Spring means warmer temperatures, more hours of daylight and getting busy to dig in the dirt. This winter has taken a toll on me. I feel the cold in my bones more deeply, and the strong icy wind seems to blow right through my skin. The realization that I am getting older sets in. The gray days cause me to feel rather glum and I do know it is my choice to feel that way. Some days I ponder the question, “Is this all there is?” Other days I can relate to the adrenaline high of Rocky Balboa after beating Apollo Creed for the heavy weight championship!
It’s the ebb and flow of life: dark days, sunny days, seasons of walking though the valley of the shadow of death. Then there are times when I imagine standing at the summit of Mount Everest. In all the seasons of life I remain the constant student. Every day there is a lesson to be learned, a different choice to consider making. There are fascinating people to meet, laughter to be heard and tears to cry. If given a choice I don’t think I would trade one in favor of the other because even on the very worst of my painful days, those moments of pain impact me the most. As tears flow, I know and realize that heartbreak is part of life.
The death of a loved one causes me to remember the blessing they were to me as I reminisce and appreciate the time that we spent together. When there is conflict between me and my friends or coworkers, that situation allows me to learn on God for wisdom, strength and guidance. He shows me how to handle things in the best way. I smile when I recall the richness of a deep belly laugh with family and good friends. I realize how much I really DO love life. I don’t understand why things happen as they do, and I certainly don’t have many answers to life’s most difficult questions.
Life reminds me of a tapestry. The back side is all a mess and you can’t quite make out the big picture, but when you turn it over the picture is an amazing work of art. The lyrics of a song by Avalon explain it best:
Some days your own resolve is strong And other days you bend it's two steps forward, one step back and a stumble now and then You wonder if you'll ever really make the difference you've prayed that you will Well, I know that prayer will be fulfilled 'cause
(Chorus) Your life woven day by day is a new design of the glory God displays on the canvas of creation Through the poem of history in the pattern of redemption running through the tapestry Your life in Christ can be the greatest story ever told
You cannot see the hands of God or feel the grace that flows from Him through you to those you touch In ways you'll never know you cannot measure worth by human standards That's always a lie oh, you have to see through heaven's eyes how...( Chorus)
Each day, we all have an opportunity to play a part in God’s infinite design. Whether it is planting seeds of knowledge, sharing a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a friend, or just listening to someone as they gently cry, it ALL makes a difference on the canvas of creation. Use this day as a gift to bless someone around you.
With love,
~Diane~
Comments