Driving through the back lanes of Abu Dhabi’s Mina warehouse area always transports me to Southern California. The warehouses are old, seemingly 1950s-like. They sit, mostly vacant by all visible appearances, waiting to be torn down and rebuilt into something fit for purpose in the modern area. In certain areas, the process has already begun. Yet, street after street, the trees, shadows, and buildings take me to a reflective space where one looks toward the future through the lens of the past.
Not everyone is ready for change. For many reasons, I get stuck in what was yesterday. My thinking and actions reflect comfort, not intent. My openness is blocked by the comfort that comes from knowing one survived the day. I hear the call for change, for something new, “But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: ‘Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?’” (Romans 10.16)
Being willing to experience something new opens the doors for others. I find strength and courage as I see others step towards a better future. In the assurance that others can see what I am seeing, in their action, I find myself with the gift of additional reserves so I can reach for more. My willingness to move forward helps others as well as myself, for the journey never ends with a single movement.
Wherever we are is a foundation for more. I hear the suggestion that it is important to tear down the past to build for the future. I disagree. One must start with what one has. My heart and soul define me. Divinity says I am priceless; priceless when I am moving as well as when I am stuck. Great things can emerge from the old-fashioned warehouse that I am. I have no idea where the future will lead. I know I have others with me, in good times and those less so. Divinity can see the possibilities. Today, I can as well.
