I wake up on most morning to a sunrise filled with green. Two of Dubai’s lush spots are immediately within my vision. While both are made by the hands of man and nurtured carefully by a small army of caretakers, it is easy to not look beyond and see the sands quietly dominate life in the Emirates.
I have come to appreciate sand. Even in the middle of a rare sandstorm, it is good to realize how other forces creates the impression life is dominated by sand. If not for humidity wrapping itself around each grain of sand and the evaporation which follows, I often wonder how many sandstorms we would experience. However, this is a question for another day.
I know many are struggling within the dominating desert browns. They have tasted the forests, lived within reach of a cooling sea, and been lulled into a normalcy where green grass is everywhere in one season or another.
It seems easy to live where everything is as you imagine it should be. In my graying years, an awareness has emerged, sensing the barren realities of life in every community. The family struggle, the darkness dominating a soul, and the enterprise teetering on the edge of collapse may be just beyond our immediate vision, but these are part of our communities. We may only see the green, kids with homes to go to, neighbors going about their daily routines, and businesses with clean facades. Yet, many businesses are on the edge with no cash to pay their staffs or fulfill the next sales order. Relationships are often far more fragile than anyone is willing to admit or accept. Problems exist in your neighborhood and mine, often just beyond our line of sight.
When I hear someone complain, “My whole life lived camping among quarreling neighbors,” (Psalm 120.6) I find myself hearing the reminder whispering to me today. At least you see, if only others could hear. It is a universal calling; when answered, what you and I do will give birth to a new spark of life.
