Let's Hear it For Math!

I like math. Everything fits together so neatly and cleanly when you balance both sides of the equation to solve for “x”. It makes sense if you have three apples and you get four more, you now have seven. That so clearly is what it is nobody can interrupt and say, “Hey! That’s wrong!” Or, “Hey, when I gave you four more apples, I didn’t mean for you to have seven, I meant for you to have six” and change the outcome that three apples plus four apples equals seven apples. In that sense, Math represents Truth. The right answer is the right answer is the right answer.

Sometimes in math there is more than one way to get to the solution to the problem. One day I spent ten minutes arguing with a student about an equation. I was trying to show her how to do it and she kept interrupting me saying, “That’s wrong! That’s wrong! You don’t know how to do it!” I double-checked my final answer and it was right, but she kept saying I was wrong so I told her to do the problem herself while I kept my mouth shut and watched. When she took the first problem-solving step, I instantly saw the equation from a completely different perspective and realized right away even though she was approaching it in an entirely different way than I had, she was right and was going to come up with the correct solution doing it her own way. And that is another thing I like about Math - sometimes there is more than one way to get to the right answer - but whatever path you take you still end up with the right answer. Life is often like that too but sometimes I am so wrapped up in doing things MY way and wanting everyone else to do the same - I do not make an allowance for anyone else’s way. Or sometimes even God’s way.

I want to be very careful I do not put Him inside a box in such a way I expect Him to work exactly the same way in everyone elses’ lives as He does in mine. In the past, I have found myself mentally writing off the faith others have in God because they worship in a different way or maybe are not even as far along the path of faith as I am. I have changed so much in the past several years. God has softened my heart and made my soul wiser. He has drawn me to a depth of spirituality I  was only skimming the surface of before. I realize He is the Great, Awesome, Mighty God Who NEVER changes - and He made this amazing world we live in. The concept is mind-boggling.

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From the day the first two people God created (Adam and Eve) were given the world and told to “be fruitful and multiply” (See? Math.) up until this point in time estimates are 108 billion people have lived. Billion. With a “B”. BILLION. 108,000,000,000 people since the beginning of time. 108,000,000,000 personalities. 108,000,000,000 different life paths. 108,000,000,000 opinions. 108,000,000,000 souls. The idea of sharing this planet with 108 billion other souls throughout the course of time is a concept so vast I cannot wrap my mind around it. We use a mathematical operation, addition, to arrive at that total and I know it is in the ballpark of correctness yet it blows me away trying to imagine sharing this world with so many individuals. 

The idea God loves and has loved every single one of those 108 billion souls is both staggering and wonderful at the same time. I have no idea how many of them through the course of time have found their way to a relationship with Him and the comfort that brings. But I do know He provides a way for everyone - despite culture, despite environment, despite life experiences. He looks past the surface of people’s lives and gets to their hearts. That’s another amazing concept. Sometimes I, and other Christ-followers, get bogged down by what we see on the outside of a person so much we never take time to find out what is happening on the inside. I am so thankful God worked His way in past all the junk in my heart and my life! 

One is rather a small number. We are planning to purchase one food truck to take wherever we feel led to go. Two is another small number. We are just two ordinary people, leading the way for The Torch. There is nothing special about Sarah or me.  But the God who created 108,000,000,000 souls is supporting us, encouraging us and cheering us on. He’s the One who gives hope to people no matter what their circumstances or who they are. With Him on our side, the one food truck might as well be a million food trucks and the two people might as well be two million.

When I do the math - somehow it works.