The contrast was fresh, startling, and overwhelming. The day is bright, crisp, and clear. It is good to be home with all the cheer, enthusiasm, and happiness that having three bubbling girls in your life brings! Work momentum is building, life is taking on good shapes, and a gentle spirit of kindness seems to pervade almost every conversation I am in. Then it hits; one Xeroxed memo that is several weeks old and a disturbing phone call. The bubble bursts and the weight of the world is coming down on one’s back.
No matter how strong you or I try to be, regardless of the disciplines that one employs, and in spite of the external emotions we put on, the fact is that “worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up.” (Proverbs 12.25) The highs of any moment are as vulnerable as a balloon is to a needle. It does not have to be that way, but for many if not all of us it is.
Yesterday’s information needs to be put in context. The memo reflected an old conversation that has already been taken care of, or at least I think it has. The phone call reflects damage done months ago. The person involved was probably not at fault at any point in time, yet has gone to extraordinary lengths to apologize and make amends. What more could anyone ask for?
The fact is that each of us easily forgets the good things that are happening all around us. The world is a difficult place, with pain and difficulties falling on the good as well as the bad. It is easy to presume that you and I should be immune, but I can assure you we are not! The awesome news we often forget is that we are extremely precious to the Divine power of the Universe. We are His friends, Her children, and heirs to a eternal kingdom. The kingdom is not in the future, it is here today just waiting for our yes. Remember, God loves you and me.
