Flourishing in the Opposite Extremes of Life

The more I pay attention to life, the more I notice that opposites often reside together, nestling into the same event. Even the same moment.

I can have opposite feelings within close range of each other. Ricocheting off or circling one another.

I can be about ready to give a presentation and feel anxious because I will soon open myself up for scrutiny from the audience, and yet I also feel calm, because I am prepared and have practiced many times.

I can feel both peace about my decision, and yet conflict when I am about to tell someone who will question it.

A photo of a passed loved one can make sadness wash over me, and yet I also feel joy remembering that day on a windy hill in Ireland when we hopped across the stream to take that photo together.

At the end of every conference, every school year, every long project, there is an excitement that it is over, and yet an emptiness as we wait to start the next thing or figure out what that will be.

People coming for a weekend visit makes me excited to see them, but weary with all the things that need to be done before their arrival. So many times, there are several and conflicting extreme emotions for the same event, all close to one another.

As Christians, we also live in two extreme worlds. God’s kingdom and this earthly incomplete kingdom.

• We live as new creatures and yet our old nature is there beside us.
• We are imperfect, yet clothed in righteousness.
• We are broken and sinful, yet loved unconditionally and beloved by our creator.
• We are imperfect, yet redeemed.
• We are caught in trials and hardships, yet can be grateful, rejoicing and at peace.
• We can be loved, but not accepted by everyone.
• We can be poor, but rich in things that count.
• We can be the least, and yet the first.

It means that life is layered and more complex. Often, things are neither all good nor all bad.

Because of this ability to travel and reside in the extremes of life, we can be discouraged and yet grateful. Because of this we are able to rejoice and count our blessings no matter what the circumstances.

We are able to feel more than one emotion and see more than one perspective; able to look forward and backward at the same time and make some sense of things.

Counting our blessings doesn’t mean that we are not longing for things to be better or different, but it means we are able to see points of hope and ways that things are good enough at the moment.

And this is a good thing.

It means we can experience two opposites at the same time. Live in two worlds.

It means we can have hope and peace, and find the good, even when life is far from perfect.

Feeling, embracing, and accepting two opposites makes our life richer, easier, and more complex.