Having someone beside us in the questions is the ultimate answer in life

​If I had to identify the biggest challenge I've had over the years in my relationship with God, it would be this. I've spent way more time pressuring God to help me understand my circumstances than I have thanking Him for being beside me in whatever those circumstances are.

I got to thinking about this in terms of running this morning. I've run a lot of really hard races - races that hurt me. I've run many of them with people I care a lot about. In the middle of the pain of those races, I've rarely seen the friend I've been with as the source or explanation for my pain. I've always just been thankful to have them with me while I've battled it.

Sure, in running the pain isn't much of a mystery. I signed up for it. But I signed up for it knowing it's the pain that makes me stronger. The pain that ultimately molds me into the person I'm made to be.

Whether I understand it or not, that's this race of life. God is using all of my circumstances to strengthen me, to ready me for the next challenge in life, to ultimately mold me into the person he wants me to be at the finish line of life.

And like in running, nothing takes away from that experience more than me spending all of my time trying to figure out the pain at the expense of being grateful for the one I'm going through the pain with.

God is on to something here, you know.

Lately, I've formed relationships with some unlikely people in my life. Not unlikely because they aren't good people; unlikely because I just didn't see them coming.

But these are people who have showed up to say I want to help you navigate your circumstances. I have no explanation for them. I'm pretty sure I can't fix any of them. But I can sure travel through them with you.

These friends have taught me that we miss out on the beauty of a relationship when we spend all of our time trying to figure out the circumstances that formed it in the first place. These friends have taught me that true bonds might best start with an agreement we're going to go through this together - no matter what this is or where this might go.

That's sort of God's promise to us. I'm here with you in this, no matter what this is or where this might go, I've got you.

We love our friends best - we love God best - when we see the treasure in that.

The treasure in I don't have all the answers, but I'm here to ride out any questions you ever have.

In a world where answers never truly come, that is a beautiful gift.