like sands through the hour glass...So are the Days of Our Lives

Days 48-55 reading assignment:
Leviticus 4:1- 16:28
Mark 2:13- 7:23
Psalm 36:1- 40:17
Proverbs 10:1-14

I'm not getting lazy, nor have I seen any squirrels.  My absence is purely circumstantial and I am doing my best to get some semblance of routine back in my life.  But it is always something.  And yes I do realize that I don't corner any markets with time deficits or family problems.  Our friends are a mixed bag of ages, geographical locations and economic levels.  Everybody has a story, heartaches, and worries.  Some handle it better than others and others don't handle it at all.  I've come to the conclusion that life is not meant to be easy or even happy.  We think that a series of bad days is some sort of curse.  If we could just see these days more as what are typical days of our lives, we might be able to really celebrate and experience the joy of a very random "good day."

I have been traveling a lot lately.  Not to places exotic or tropical, although Redding, Red Bluff and Chico, California feel more tropical than what our local weather has had to offer.  These short jaunts do give me many hours to ponder past conversations with friends and family members who are struggling with life, children, spouses and health issues.  I think we all reach a point when we want to say, 'why me?'  But what we really need to ask is, 'why not me?'  What, other than sheer exhaustion, apathy and a very rebellious spirit exempts me from life's lessons in personal growth?

I set out this morning to "be funny."  While he hasn't come right out and said it, my husband likes me better funny...well at least he likes the funnier posts better.  And while I don't feel any dark clouds hovering overhead, I can't get my humor rythm either.  What I am experiencing is the overwhelming thankfulness for family, friends and life.  Without these things one has no pain, but that which brings us pain also brings so much joy.

I had a text message this morning from a dear friend.  He has faced many serious struggles this past year but he is learning to find the joy in his journey.  His text said: "Good morning.  What a beautiful day.  It's windy, cold and snowy in the hills and my puppy pooped on the floor.  But I look at all these things as good.  The wind blows the leaves out of my yard, the cold makes the leaves look awesome.  Snow is good for deer hunting.  And I'm lucky to have a loving puppy.  Thank you Lord."  This from a guy who could find little to be positive about six months ago.

  Life is blowing by at mach speed.  Children are growing up and parents are growing old.  While life is too long on some days, Psalms 39:4-5 says:
                                                                       Lord, remind me how brief
                                                                       my time on earth will be.
                                                                       Remind me that my days are
                                                                       numbered --
                                                                       how fleeting my life is.
                                                                       You have made my life no longer
                                                                        than the width of my hand.
                                                                       My entire lifetime is just a
                                                                        moment to you;
                                                                       at best each of us is but a breath.
And then the clencher that packs the punch:
                                                                       We are merely moving shadows,
                                                                        and all our busy rushing ends in
                                                                                     NOTHING


It's time again for me to slap myself around, put on my big girl underpants and start behaving the way I wish I felt.  While I would love nothing better than to lie around wollering in a big, fat, pity party-  I'm thinking my time would be much better spent giving thanks for all these days of my life.


                           - I could have missed the pain,
                                                  but I'd of had to miss the dance-
                            lyrics from Garth Brook's "The Dance"