Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Strangers and Sojourners

Life goes ’round. You tackle the piles of laundry, the runny noses, the carpools, and the dishes. Sometimes the tedium gets to you.

And then something happens to shake you out of your reverie. You realize with startling clarity that life can change in a second.

It comes in the form a phone call, a letter, a headline. It brings news of a diagnosis, a catastrophe, an accusation, a lay off.

Suddenly that endless to do list of the ordinary seems a glorious luxury, a comforting normalcy that has slipped away and threatens to be gone for good. You would gladly pay the bills, mow the lawn, scrub the bathroom.

Over the past year I have been reminded again and again that we are “strangers and sojourners” in this life. Too, too often it is a vale of tears, a walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

I have watched good people suffer profound losses – a child, a business, a reputation, a disease. It rains on the just and unjust the same. I, like my phlegmatic toddler, want to stamp my foot and yell, “It not fair.”

But God is faithful. Today we see through a glass darkly, but one day we will bathe in His magnificent light. The suffering of this present time will be over, and eternity will lie before us.

4 comments:

where did the time go said...

Well said, dear friend! Puts a lot of the past few months in perspective.

carden said...

Wow, so beautifully written! When I was younger I always thought "to thee do we lift up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears" was a little bleak...now I get it. Thank you for reminding me of the comfort of laundry:)

I found your blog via your "My Double Stroller Makes Me Cry" post at Faith and Family...I'm an "older" (ouch!) mom and know the feeling!

Have to tell you, your profile page looks like I could have written it: I love Kristen Lavransdatter (sp) and am working on my first novel about St. Thomas More (inspired by A Man for all Seasons).

Thanks for your inspiring posts!

Kelly@http:/inthesheepfold.blogspot.com said...

Thank you for your kind comments!

Two of the people I had in mind when I wrote this face very challenging days today. Please keep K and C in your prayers.

Carden - How neat that you are writing a novel. I wonder if I'll have the courage (and ideas) to do that one day.

Melissa said...

Hi Kelly,

I'm so happy to have stumbled here. I loved your post on faith/family.

My husband I started a blog that I want to share with you. It's called http://lightsmyway.com and is a place of daily Christian inspiration. In today's world there is a great need for healing and to understand what redemption means. Without God, our existence becomes sick and we can't survive. With our sea of technology, there has become this huge opportunity to become aware of one another, to encounter God through helping each other, sharing our stories, our testimonies. While the secular tries to run the race, the crusaders are battling for souls. Putting God back into first place is our mission.

I'm praying that Lights will be a place for some to share their stories of faith, and love in Christ. We welcome feedback and posts from others. I would be honored to receive a writing from you for Lights. It need not be long, just what inspires you to be Christian, your personal faith story, or what you're inspired to contribute.

God Bless, Melissa Moody
melissajmoody@gmail.com