Face the West

Sometimes, in the evenings, I run. I put on my running shoes, head down the drive, and pound the day's worries quietly and steadily into the ground. Heel to toe, heel to toe - my burden lightens by degrees until I reach the two mile mark. About that time, I start to trudge to the top of the highest hill in the area. At the top I turn around and face the west. What I see makes me stop.

With the sweat stinging my eyes, my heart beating in my chest, my hands on my hips and my posture strong and sure I see the sun set red, gold, and yellow across my world. I see it span across acres and acres of corn and wheat and beans, across the silo and the red barn, across the top of old oaks, down the parraell long and lonely stretch of country road. I narrow my eyes, and farther yet I see it set red and gold across the roof of my home. Sometimes, when the timing is right I see my husband in the back yard, a tiny figure, playing fetch with our dogs. I see the yellow-red flash upon our window panes. Next to that I see the homes, roof after roof, of our neighbors and friends. I look farther still to see the road I'm perched upon strech on and on, past the fire station, past the school house, out and out - to the places that comfort me, and that I love.

I stand there, breathing deep, bathed in the same red, yellow and gold, and I tell you in those moments I cannot say a wordless prayer more sincere. I am the prayer. I am simply God's creation doing what I was created to do: adore Him. In my heart I feel it; I am beloved and at peace.

Grow Where You're Planted

Consider the Roses: My husband bought 4 rose bushes for me this year and together we planted them under our bedroom window. They took root and began to grow, although they did not grow new blossoms after the original ones wilted and faded away. I asked my green thumb brother why this was. He said, "Cari, you have to trim them back for them to blossom."

So that night I stood there before them, scissors in hand. I looked at them, and felt badly -- here was a thing I had nursed and loved, worried, fussed over and cared about. And I was about to cut them back and take off the precious new growth that was so slow and steady in the making. It took courage, but I did it.

I stood back.

Within days all 4 bushes began to form beautiful blossoms, bigger than they had ever grown before. To this day, I will trim them after each round of blooms - causing them to thrive and grow and blossom larger and larger. I take small bouquets into work for my desk, and my dining room table has a perpetual centerpiece. They bring me joy. And whenever I see that one of the plants has slowed its growth, I grab my scissors.

Is this so different than when we are cut down and despite good, slow growth in a positive direction our courses change? We don't believe that a benevolent God would cut us back to grow us, but look at this lesson from nature: He cuts us back and changes our direction so we can blossom like never before. It takes courage and perspective to maintain this kind of Faith; but we must do it, knowing that God is the Master Gardener and His plan is that we not only grow but thrive where we are planted—even if we require a little pruning.

Bella is a 10 month old Springer Spaniel. She is a very intent and I would say Happy dog. She likes to snuggle at the end of the day -- but before she crashes she always has her "eyes on the ball." From the first moment she wakes, she is purposefully going about her day.

Yesterday morning I looked out my back window. There I saw Bella in the yard, sniffling around. The sun was rising and the dew was thick and wet on the grass. It was picturesque.

What was interesting was that because of the dew I could see every step she has taken, every path she had gone down in her explorations. Intent as she was, her paths were not straight - from point A to point B - but instead zig zagged and curly, short and long. She had very "purposefully" wandered here and there - sometimes crossing previous paths, sometimes stopping short and beginning in another direction.

I smiled. How she has grown from a tiny pup I held in my two hands! How more confident and boldly she goes where she would not have gone before -- blazing travels in every direction. Searching, seeking, exploring, being; inconsciously reveling in being herself.

Despite her many paths she was safe in the world I had provide for her -- within our fenced in yard. And I knew at the end of her discoveries (perhaps clean, dirty, hungry or tired) she would come to the place meant for her - home.

And like Bella, sometimes when bad things happen to us or when our path in life is not clear we think our Master is distant and complacient.

This is not true.

God created us, has watched us grow, provides for us in our time of need when we think he has not. He marvels at our every move -- is intriqued at every place our free will takes us in our explorations in the world he has created for us. He sees every path-- a perspective we cannot comprehend-- all our curly q's and zig zags. At times he leads us but we stop short and aburptly go another direction. Every step meant to shape us, change us -- make us stronger -- make us closer to what he has intended. We are like steel being tempered in the fire.

Have Faith. He does.

He knows we'll reach our final destination; He knows we're coming home.