Thursday, September 20, 2012

Come to the Light



I've always loved this picture of my husband.  It was taken on his first "outside" venture after he shattered his tibia by falling off a ladder and had surgery that left him with two steel rods and a heavy apparatus sticking out of his leg.  He was pale from being inside so much, and he had lost about twenty pounds, but his spirits were high.  "Wow, it's great to be alive!  What a beautiful day! It's so bright out here!" were his enthusiastic comments. At the time, it surprised me that he saw things in such a positive light.  Then, as I reflected on the fact that he had been in bed or on the couch, immobile and unable to do anything for himself for weeks, I got it.  

Why is it that we fail to recognize the beauty and glory of something as simple as a blue sky, fresh air, and green trees?  Is it because we are so driven in our everyday lives, so busy working our jobs, worrying about bills, connecting with our devices, that our imagination and sense of delight in everyday things disappears?  

I am always blessed when I observe others who share my faith in God going through really tough times, such as cancer diagnoses, accidents, lost jobs, even the loss of loved ones, with so much grace and peace.  I had three close friends tragically lose their young adult sons over the past few years, and I have marveled at the resiliency of the human spirit.  Life does go on, healing occurs, and joy cometh.  There must be something God built into the human psyche that recognizes and goes to the light after a time of extreme darkness.  We just can't stay in that dark place for too long because our spirits long for the light.  We yearn for it, and when it comes, we recognize and delight in it.

If only it didn't take these hard things to get us to stop and smell the proverbial roses.  But such is the nature of man.  Time to go. I think I'll go outside and sniff the air a bit.