. (pssstt….without your “what if’s”)
Stop setting up camp in the land of “what if.” Know that God has numbered your days. He's ordered the steps that you take. He has a divine purpose in every detail of your life. And love Him all the more for Who He is and whatever it is He plants in the soil of your dear little life. He may send sunshine. He may send rain. But He knows the final product from the beginning. He knows what’s growing while you’re struggling. Trust Him a little more with that today.
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