It is what it is.

But is it what it is supposed to be?

The first statement is a common phrase. My family has used it often. I’ve used it often. But it makes me squirm a bit, because it’s limiting. I get it. It’s good for reminding ourselves for dealing with what we’re in the middle of. But that’s not the end. I want to turn it into a question instead of keeping it as a declarative statement. 

There are certainly some facts. We have to deal with some people’s choices. We can’t control them. But we have choices in how we respond. We can’t change a diagnosis. But our attitude as we respond can make an impact. We can’t change when a friend or family member is dealing with an issue, but we can support them. Will they rise to the occasion or flop? Will they work through a conflict or walk away? Will they get a promotion or lose their job? Will they find a better doctor or settle with who they have? 

I know we don’t always say “It is what it is” with a spirit of resignation, but it’s important to consider how it could be received. I want to make sure it’s never considered to be dismissive. I also want to make sure it’s not too limited, not in terms of unrealistic possibilities but as in what we as humans believe, can do, or understand versus what God believes, can do, and plans or purposes. 

It is what it is—right now—but is it what it is supposed to be, according to God, not just for today but for the future?

That’s what I want to know.

Not that I can know what he knows, but I at least want to consider his perspective and possibilities. I don’t want to be dissatisfied for my own sake. I want to seek his satisfaction. And that requires an odd mixture of pause, peace, and pursuit. It’s a pause before I settle. It’s a peace while I persevere. And it’s a pursuit into his presence and purpose. It’s a constant narrative that is full of ellipses, semicolons, and question marks. Yet there are certainties and no run-on sentences. 

Is it what it is? 

Maybe we get the order of the words and the ending punctuation mixed up. Maybe it is a search more than a declaration. Perhaps it’s an invitation. We don’t like uncertainties, but we don’t always like certainties either.

Except God.

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