Am I saying this right?
I’ve been throwing around this word a lot - ambiguity.
“I’m waiting on the Lord in this ambiguity.”
“I’m struggling to find clarity within this ambiguity.”
“I’m just in an ambiguous season right now.”
I looked up the definition of ambiguity and it goes as follows:
The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness.
Synonyms: ambivalence, equivocation, obscurity, vagueness.
What struck me is that this whole time when I’d use “ambiguity” in its various forms, I’d do so with a negative tone. But based on the definition of it, it’s really not an inherently negative place to be. It’s quite the opposite, actually. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had plans - both trivial and life-altering - change in the last 6 months, let alone the last two years. It’s both exciting and terrifying.
Because of this mixed bag of uncertainties and obscurities, I can’t help but look at each day as “being open to more than one interpretation.” I think a lot of us could stand to be a little more open-minded and open-hearted these days.
Some might interpret what my life looks like right now as a transitional stage. Others would say I’m not making enough money for my age/status. Still, there are those who’d say I’m living the dream, but you know what? I’m ok with the “inexactness” of my current days. 2020 had a lot of moving parts that forced people into ambiguous thinking. Some crumbled into a million pieces under the pressure of “I’m not in control.” What’s inspiring to me is to see people embrace the fear of losing control of certain aspects of their life. They’re shoved into new territory that requires faith.
Faith in themselves, faith in a higher power, faith that there’s a purpose to the life they live even when life’s circumstances are increasingly difficult to define. It’s incredible that the things we fear most or are broken by, are opportunities to lean into discomfort and find freedom from it.
This season, these years have come with friction, but we’re only getting better because of it.
Thanks for hearing me out :)
[Action Step: See how you can practically be more open to more than one interpretation this week (it’s tough, I know, but you got this). ]