On a clear day you can see forever.

Well. Technically not forever. According to www.howitworksdaily.com:

“Dust, water vapour and pollution in the air will rarely let you see more than 20 kilometres (12 miles), even on a clear day. Often, the curvature of the Earth gets in the way first. For example, at sea level, the horizon is only 4.8 kilometres (2.9 miles) away. On the top of Mt Everest, you could theoretically see for 339 kilometres (211 miles), but in practice clouds get in the way. For a truly unobstructed view, though, look up. On a clear night, you can see the Andromeda galaxy with the naked eye, which is 2.5 million light years away – that’s 24 quintillion kilometres (15 quintillion miles)”.

Given my druthers, I am more a beach person than a mountain one. While I feel most comfortable at sea level, you don’t see that far into the horizon especially at the beach. At my beloved Cape Cod, it can be quite foggy with very limited visibility. There are some higher vantage points that provide a little more distance vision but it is still limited. It is only by traveling to a higher location, generally inland up on a mountain, can you see much farther in the distance. No wonder in war for expanded territory and land, victory went to the side of the conquerer who was able to control the higher altitudes. It is through seeing in the distance that a warring side could prepare, plan, defend or attack.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I went on another hike with our son to a beautiful state park in Virginia. Just the name sounds relaxing- Sky Meadow. The park has access to the Appalachian Trail and is on the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The side of the mountain that presents the clearest views and vista comprises of a more meadowy, tree-less face. While it is nice to have a clear view, there is some benefit to having a treed hillside to trek up in the summer. Needless to say, it was HOT. But, arriving at the lookout place was worth it for there was a small, steady breeze and commanding views of the valley. It made me think of the Barbra Streisand song, “On a Clear Day You can See Forever” from the musical of the same name.

Funny, how in life we want to predict or at least plan for our future, generally by trying to manipulate events. My husband recalls the scene from “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”: Erronius (Buster Keaton) tells Hysterium (Jack Gilford) that he needs a soothsayer to rid his house of evil spirits. Pseudolus (Zero Mostel) overhears and comes along behind him, “Sir, you are in need of a soothsayer.” Buster Keaton asks incredulously, “How did you know?” To which, Zero says, “I’d be a fine soothsayer if I didn’t.”**

Horoscopes, tarot cards, fortune tellers- people want to know the future. They want to see “forever”.

Yet for all our planning and all our “predictions”, we really cannot see that far into the future. Sometimes, like the unpredictable fog that blows in from the sea, we cannot see even a couple of yards in front of our face. Situations and events engulf us and impede our vision.

At times, I think that is probably for the best. If I knew when I was younger how my life was going to turn out, I think I would’ve missed some key moments because with some foreknowledge I would’ve manipulated the events so that either I wouldn’t have to experience hard or unpleasant situations or I would’ve orchestrated that all events work out in my favor. In actuality, it was those unforeseen events, pleasant and difficult, that have provided me with the most opportunity for growth as a person and the most unexpected joy in my life.

Knowing the future is like trying to communicate on zoom while you see yourself in the square- you can become too self-conscious and not effectively communicate. If you already knew how things would work out, you would consciously manipulate events - perhaps even jumping the gun on a predetermined outcome. One also could become lazy- why bother communicating with others or discovering new ideas, since one already knows how people, places and things will work?

I find that I am not that concerned with the future. Sure, I am definitely a planner. I love to plan and make lists for future events. But if I think too deeply about family, friends, the nation, or the state of our world, I can get anxious about the future. I can find myself worrying about things that most likely will never happen. For the most part, I do not want to know what is coming down the pike. I am (slowly) learning how to be content for this day. However, I must say contentment is a daily, on-going struggle.

What about you? Are you anxious about your future? Do you wish you knew what is on your horizon?

Jesus encourages us to not be anxious about our tomorrow- to not worry about our future. He knows that life is hard and that each day has enough difficulty without “borrowing trouble” from tomorrow. When we align our wills, our plans, our goals- in essence our future, with His we can learn to be content because while we may not be able to see that far- He can.

** Click here for the rest of the silly scene- good for a laugh.