Through The Dark Days

  

As a nation, we’ve been experiencing dark days and there seems to be no end in sight.  Our world as we’ve known it for years, is changing.  The culture, habits, opinions, even beliefs from friends and neighbors, to Pastors and leaders of our country, seem to change everyday, and for Believers, not in a way that is godly.  

I read a story about a little girl, who when traveling to visit a grandmother she loved dearly, closed her eyes as the family car passed through a long, dark tunnel.  She would peek out occasionally, just to see how close they were to the end and then wait for the sunshine to again hit her face.  Her wise father asked her if she really wanted to visit her grandmother.  She of course, answered yes, so the wise dad said, “We have to go through the dark tunnel to get there.  Be patient; it’ll pass, just keep remembering that.”

Life is like that sometimes.  We experience a particularly difficult season and want only to close our eyes and wait for it to pass, dreading another day or even moment to have to endure.  We were over a year just getting back to some semblance of ‘normal’ as we were required to stay in our homes, wear masks, and avoid interaction with our family and friends.  Even as we continue to enjoy the re-opening since the COVID pandemic, there are still many unanswered questions about what the virus is capable of, and further, what the vaccine can and can’t take care of; or how long it really ‘protects’ you.

Other significant events in our lives that can bring a period of darkness may include health issues which seem unsurmountable, a marriage breakdown, financial failure, destruction from a tornado, hurricane, fire, or other natural disaster, a death of a loved one, and the list could go on for pages!  

Regardless of what we are facing, or what tunnel we are going through, we are going to face darkness for a while.  Even Jesus faced darkness before going to the cross.  But there was rejoicing in the morning of the resurrection!  What unspeakable joy!  If we can hold on to the promise of our Lord; that he is with us in all circumstances we, too, can have hope for a joyous heart when the morning dawns, even if ‘that morning’ seems forever coming!

Darkness is going to attempt to dim our vision and hide the joy we have as a Believer.  Facing our dark days is difficult.  But I encourage you to think of your dark tunnels or dark days as a giant which can be destroyed with a simple sling and stone like David did when he slew the great giant.  He faced the monster with confidence in an all powerful God, who went before him.  We can display that same confidence when we rely totally on God, allowing him to work out the details, and again feel the warmth of sunshine hitting our face!

It's A Cross Country Journey

 

Several years ago my husband and I bought a ‘fixer upper’ home in state 1800 miles from our current home.  The plan had been to move to this ‘new’ region, and we were happy to have bought in a nice area, even knowing there would be plenty of work to do on the house.  My husband has always been an “I can do this myself” kind of guy and was quite good at getting things accomplished, once he figured out what exactly he wanted, and how he wanted it done! 

Initially, we made small improvements, but we felt like we were at least moving forward.  Then my husband, who’d been fighting varying illnesses for a very long time, became increasingly more ill.  He was now in no position to continue the large projects staring at us, waiting to be finished.

As we get older our lifestyles eventually change.  Our bodies are weaker, funds may or may not be available, our interests change and it’s just hard to keep up the fast pace we moved in, before the years took its toll.  We learn a lot along the way, if we allow it, and are open to the lessons.  We all experience ‘firsts’ and ultimately, we also experience ‘lasts’ in our lives. 

As Believers, we find it’s vital to growth when we listen to what our journey teaches us.  It’s those lessons we’ve learned from experience, that enable us to teach our young ones, and sometimes even those not quite so young.  

Life isn’t supposed to be a sprint.  We are given just enough ‘umph’ to be driven to get things done when we are young and full of energy.  We begin slowly, pick up speed as we become more educated and physically able, until we often find ourselves moving so fast we can’t even see today!  

As we age, our journey slows once again and we have the opportunity to stop and ‘smell the flowers.’  It’s not always a sweet smelling place we find ourselves, however.  Getting older brings joint pain, the inability to run a marathon, the lack of energy we once had, the need for greater rest and the list goes on and on.

But God’s grace is always available to get us through.  We are given our ‘daily bread’ just as God planned, if we ask for it.  We are provided with the needs of our day that helps us continue this ‘cross country journey’ that was never designed to be taken at a gallop!

As we persevere, our ‘new normal’ that seems to have entranced our leaders and subjected us to isolation and other restrictions (which are being lifted), we need to remember that regardless of the circumstances that threaten to overwhelm even the strongest of us, God is still in control.  He’s the one who isn’t blindsided by any situation.  He’s with us, pulling (or pushing) us onward with just the right amount of energy, as long we are doing our best!  

I’m grateful for a God who cares about all my journeys, even the daily ones! His Spirit offers me peace and comfort, while allowing my journey to glorify Him when I stay focused on His Light.

Photo credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image?phrase=cross+country+running

Pushing The River

 

      On our way to church yesterday morning, a person ran a stop sign, only to go about 1/4 mile and then stopped at the local mini-mart.  I didn’t see him get out of the truck, but clearly he was in a hurry to get there!  

It isn’t uncommon on a dual highway to see people travel six to ten miles above the speed limit.  Some will even travel even faster.  No doubt each of these who swerve between cars, in and out of lanes at a rate of speed much higher than designated safe, are in a rush to get to somewhere quickly.  They may be late for an appointment, work, or just want to get past the traffic first.  

Other times as you travel the highways, particularly in the morning, you may witness a person putting on make-up, combing their hair, or even brushing their teeth!  It seems totally absurd that someone would leave their home so late they can’t finish their personal morning grooming in the bathroom; but find it necessary to drive with their knees, or finish ‘getting done’ at a stop light or going down the road!

Our lives seem to be lived by a ticking clock, with only five seconds to spare no matter what the event before us!  This seems to apply to every aspect of our lives, from getting up in the morning, to flying to work, getting as much done as possible in that arena, only to finally make it home to rush through dinner (or needing to stop at a take-out to supply the family with their next meal), to rushing out again to sports events our children participate in, or appointments or other obligations to which we’ve committed, all the while glancing at the phone for the time, so we aren’t late to our next engagement!

Is this the way God wants us to live?  Are we setting ourselves up for an anxiety attack or worse a heart attack?  Are we stressing ourselves so much we don’t even allow time to think?  We fret from moment to moment on a racetrack we have created (even if unintentionally) trying to accomplish as much possible, in as little time as possible. 

In addition to what all this stress can do to us physically, I wonder about the impact it has on our families and spiritual lives.  Are we taking the time to nurture relationships with our loved ones?  When we are so much on the move, our minds have little time to rewind and reset to be still long enough to enjoy those precious moments with our children, spouse or Savior.  These are moments that can never be reclaimed.  We are so busy being busy, we are missing the ‘now’ in our lives and theirs!  

Our children continue to grow even when we aren’t looking.  They can be involved in numerous activities, yet, if we don’t spend personal time with them, what example have we set and more than that, how can you nurture a relationship?  Simply being ‘taxi driver’ and meal provider isn’t the same as sitting down, breathing for a moment and then having conversation with them. 

We miss what is on their minds, hearts, and in their world, or problems they are facing or to take note of successes they have had.  The world is cheating us of the relationships that make our lives worthwhile, including our relationship with Christ.

Are we ‘pushing the river” or trying to ‘paddle upstream’ while staying on the fast track of life?  How’s that working?  I encourage you to share!  I think we all try at some level to accomplish this.  What discoveries have you made?