Lessons

Several months ago, when I knew that I was about to begin a really busy time in my life, I decided to take a day for myself and drive up the coast and stop somewhere at a beach to write. I drove north and saw beautiful views of the ocean...went on fun, winding roads by the mountains....saw a pelican soaring over the water....watched people sliding down a hill filled with sand--and a dog bounding down it as well...ears flapping as he ran! (I’m pretty sure he was smiling!!) ...and I chose the place I was going to stop and write on the way back. I kept driving a while longer and then I stopped and looked at the mountains, got a close up view of pumpkins growing, looked at fruit in an orchard, and watched birds flying. I always love how they fly together--knowing just when to turn and dip so they change direction all at the same time. I decided that I wanted to go to a church in the valley--not my home church, but a church I like and go to fairly often...to do that, though, I had to take a different way home....I wouldn't be able to go back down the coast. I knew the road I was going to take would have beautiful views...I've been on that road before...but as I turned onto the ramp for the road I would have to take home, I was a little bummed....that meant I wouldn't get to see the ocean again that day and I love the ocean....and I wouldn't be able to stop and write where I had planned to stop. I wasn't bummed for long, though, because I saw the rich, deep green of trees that from a distance looked like the green fields of the midwest where I grew up. The mountains were beautiful. I saw a jeep filled with wiggly, squiggly dogs and I love dogs so that made me smile. I saw a sign that said "Honey Farm". (I didn't know there was such a thing as a honey farm! That made me smile, too!) All the things I had seen on my trip reminded me about how beautiful God's creation is. And the road I had to take that I didn't expect to go on and that hadn’t been in my plan....that reminded me that sometimes God takes us on roads that are unexpected and that sometimes He even takes us ways we aren't initially thrilled to go and hadn’t planned on, but if we are open to it, there can be beauty and blessing there.

I finally arrived at church and as we were in our prayer circle, an usher brought someone to join us. The woman was blind. She sat by me during the service and for the first part of the service I just kept thinking about the contrast....most of my day had been about all the beauty I had seen....and she wasn't able to see any of that. It made me sad. The pastor very briefly spoke about healing and the woman leaned over and said something to me. I responded and then she said something I couldn't quite understand. We didn't speak anymore then because the pastor was talking, but after the service I asked about what she'd said. She told me she had gone to that church for a certain number of years and had been blind for x number of years....and that sometimes it wasn't God's will to heal. I agreed with her. (While I whole-heartedly believe that God can and does heal today, I agree that sometimes it's not His will to heal.)

Anyway, I walked out of the church thinking about what a mature Christian she was and how accepting she was of God allowing blindness in her life. I wondered if I would be as accepting of that or of something equally as difficult. I went to the store and I thought of her as I walked around. I was looking for cookies and I felt a twinge of disappointment that the store didn't have the kind of cookies I wanted....then I remembered that just a few hours earlier I had been a little bummed that I didn't get to take the road home that I wanted to...and I thought, "How in the world would I handle blindness?" I walked around the store feeling kind of bad about myself and thinking about what a lightweight Christian I am. And then God came through. He reminded me that I just need to trust Him. He hasn't called me to blindness at this time in my life....so I don't need strength for that right now. I just need to trust that He will be there to comfort me and give me strength for the things that I go through...when I need it. (Phil. 4:13) I thought about His faithfulness in taking me through difficult situations I've already gone through in my life....and He's always been there. He's always walked with me through everything....and I just need to trust that He will continue to walk with me through all I go through for the rest of my life. I had peace after that....and I was grateful for all the ways God had touched my heart during the day.

A Blank Page

I thought off and on this evening about what to write here tonight. I couldn't decide. A few times I looked through my journals....hoping a story or something would jump out at me so that I could post it here. As I was looking, I came upon a blank page. Odd that it should be there among all my other journal entries. And it made me think about my day ahead...a blank page....yet to be written on.

We will all write upon the "page" of our day....we will write it as we interact with family and friends...with how we behave at work....with the way we choose or choose not to give of ourselves to others. We will write it with how we live out our entire day....from the time we get up in the morning until the time we go to bed at night.

Our words and actions matter so much. With our words, we can wound deeply or we can uplift and encourage. We can tear down or we can build up. We have the ability to make someone's day brighter with how we choose to interact with the people that God places in our path. There are so many people who could use a kind word.....so many who ache for someone to show some care and concern for them. There are so many different ways we can fill the "page" that is before us.


Yes, tomorrow is a blank page.


....What will be written on yours?