On Memorial Day my husband and I went for a walk at the
park. As you know we have had an
abundance of rain and as a result the walking path was more like a cross-country
running course than a walk in the park path! The path was dotted with standing water that at times took
up its entire width. As soon as I
would reach a nice power walking speed I would then be presented with a new
water obstacle. As I was dodging
these mud puddles I noticed that there was a really nice concrete curb on both
sides of the path that was perfect to practice my balance beam walking! In the midst of my cross-country
walk I was focused on praying for my family, friends and those I have the honor
of teaching on Sunday mornings. As
I walked, I prayed. I prayed for those who were facing challenges in their lives. As I prayed
through the obstacles the Lord would bring to mind a scripture that helped me
through my present physical obstacle as well as the truth to pray on behalf of others experiencing their own physical, emotional or spiritual obstacle.
I began to challenge myself to see how long I could walk on
the raised curb without falling into the muddy water on one side or the water
soaked grass on the other. The
more I focused on the mud and water the wobblier I got on my concrete balance
beam. Then I decided to . . .
“Fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfector of my faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,
scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
As I focused on the truth of that verse, my wobbling gave
way to a steady and balanced walk past the mud. Ben Carson’s quote came to
mind: “When a victim walks in the sand, he sees dirt, but when a victor walks
through the sand he sees the ingredients for a sand castle.” Attaining a balanced life is all about
perspective and what we choose to dwell on.
At the beginning of the walk I grumbled and whined to
myself, “Why didn’t they build this path with better drainage? Now I am going to get my shoes all
muddy! I am not going to be able
to walk as fast as I want to, since I have to be more alert of the muddy
obstacles. And by the way Lord, when is it ever going to quit raining?” If the Lord would have spoken to me
audibly I am sure He would have said something like, “Blah, blah, blah! Whine, whine, whine! Can’t you be
thankful?” The Lord brought to mind my friend,
Ronda, who had a horrific accident this past year and woke up to a paralyzed
body. One moment she was fit,
riding her bicycle at the start of a new day and then in the next moment, she
was totally helpless. She has come
such a long way in her recovery due mostly to her attitude of gratitude. I receive her prayer and progress
updates weekly and have been beyond blessed and humbled by her godly and
grateful attitude through it all.
So, as the Lord reminded me of Ronda, I began to thank Him that I
had the ability to move, to breathe, to walk, to stop, to see, to feel the
breeze and the heat of the sun. 2
Peter 1:3 popped into my mind,
“By His Divine power
we have been given everything we need for life and for godliness through our
knowledge of Him, who called us by His own glory and goodness.”
Yes, Lord! You
have given Ronda and me everything we need for life and for godliness –
everything! For in you we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28) A balanced beautiful life comes through
gratitude.
The longer I walked the stronger I felt! The mud puddles became opportunities to
praise the Lord for being the cornerstone of my faith, my rock and the one whom
I stand on, especially in those hard and messy times. The Lord has been so very good to me. I spent some years walking away from
Him and chose to walk through some mud because of some very poor and selfish
decisions. Yet, when I came to my
senses, broken hearted and beyond repair, the Lord lifted me out of the mud, He
did not drag me through it!
“He lifted me out of
the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a
firm place to stand. He put a new
song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the
LORD.” Psalm 40:2-3
Are you on a messy walk, trying to navigate through some mud
puddles in your life? Fix your
eyes on Jesus, the One who gives you life, who will lift you up out of the
mud and put a new song of praise in your heart as He sets you gently on solid ground.
Then you will find what it truly means to live a balanced and beautiful
life.
Out of the mud . . .
Praising the Rock,
Nancy