Sunshine, glorious sunshine! After days and days of cold rainy weather, I am enjoying pounding the pavement under a big blue sky, puffy white clouds and the warm sun.
I had planned a walk in the park but when I passed the place where I get my oil changed, I decided to see if they had time to fit me in. They did so I left my car and took my walk in the surrounding neighborhood.
From a side street, I turned and headed down the sidewalk of a busy street when a phone call came in that I needed to take. I quickly went down another side street to avoid all that traffic noise, only then to hear a nearby helicopter flying overhead. I kept apologizing to the person on the other end of the line and asked them to hang tight.
No less than a minute after the helicopter flew over me, an unleashed dog came running out of a house, barking incessantly as it made its way across the yard to greet me on the other side of the street. His owner called out to assure me he was friendly which was great except for the loud barking that was further delaying the caller still waiting patiently for me. I decided it was best to hang up since my circumstances were not proving ideal for having that conversation.
Obstacles. They are often unavoidable. We can attempt to dodge them, go around them and otherwise minimize their effects but some days, some seasons, the obstacles will continue to find us.
One thing is for sure, they will not last forever. We can do the next thing that seems appropriate and the next thing after that, surrendering to what is true in the moment, while trusting that eventually the present challenges will come to an end. We will get a reprieve and enjoy a peaceful rest in between the next set of obstacles.
My pastor often says we’re either going through stuff, we’ve just been through stuff, or we are about to go through stuff. Obstacles, challenges ... stuff happens and that’s life. Today let’s look for and cherish the gifts in between, no matter how brief it might be.
