I’m a late bloomer…like a chrysanthemum. I seem to figure things out later than other people do…or maybe I never figure them out at all. When it comes to figuring God out, here’s what St. Augustine said. “If you understand it, it is not God.”

Speaking of understanding (or not), Brian McLaren said this. “There’s a difference between doubting God and doubting my understanding of God, just as there’s a difference between trusting God and trusting my understanding of God.”

We can get things so screwed up at times. We’ve just witnessed a swath of people who idolized bullying, thinking meanness was strength. I’m going out on a limb here, but I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says this. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Some of the early Church fathers and mothers believed that if each person could REALLY understand God, nobody would reject him. Pure Love would be too compelling.  

God is so…beyond. We’re going to miss the mark sometimes, but we can get back on track. Who am I to question St. Augustine, but I do believe we can reach deeper levels of understanding. As we grow, we can let go of what we got wrong and embrace deeper insight. This party’s just getting started. And as good chrysanthemums always say…

“Hey, better late than never.”