It is what it is. I read it on a cubicle wall. It’s a country-craft sign with large, cursive script, a script to make one curse. Words to echo the Curse. The sign lies, seems to be from an old farm. But it’s from a factory in China pumping out Affordable Americana. The fake-aged paint is smooth, has no earned decay. It is intentionally distressed and so am I. But, I suppose, it is what it is. This sign that transports me to a funeral, a child’s sickbed, an accident scene. It is what it is.
It is what it is. It’s a statement of resignation. After all kinds of trouble, worry, and fear, there it sits. We can live with such a statement, but not forever.
It is what it is. Is it?
It is what it is, but it is not what it shall be.
Children will not someday die, someday. Cancer will not reduce and end us like a berserker army invading every border, swallowing our hallowed map. It is what it is, but it is not what it shall be.
There’s good all over and grace in every breath. It is today and we are alive and so we ought to happily receive these gifts. Gratitude should be our theme song.
Thank God it’s Friday, but Someday’s coming.
We wrestle with the Not Yetness of things. With the good, broken, incompleteness of everything. We can receive a cold valley with thanks and still long for the sun.
It is what it is. But all the same, we long for it to be different. We long for it to not be all the same. Or, we long for it to be the same, but different. Like our best friends, we want them fully themselves. We want the fully realized valley—sun and all. We want the valley on the edge of forever to slide on over.
It is what it is, but it is not what it shall be. Some day, when Someday comes, we will slide on over into the re-Edened earth. Sunrise.
This bought by Brother’s blood,
And so our family seal,
Runs red across a guarantee,
Of Father’s glad goodwill.
From me, my sons, sin you get,
An inherited curse.
From a Greater Father, you may claim,
All of the reverse.
All of the reverse. In that day, It is what it is will be fully and finally undone, by:
I Am Who I Am.
We are so grateful for your writing, thank you for enduring in the gift you have been given. Our family says thank you more than anything for this blog, such a reminder of what is true: the King is coming back. And all will be made right. What a hope unshakeable.
Amen. Thank you for this encouragement.
Your books kept popping up in my Kindle feed as something I might be interested in. My kid reads a lot so it’s always full of kids book recommendations. Some good, some not. I finally decided to investigate the series which means checking on the author which led me to this post which will lead to me checking out your rabbits with swords books.
Good post.
Wow. Thank you so much for sharing.