A Steel Train

My life is a steel train rushing full steam ahead. Sometimes I feel as though I am a passenger en route to a clear destination, and life is full of meaning and purpose. Other times I feel like a box car child, running alongside the train, trying to hitch a ride. And then there are times when I sit in the comfort of my seat from the confines of the train station, watching my life go by.

I love the days when I am traveling on to a place where mountain tops collide with the sky instead of running to catch up or sitting in a lonely, stale room.

Where are you today? Are you on board this train called life?

Jesus says in John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

God Speaks

I travel on a dusty road. Some days the sun shines its warmth on my face. And other days I just know the sun shines even though I cannot see it beyond the clouds.

I travel on a broken road. Some days the voice of God whispers in my ear. And other days I just know God speaks even though I cannot hear him this side of heaven.

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." -Jesus (John 10:27)

Goodness

I thought the opportunity to receive the goodness of God arrived on my doorstep an hour too late. But then I realized the goodness of God never arrives late. I just happened to be looking in the wrong place. So instead of finding it in a package on my front porch, I discovered it perched in a tree, singing sweetly. Then I discovered it setting in the sky, all fiery and orange.
And as I looked even further, I found the goodness of God wrapped tightly around my heart.

Have you discovered the goodness of God?

"For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
-Romans 1:20

Holding Steady

Finding a common ground when no common ground exists is like discovering a level place to stand in the midst of soggy ground. But the place that holds steady is not always the place we call familiar. Still, new territories can lend themselves to new horizons, depending on the point of view.

How are things from where you stand?

"He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm."
-Psalm 40:2

Overgrown

It was late in the day before I realized how overgrown my life had become with plans strewn across the afternoon and people crowded around. Life suddenly flooded with activity. Then conversations rose as dense as fog, dulling my senses to my surroundings. So it should have come as no surprise when fatigue set in, hanging low in the sky, lingering until dusk discovered the night. Then darkness set in. And yet I still found my way home thanks to a well lit path.

"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."
-Psalm 119:105

Planting

If patience grew as plentiful as grapes growing like clusters of jewels on a vine, then I would pick a plethora. But the heat of summer has left everything dry, so I find patience to be lacking. Still, I wait in hopes that a new vineyard will sprout, only not in the soil of a fertile field, but somewhere in the soil of my heart.

"Don't be misled--you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant."
-Galatians 6:7

The Climb

At first I only planned to walk a mile, but ended up walking for what seemed like a lifetime. That's probably because I thought the road would be flat and smoothly paved, but I mostly climbed along a steep, narrow road. And as I climbed, I began to shed layer after layer of myself. The sun grew warmer, and more and more of me melted out of my pores, falling onto the very same dirt my feet then trampled. So that as I reached the top, I saw only a mere shadow of who I was at the bottom.

"That's why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ's mighty power that works within me."
-Colossians 1:29