I was on my way to school this morning, tired, cold and somewhat late (I'm too obsessive about little things to ever be horribly late even if it means leaving the house in my pajamas). Well I spent almost the whole drive trying to determine what streets would be clearest to drive on, since we had quite a bit of rain yesterday and I did not really want to risk breaking yet another essential part of my poor little car while plowing through sandy washes. The highway wasn't an option simply because I don't like driving through town, having to look at other cars and buildings and such. Plus I just despise busy streets; I'm one of those annoying folks who would willingly take an extra two hours to get anywhere, avoiding freeways and taking surface streets as much as possible.
Well, I finally reached the street I was most trying to avoid, a beautiful but hilly residential area that I drive through every morning. "The scenic route," my dad terms this little stretch. I made the decision that I would give it a chance, as it really happens to be the only part of my drive to school, aside from the blaring country radio, that brings me any great happiness.
As I drove along the winding little road, dodging debris while maintaining a pretty fast speed, I glanced up at the sky and thought I saw something other than clouds. No, nothing there. I set my eyes back ahead of me, just in time to miss some large menacing car parts (not my own, thank goodness). But out of the corner of my eye, I kept thinking that I saw flashes of color in the sky just to my right.
It started driving me crazy. Every time I looked up to my right, I would see only clouds. Every time I looked down at the road, I would get a glimpse of mocking colors. Then I tried something different. I looked straight up ahead of me, rather than to the right or left or at the muddy ground.
No sooner had I tried this than a little rainbow popped into my vision! It was faded, yes, and perhaps not the glorious, brilliant colors that we have all been awed by before, yet it held its place in the sky with such persistence. It seemed to be waiting just long enough for more sunlight to break through from the thick blanket of clouds, in order to become better illuminated. My own vision of it was limited, yet each glance made me want to look longer, to take in more of that simple beauty. It filled me with much joy.
We all try so very hard to find the things that will bring us happiness, don't we? Some believe they deserve all the good at once. They stare at the supposed source of pleasure and find in all too short a time, that it disappears from sight, nothing more than vapor in the air. Some face so much hardship and pain that they believe happiness will never find them again. They focus solely on the rocky path ahead, and block out the "disillusionment" of beauty that haunts them from afar.
It takes a truly wise person to be able to set their eyes on the path directly ahead of them. They avoid swaying onto the attractive but treacherous trails to their right and left. They focus, refusing to allow blindness to shortchange them, even when a break in the clouds is not to be had. In the end, it is not simply a fleeting happiness they receive, but a permanent, even when sometimes faded, pillar of hope and joy.
Father, I pray you would mold me into this person, and help me never lose sight of the rainbow in my life.
Well, I finally reached the street I was most trying to avoid, a beautiful but hilly residential area that I drive through every morning. "The scenic route," my dad terms this little stretch. I made the decision that I would give it a chance, as it really happens to be the only part of my drive to school, aside from the blaring country radio, that brings me any great happiness.
As I drove along the winding little road, dodging debris while maintaining a pretty fast speed, I glanced up at the sky and thought I saw something other than clouds. No, nothing there. I set my eyes back ahead of me, just in time to miss some large menacing car parts (not my own, thank goodness). But out of the corner of my eye, I kept thinking that I saw flashes of color in the sky just to my right.
It started driving me crazy. Every time I looked up to my right, I would see only clouds. Every time I looked down at the road, I would get a glimpse of mocking colors. Then I tried something different. I looked straight up ahead of me, rather than to the right or left or at the muddy ground.
No sooner had I tried this than a little rainbow popped into my vision! It was faded, yes, and perhaps not the glorious, brilliant colors that we have all been awed by before, yet it held its place in the sky with such persistence. It seemed to be waiting just long enough for more sunlight to break through from the thick blanket of clouds, in order to become better illuminated. My own vision of it was limited, yet each glance made me want to look longer, to take in more of that simple beauty. It filled me with much joy.
We all try so very hard to find the things that will bring us happiness, don't we? Some believe they deserve all the good at once. They stare at the supposed source of pleasure and find in all too short a time, that it disappears from sight, nothing more than vapor in the air. Some face so much hardship and pain that they believe happiness will never find them again. They focus solely on the rocky path ahead, and block out the "disillusionment" of beauty that haunts them from afar.
It takes a truly wise person to be able to set their eyes on the path directly ahead of them. They avoid swaying onto the attractive but treacherous trails to their right and left. They focus, refusing to allow blindness to shortchange them, even when a break in the clouds is not to be had. In the end, it is not simply a fleeting happiness they receive, but a permanent, even when sometimes faded, pillar of hope and joy.
Father, I pray you would mold me into this person, and help me never lose sight of the rainbow in my life.
2 comments:
Heh, that's awesome. Amen, sister.
By the way, have you ever heard the term "shunpiking"? It seems like a word you'd get a lot of use out of.
What do you know, there's a name for folks like me! Actually, yes, I have heard that term. I was not exactly sure that's what it referred to however. DEFINITELY useful!
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