Amid the brambles and bushes

black steam train emitting smoke on concrete railway during daytime

It’s six a.m. The train whistle blows, signaling the day’s tasks are demanding my attention and time. The day approaches. Most days begin like this, like a golf swing – an intent, a trigger, a whoosh and a swat! Then, it’s over.

Our days resemble this “get going” pace, fast, like a forging train chittering the rapid clickety-clack dirge of clock time. The train rumbles, fading toward silence, as the whistle triggers our angst.

However, this morning begins in quiet, my mind and soul rest. Peace visits me for the moment. I wish to remain in this rest, but the day will soon claim me along with its challenges. I have asked God to prepare me for this day. He has prepared me now for 59 years. Ask or not, my days brought me to this place, to this rest and peace, to God’s assurance all is well. Despite this assurance, I still strain and worry, all too aware my deficiencies and weakness in faith, the whistling remnants from my past, will visit me.

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12: 9,10, NKJV).

Our story is simple. We are born and life itself is the soon-to-be unwrapped gift. We open it and, like children comparing gifts at Christmas, find we are not quite satisfied, disappointed as we feign delight. Not wishing to offend the giver, we attempt to bend the gift to our will as we harbor our disappointment. Our spiritual sickness is awakened and we compensate, desiring to choose our own sufficiencies.

The confident man has little need for perspective as he believes all to be well until proven wrong. A worried man craves it as he believes everything to be wrong until proven right. Both are confirmed when their eyes and ears and mind open to truth amid disappointment.

Life has been a good teacher and listening to God a better one, as each day, though hurried and fast, offers a new perspective. We learn conceding to light, God’s light, is just easier.

Perspective taught me bad decisions yesterday do not prevent good ones today. Jesus said it, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Yesterday’s gone and today I concede to grace.

Jesus reminded us to consider the lily. I am not yet a lily, but I stretch toward God as the lily toward the sun, reaching to bathe in His light and truth. He is my rock and salvation amongst the brambles and bushes life posits. I give thanks to God for his steadfastness. His grace is sufficient.

The train whistle fades. The night wanes. The sun rises. Perspective awaits.

“Those who have ears to hear, let them hear” (Matthew 11:15).

 

 

 

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