In my search for an email written almost four years ago, I came across a few I have not read in awhile. One in particular caught my eye. The individual involved was trying to convince me. I could feel the truth. I could sense what was real. At their best, the words in the email were wisps of smoke clouding my view. As sincere as they appeared when they were written, they did not reflect the facts.
Fortunately we have moved beyond that old email. The truth came out in the end. We dealt with the reality of where we were. Everyone grew from the experience.
It is easy to look back critically and wonder how the individual involved thought they were going to get away with the deception. Their words later continue to echo. “You lie so much that you lose track of what is the truth and what is part of the web you have spun. The only safe course is to keep spinning.”
I realize that spinning may seem to be the only choice in our lives, but there is another option. We can set a course towards truth. With that old email, truth did not come in a day. The time for resolution ended up measured in years and months. The growth that began then continues.
I find hope in the resiliency of the human spirit. It can endure far more than we imagine. Its capacity for forgiveness and compassion is great.
The foundation starts in seeing life for what it is. A writer reminds me “It’s written in Scripture, He [God] exposes the chicanery of the chic. The Master sees through the smoke screens of the know-it-alls.” (1 Corinthians 3.20) A honest conversation is a hope filled conversation.
Growth begins in the present. We do not start from where we aspire to be. It is in stepping out from the moment we find ourselves in that we begin a great journey.
Today’s sunrise comes with an invitation. I also know it is cold. Life is waiting; be careful, it can hurt.
