We often look at life like flipping a coin. \u201cHeads I win, tails I lose\u201d; a depiction, that for many things in life there are only two choices, winning or loosing. In a situation where we think we or someone else has the advantage the saying becomes \u201cHeads I win, tails you lose\u201d; depicting that someone from the beginning held the advantage. Why is it that we often prefer a black and white approach to life? Does it really make life that much easier? Sadly, either process disregards the value of the coin that can only be understood if both sides are united into one unit.<\/p>\n
According to Steven D\u2019Souza and Diana Renner Not knowing is not the absence of knowledge or knowledge that is discoverable.[1]<\/a> \u201cNot Knowing often leads to learning and new knowledge. Just as in nature and biology, Not Knowing can lead to growth that is unseen, like the embryo in the womb or the seed deep in the earth. We are tempted to think that nothing is happening when it is not easily visible, yet transformation is unfolding, in the dark.\u201d[2]<\/a> D\u2019Souza and Renner go on to explain the we often rely on what we can see when nature shows us that there is a balance between what we know (day) and what we don\u2019t know (night). It is in the darkness that space is created allowing new creative ideas to come to light.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n Needle point is a tedious and pain staking labor of love for many artsy types. What turns out to be a beautiful work of art on on side can look like a chaotic mess on the other. On one side you get a clear view of the artists work, often showing great contrast and detail. On the other, you see every thread color change, every knot and only a vague idea of the beautiful work of art on the opposite side. This is much like the Christian life. We often see our lives full of knots and color changes, what looks like a mess with little or no beauty. What we fail to realize that from God\u2019s view \u201cwe are God\u2019s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he has planned for us long ago.\u201d (Ephesians 2:10 NLT) Just as heads and tails are part of same coin so are the trials, wounds, mistakes and struggles of life part of the masterpiece God is creating us to be in Christ Jesus. We are often oblivious to what is happening since it can not be easily seen. Yet, there is a transformation taking place unfolding in what often appears to be darkness. It is the unique whole that creates the value, there can not be one without the other. For many of us it is a matter of perspective. Which side of the needle point are we focused on? Both sides are part of the same reality and both sides are vital to the value of the whole.<\/p>\n Knowing and Not Knowing go hand in hand, they are opposite sides of the same coin. They are as the authors depict; \u201cThe Art of Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Steven D\u2019Souza and Diana Renner, Not Knowing: The Art of Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity, <\/em>(London; LID Publishing, 2018), 135.<\/p>\n