It's beautiful, this thing called life. There are times, like the one I'm currently inhabiting, that I ache with how wonderful it is...and how much I love every, single, detail of this stunning, wonderful, terribly hard, worth every second of it, thing we call life. It's hard for me to imagine not wanting to grab on to every moment, savoring it all for the glory of His name. For He has gifted us with the breath we breathe, and what a gift it is.
So easy to forget. So easy to get caught up in what is hard. So easy to complain about all that is going wrong. It's a waste of the breath He has given.
The snow dances down, harder now. The world is transforming itself into a winter wonderland, mesmerizing and lovely.
I have wasted much of my breaths, complaining of what I do not want to go through. The lesson is, the hard moments I'm thrust into, the pain that often follows, what I cringe at in the rough moments, all of this is like the rushing waters of the river I love to sit by. Picking me up like a stone, at times feeling jumbled and bruised, yet it is smoothing away the jagged edges of my soul. The hard lines are made smooth where they need to be, and yet, even within the smoothing, He teaches me where other lines need to be made strong. Whew. It can be exhausting...it's often exhausting...but, when I sit and think of all He has used the pain for, when I see so clearly how He redeems every moment if I'm willing to learn the lesson, it makes every hard, terrible, unbearable moment worth it all.
Still, the thought remains more than anything else, life is terribly hard and wonderfully beautiful. Those small moments that slip by us so easy, that don't have any great significance, these are the ones that often hold the greatest beauty. Simple, ordinary, lovely, in all their commonplace ways.
Perhaps it's because I feel the sand slipping through the hour glass. Time wanes and earth longs for the face of her Creator. It really makes no difference whether time ends now or in fifty years or more...the point is, what am I doing with my life? I know how precious the time I have right now is. Loving those He has put in my life, telling a generation who do not truly know, of that love which has lit my heart on fire. Truly, spending time with and building relationships with those around us...this is what makes a difference.
I may not ever have success in the way it is defined by my society...honestly, I don't want that kind of success. Money and esteem are not on the list of things I'm running after. My life may look like it is being wasted by not achieving all that is expected of me. Yet, I would "waste" it doing exactly what my God asks, rather than to waste it on that which will not matter when time has truly run like sand through the hour glass. And what this looks like for me will look totally different for you. Perhaps He has called you to be a doctor or lawyer or something else completely. The point is not what you're doing, but that you're doing exactly what He has asked. No matter how grand or humble it may be.
The snow continues to come down like white cotton candy from thick, gray clouds. My thoughts are many, these are just a few. The hum of the wood stove is the background to my writing and reading and thinking.
Charlie and I went adventuring yesterday. Look at what I found on said adventures:
Gah! I know! Isn't it beautiful and a bit forlorn? I want to take him home....he looks like he needs to be loved:) I have an affinity for old VW vans. I. Love. Them. If I could drive anything and money wasn't a factor, I'd totally drive one of these....yeah, I pretty much don't care anything about new and nice cars. I'm still driving the same car I had my first year of college....yes, he's running just fine, thank you...well....sort of;)
On another note, here is pretty much the best breakfast place ever:
Argue with me all you'd like about how your breakfast place is better than mine. You're just going to have to go to breakfast with me here:) Well, this is actually three hours from where I live, but let me assure you, there are plenty of perfectly wonderful breakfast places in my little valley! And I'm absolutely in love with going to early morning breakfasts with friends....juuuust sayin....
BUT, look at what we had:
Oh my, it was quite wonderful! See?? Look how good I'm doing with taking pictures! I know, you're proud of me, aren't you? ;)
And Charlie was super excited about it all:
Well, I'm off to read and write and thoroughly enjoy this beautiful day in which I'm living. I hope and pray that today, you will think of all the beautiful things He's given you. Think of what He's asking of your life and be assured, when we give up everything for Him, He gives it back ten fold. He loves you so much and is longing to have your life in order to give you the very best He can. Don't settle for what the enemy has lied to you about. Don't settle for a life that is what the world tells you it should be, run hard after your God and watch and see the Heavenly life He will give!
© Jade Valcarcel 2013. All rights reserved
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