Sunday, February 22, 2009

"There but for the grace of God. . ."


I have been thinking about grace, God's grace, the last few days. In my limited experience, it seems I have been blessed with an abundance of it. I don't mean that I am extremely wealthy in the ways the world counts wealth, or have everything in order in my life, but I know where I could be.

I don't know the reason God has blessed me. I don't know why my siblings and I all grew up in the same family, house, place in time...yet we all seem to be in such different places. The paths we each took in life seem to have led us in very different directions. I cannot say why, but I can give thanks for where I have been, where I am, and I know where I am going!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Obstructed View

ob·struct
Pronunciation: \əb-ˈstrəkt, äb-\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Latin obstructus, past participle of obstruere, from ob- in the way + struere to build, heap up — more at ob-, strew
Date: 1590

1 : to block or close up by an obstacle
2 : to hinder from passage, action, or operation : impede
3 : to cut off from sight (a wall obstructs the view)

--Merriam-Webster.com



The road was the sloppy, slushy, wet mess that roads sometimes are in late January, early February. I drove down the road, trying to keep the windshield clear, but there was one particular spot where the wiper blade was not meeting the windshield. Of course, it was directly in my line of vision.

The thought went through my head: Isn't this so much like our journey through this life? We are trying to get somewhere, accomplish something, and things seem to be going well, but then, splash, something happens and our view is obstructed.

We can see a little bit of what lies ahead, but it is blurry. We try to look through the smear, the blur, straining to see what is causing it. Why it is there, why it isn't going away? We may need to pull off the road for a moment, to clear our vision, but we cannot take our focus off the goal, the road, the purpose for our journey.

Our focus should be on our Creator. What does He want us to accomplish? Sometimes it is difficult to determine the details, but we need to seek His will, His guidance, and ensure we are living according to His word. We will make mistakes. We will turn down the wrong paths, trying to find our way. We will travel muddy roads that lead to obstructed views, but remember to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding: In all your ways aknowlegde Him, and He will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

In the beginning


In the beginning was a whisper. This is a place for thoughts, some random, some inspired, some thought-provoking (hopefully). Some days images, words, or people can make an impression, spark a thought process, create an image in our mind. This is the place where I hope to share some of these happenings. I don't profess to be a philosopher, or scholar, or great thinker. I am just an ordinary person with a mind that wanders. . .