The gentle rising and piercing throb of a headache woke me up this morning. Per the usual ritual, I reached for the migraine medicine before starting on a second “emergency” cup of coffee. As it continues, I will eventually reach for my beloved ice pack. The faint pulse grows stronger, then subsides, but not entirely. Headaches are the ultimate life professor. Like an aged prophet, they tell of just how meaningless life events can be as well as unites us to the suffering this side of heaven is bound to experience. Call me an absurdist at best or a nihilist at worse, but headaches seem to serve no greater purpose.
We live in a fractured world. Not fully redeemed, yet not fully depraved, we lay somewhere in the middle of grace and hopelessness. While in this territory, it is important to understand that not every angle of life is slated for a greater purpose. Sometimes a cigar is simply a cigar as Freud said. Sometimes a headache is just a headache I say speedily approaching the bottom of my second cup.
The theology of everything is spiritual has tremendous baggage. Sometimes without realizing it, we look for a devil around every corner. Imagine your every mood having the weight of God’s approval and asking “is this part of God’s plan?” Did God give me a headache because He was teaching me some principle? I don’t think so. Could He? Absolutely. The ways of God are mysterious but His character is not. We know that He is good and also transparent. I don’t believe He would wait for me to choose this or that career. After all, if He wants me to do something, couldn’t He make the conditions favorable for such a decision? Our perfect Father is not waiting for you to choose this or that. He has empowered you to live a life amidst the absurd and broken. You travel with purpose and have been emboldened with a beautiful freedom.
Love God, then do what you wish – Augustine
The headache finally dissolved into the white noise of life. God is good.
Matt simon blog 