01 January 2024 | St Albans, UK [Vanesa Pizzuto]
My friend Stephen owns one of those sports motorcycles you often see in the movies. Some months ago, he suggested taking me for a spin. I’ll admit, I’m not exactly a speed or a motorcycle enthusiast, but as I’m trying to face my fears, I agreed anyway. Dressed in black from head to toe, Stephen handed me a helmet along with safety instructions: “To avoid accidents, we need to move as one.” If he leaned left during a turn, I had to follow suit to maintain balance. No abrupt moves, no matter how nervous I felt. Promising to follow his advice, I hopped on his huge bike with his help.
After riding slowly for a few blocks, Stephen decided to kick things up a notch. The bike’s roar made my heart race. Suddenly, I realised something: I had no control whatsoever! The road, the speed, the driving style—all decisions were in Stephen’s hands. Between the speed and the lack of control, nerves started to kick in. But just before panic set in, a thought crossed my mind: “If these are my last moments of life, I better relax and enjoy them.”
Ironically, the moment I embraced my lack of control, I began to enjoy the adventure—feeling the wind on my face, the sun on my skin. “Faith is the opposite of seeking control,” says Christian author Skye Jethani. “It is surrendering control. It embraces the truth that control is an illusion—we never had it, and we never will. Rather than trying to overcome our fears by seeking more control, the solution offered by LIFE WITH GOD is precisely the opposite—we overcome fear by surrendering control.”¹
Sometimes, we think that more information would help us face life’s challenges with more dignity and grace. However, perhaps what we need isn’t more control but a greater tolerance for uncertainty. Perhaps the key is developing emotional resilience, accepting the mysteries and the absence of immediate solutions. Frankly, sometimes in life, answers arrive late, or not at all (at least on this side of eternity). Embracing uncertainty, or at least tolerating it, gives us the emotional flexibility needed to adapt and even enjoy circumstances beyond our control.
What does 2024 have in store? Who knows? Probably a blend of blessings, opportunities, and challenges. Moments of profound connection and breath-taking beauty, juxtaposed with dark, gloomy days. So, when life takes us on a fast motorcycle ride, and we find ourselves in the passenger seat, let’s welcome the most surprising gift of uncertainty: its ability to stir our sense of adventure. Uncertainty jolts us awake, widening our eyes to the fullest. It reminds us that when nothing is certain, everything is possible. It serves as a reminder that when nothing is certain, everything is possible. As children, we grasped this intuitively. Yet, as we grow up, we often forget. Therefore, for all its discomfort and bad press, uncertainty is a friendly messenger—an opportunity to rediscover a childlike joy, to welcome surprises and adventures, and to let someone else take the reins.
¹Skye Jethani (2011): With: Reimagining The Way You Relate To God, Thomas Nelson.
[Photos: Pexels – Denner Nunes & Mateusz Dach]
