Perplexed. Now there is an interesting word. Say it aloud. Doesn’t it sound interesting? Perplexed. We all know what it means, yet we don’t use it very often at all.

When we write or speak, we usually use words like “confused”, “bewildered”, “puzzled”, “at a loss”, or – if we’re really hard up – “thrown for a loop”. Good terms. They’re all words we understand, feelings we can associate with. Yet I think I like the word “perplexed” better.

The other day when I was reading through 2 Corinthians, I came across this word. It kind of jumped out at me. 2 Corinthians 4:8b read, “…we are perplexed, but not in despair.” I remember this verse well for I read it and the other encouraging verses around it just after 9-11. The passage is always edifying to me, but this time this lone word stood out to me. I have been repeating it to myself often ever since.

Life is sometimes very confusing, and it doesn’t get any easier as you get older. You start seeing things in a broader way, you have more decisions to make and options to go after, and sometimes you overwhelm yourself. I’ve been feeling that a lot lately.

As I seek the Lord’s will for my future vocation, I have been looking all over the place for different jobs I think I might like, ways to progress in the area of writing so that that might become a career, and finding out things I never knew before. There are days when I search the internet, jot down notes, and send out so many e-mails that I feel like I have too many pokers in the fire. I go back to my notes the next day to try to sort them out and can hardly remember what the note pertained to. I multi-task as well as anyone of my generation, but I’m not always very good at it. I become perplexed.

So many things to pray about. So many things to consider. So many notes to pursue or trash. And so many odd jobs I do have to get done in between all that. If I were a screamer, I would probably go out in the middle of one of these cornfields out here and scream for all I was worth. Fortunately for the neighbors, I would never even think of doing that. Perplexed…

…but not in despair! That is what I keep telling myself. Okay, I’m perplexed. I found a few too many hits on the internet. I jotted down more notes than I can contain. I have too many ideas of what I want to write next, but that doesn’t stop me from researching them all. An answer to one of my inquiries and I need to send out my resume again. Throw in trying to find a new car, and there you have it. I’m perplexed. But I’m not in despair.

Never in despair! Why should I be? I have a God who knows the beginning from the end. He is the Author and Finisher. He gives me strength for my days. He can even read all my notes and remind me what they’re for! And so my perplexity diminishes.

Isn’t God awesome?