Our scooter group riding over a mountain range in Xiulun Township in Taiwan knew a storm was coming. Even in our ignorance of the sleet and snow to come, the dark clouds, rain, and wind were affecting everyone. During a break, I found myself staring out over the valley, the vantage point revealing more than I anticipated.
The challenge of understanding everything at the moment is always here. I see the obvious. It is the nuances in life, revealed with time, that I miss. My senses often detect that they are there, yet trusting these enough to slow down and reflect is always a challenge. The need to go often trumps the idea of using one’s vantage point to create insights for everything that is to come. As I look at the days ahead, from my vantage point, the reminders I want to give myself include the following.
Life is lived in the journey. As cold, tired, and sore as I was on the ride over the mountain range, I remember the friendship, wonder, and beauty I experienced. It is in the moment that is now that I live. Tomorrow will come in a moment much like the one that I have. The question is always one of doing what one can in the moment s/he has.
Life, for now, comes with pain and angst. Even as I looked across the valley, I could feel the darkness ahead. I did not appreciate how intense my sense of failure and my duty would be, but that is another story. I have come to appreciate that within each of us is a painful well. Paul spoke of it; “It’s an enormous pain deep within me, and I’m never free of it. I’m not exaggerating – Christ and the Holy Spirit are my witnesses. It’s the Israelites . . .” (Romans 9.2). For me, it was the uncertainty of the future and the hope within. The fear of not being able to hold on, to never share it with others, never leaves.
Now, it is time to ride.
