Lose Something by Barry Hughes



As some of you know, I am a person of routine. I like to fancy myself “disciplined” and “regimented”. Those who are around me most probably prefer terms like “compulsive” and “eccentric”. Be that as it may, I DO walk a certain route through the streets of my neighborhood in the same direction, every day. I know how many steps I’ll get in. I know how much time it will take me to arrive back at home. And I know that every so often I will find something child-related laying lost and alone on the same corner.
Once it was a pacifier. Another time it was the world’s tiniest hoodie. This trip, I came upon a lone, solitary little pink sock. Only at this one corner have I ever found such items. I wonder what it is about this “Bermuda Triangle” of the area. Things get left behind.
The scriptures call us to do things like “lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely” and to “forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead”. This little left-behind sock brought these childhood memory verses to serve as my companions this day.
What is it in my life that I might use these strange and disruptive days to “lay aside”? What sin clings to me and impedes my progress in becoming the person I could be, the person God wants me to be, the person I always intended to be before I was sidetracked along the way? What do I need to “forget”, to finally let go of and leave on the corner as I move forward in my life?
Perhaps we should give ourselves this gift during these difficult days. Perhaps we take a walk through our life and leave a few things on the corner behind us: Guilt. Shame. Habits we know are destructive. Unrealistic expectations. Bitterness. I know the list of those things that trip me up and hold me back from experiencing all God has for me. What about you?
I think I’m going to lose something on my walk today. And I am thankful.
Peace.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

God is at Work

Image
In the early morning I was struck with this image. It seems to have it all. Green leaves. Red leaves. Clouds. Blue sky. The cross high and lifted up to the sky. It seemed to me that there was the stuff of several good photos in this one place and at one time. So I took the picture. Life is like that more often than not, isn't it? Good and bad. Happy and sad. Calm and chaos. Peace and turmoil. The season of Advent and the celebration of Christmas acknowledges this reality. The people of old resigned to their fate, yet hoping in the future. John the Baptist bringing the good news that the time had come, yet thundering away at one and all. Mary afraid, yet faithful. A baby is born that changes everything, yet the world remains still weary and violent. But, in the midst of all this, in the midst of the whiplash of everyday life, God is at work. God is present. God is calling. In all of it. In every bit of it. Through it all, God is with us. During these holidays, when joy can be mixed
Read more

Quiet Surprises

Image
This little friend decided to pause and stare at me as long as I was willing to pause and stare at him. It was a beautiful moment of silence and calm and peace. I'm not sure how long we enjoyed each other's presence, but it seemed like quite a good while. I sensed no fear at all in this deer. Of course, I was on his turf and was armed with only my phone. I was driving when I spotted him, so I pulled over and parked. I thought he would rush back into the woods before I could take a photograph. What a pleasant surprise it was. Sometimes surprises burst into our life loud and big, like a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" at a surprise party or in a humming crowd at some huge event. But at other times, surprises slip into our consciousness, subtle and understated. A deer at the edge of the woods. A card with words of love when you need it most. The smile of a friend long missed. A feeling of peace when life is anything but peaceful. In fact, it may be that those quiet
Read more

Live Out Loud

Image
This is one big Woodpecker! I was visiting some friends who live in the mountains and saw this bird right outside the window as I sat in my chair and read. It is a Pileated Woodpecker, a bird that grows to be up to 19 inches long with a wing span of 30 inches, weighing 14 pounds. I still feel the same excitement when I see one today as I did as a boy. They are spectacular creatures. I'm sure that one reason I like them so much is that they remind me of Woody Woodpecker, a favorite cartoon of my boyhood. But another reason they catch my eye is they seem so strong and self-assured. They carry themselves with a sense of confidence. When they go to work on a tree, they are loud and proud. When they swoop in and out through the woods, they own the airspace. These beautiful birds live out loud. I have a feeling that when we live out loud, we might exude that same kind of confidence. When we know who we are, and more importantly, who we want to be, it shows. Not in bravado or arrogance, b
Read more