Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Light and Shadows

Thankful for a break in the sweltering heat today, I went outside to go on a bike ride early this morning.

But first I pulled some massive weeds overtaking my garden.
Them darn things!



They get away with growing uncontrollably because they love the heat and humidity and I don't.

I also spent a few minutes gathering all the dead flower pots around my yard. Never, ever, ever will I again try and skimp on spending money on potting soil and use old potting soil mixed with whatever dirt I can find around the yard. It doesn't make the flowers happy and they end up looking like this...



Finally, after being distracted long enough, I put on my headphones connected to my all so loved ipod full of worship music, hopped on my bike and went for a quick spin.

It was a gorgeous morning but I didn't ride long. I parked my bike in the back of my house and sat down on my porch so I could finish listening to the song playing - one of my favorites right now by Christy Nockels, "Waiting Here For You."



It just so happened that all the weeds and dead flower pots that I had gathered before my bike ride, were right in front of me as I sat on the corner of my porch. And as if timed perfectly, the next song that came on my ipod was

 "Light and Shadows."

As I looked at all the "stuff" in front of me, weeds, empty pots, garbage, and listened to the words of this song, I began to think...

isn't this how life is?

Light and shadows. Life and death. Joy and sorrow.

Ya know...
We really want this all the time...




But a lot of the times we have this...




Light and shadows. Life and death. Joy and sorrow.

I want you to know...I know about this.

Sometimes life feels like death.

We often miss the joy for all the sorrow.

Light fades in the distance when in the shadows.

Solomon said...

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven..."


And it is true.

 Life is not one big bowl full of cherries.


There is death, and by that I don't mean physical. I mean death to things in our life that don't bring glory to God. Death to feeding our egos. Death to ol' number one. Death to our wants and needs. Death to sin.

Because...

Death comes to bring life.


"Death is at work in us, but life is at work in you."
(2 Corinthians 4:12)


It is ok when life is hard, full of disappointments, racked with pain, distanced by broken relationships if we know that
what sometimes feels like death to us, if given over to the One who makes all things work together for His good, can bring life to others.

That is what I pondered today, sitting on my little corner of this great big world.









1 comment:

J E A N I E said...

"For the joy set before us..." Right? That is an indicator that we might be in a not-joy place, but the promise yet unfulfilled remains!

Just from recent events, I can tell you that the sweetness in life is made sweeter because of the recent bitterness. My grateful level has risen, my praise for God's faithfulness is louder. I wouldn't trade what hurt for how I know Him now...