My mom and I took a trip this past week and encountered many obstacles. It was hard to remember that the destination was ahead. First, the roads were jammed with traffic. Second, there was road work being completed and three busy lanes merged into one, creating major slowdowns. Then, a heavy rain crashed relentlessly against the windshield making it hard to see. Unfortunately, I took a wrong turn and added an extra hour to an already never-ending drive. Mom and I were weary when we finally reached our journey’s end. But amazingly, when we were finally in the place we wanted to be, all the earlier trials faded into the background.
Difficulties can get in the way of our hopes and dreams too. But we won’t give up, because the destination is just ahead. “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9 NLT) Remember, we’re not traveling this road alone. God says with his help, our dreams are attainable. “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'” (Matthew 19:26 NIV) The plan God has for our lives is good, so we can travel with confidence. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT) Let hope arise, because the destination is just ahead.
Things to do today:
- Take time to dream.
- You can also read another blog called ‘Despite the Obstacles-Keep Going’ and listen to two songs by clicking on the blue lines above: Come to Me and Glorious Unfolding
The flowers I planted today were nice, but they hold no comparison to their future glory. Right now they’re a bit sparse, a little droopy, and a bit on the small side. Don’t get me wrong, the yellow flowers (coreopsis, yarrow, and petunias) on my front porch have already added a ‘touch of color.’ The red geraniums are taking a stand under the pergola of the back porch. However, I am expecting more color as summer approaches. My flowers need the basics: sun, water, and perhaps a sprinkling of Miracle-Gro. But their greatest need: just a little more time.
My class walked to the library early this morning in a light rain with warm air. Since we weren’t dealing with a cold wind and pelting, unforgiving rain, it was a bit of an adventure. About an hour later, however, everything changed. The next class walked in a thick fog with significantly colder air. That walk to the library wasn’t enjoyable; we put our heads down and marched determinedly on. Thankfully, the cool and damp air was soon forgotten in the light and warmth of the library.
I bought a bicycle like they use in Spin Classes at the gym. You know, the classes where all the participants look like they’ve been chiseled out of granite? Yep, I have that bike. It’s actually pretty hilarious as my body feels like it was formed from a large box of Play Doh. As I ride, I watch a Spin Class video and I think the instructor can read my mind. Just when I am thinking I might stop she says, “Don’t quit now! You can do this!” So I keep going. When I think I am not going to make it to the end, she says, “Come on, you’re an athlete, show us how it’s done!” (For some reason Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Glory Days’ is going through my mind…) I’m happy to say with the extra encouragement I usually make it through the workout, but I keep hoping it’s going to get a little easier.
If I want a picture of steadfastness, I know where to go. The Sentinels who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, D.C. fit the picture. They protect the tomb in every kind of weather-including torrential rains, blizzards, and Washington’s relentlessly hot summers. The Sentinels are completely dedicated to their mission-guarding and ‘watching the back’ of the unknown soldier. The Society of the Honor Guard reports: “It gets cold, it gets hot and the mission continues as it has unbroken since 1937.” Just imagine, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every minute of every day and every minute of every night, standing firm. The Sentinels exemplify Corinthians 4:2, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
My mom likes to put challenging 1,000 piece puzzles together. She had one with old-fashioned tea cups where almost every single cup had gold rims and small blue and pink flowers. Another one was a solid picture of sprinkled and frosted doughnuts which, quite honestly, just made me hungry. Her most recent puzzle is a football stadium packed with fans (Are you kidding me?). When she dumps a box out I can’t help but think it will never come together, because it’s just a jumbled mess that doesn’t look like anything promising. And yet every time, little by little, a picture begins to form. It doesn’t happen overnight and mom has to keep working at it, but each time the final picture is simply quite amazing.
In Ohio, the weather can be unpredictable. (I think I just heard someone call me ‘Captain Obvious.’) A week ago we had one such evening that I’ll call ‘Interesting’. Although we had temperatures hovering in the 70’s a few days before, this night it began to snow. I wish I could says that’s all it did, but Ohio let loose with every type of weather in its arsenal. We experienced periods of snow, then hail, and a little freezing rain for good measure. After that the sun came out for a minute, and the next thing I knew it was raining. Thunder and lightning followed, sprinkled with a few more snowflakes. At times it was a white blanket out my window, and then I saw the sun charge through the clouds. This roller coaster of weather went on for some time, and was impossible not to watch, as one second hail piled up in my landscaping, and then was abruptly washed by rain. On and on the changes went, each overshadowing the former.