Hey I can't believe I'm actually writing on my blog. It's not like I have time or anything just had some thoughts that had to come out in writing or I'd explode.
This afternoon I took a walk with my little bro. I knew we wouldn't have many walks together, so I wanted to take time to do this with him. It was a beautiful afternoon. A slightly cool refreshing breeze wafted over us the whole time we were walking. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the sky was openly beautiful. I was so amazed by the beauty all around me, and tried to point it out to Trevor. He would see it for a moment, but was soon distracted by his "important" task of picking up sticks. One time, I stopped at an appropriate place to sit down, and tried to get him to just be still and listen. Another time, I tried talking to him telling him how much I was going to miss him, and he listened for a couple seconds, and then was soon distracted by... you guessed it pickin' up those sticks. Well, Trevor really wanted to walk all the way to the stop sign and although it really wasn't necessary to walk that far. I thought it would be a good lesson to him of sticking to the goal. When he finally reached the stop sign, we made quite a fuss about touching it and headed back home. Trevor had quite an arm full of sticks by this time. It was slowing us down, but he kept stopping and yeah doing "that"... I soon informed him that if he didn't quit soon, we wouldn't make it home before dark. He finally picked up what he said was his last one and started marching on. But his "last one" was one of many and soon he was stumbling and falling with his huge load of sticks. I suggested a couple times that he shoud leave them behind. He would look at me with astonished eyes, and grasping them too himself as if he was holding some great treasure he would say, "What these, no way!" and with extra determination stumbled on his way.
I had to laugh at his absurdity. As we walked, or rather stumbled along though, I was struck with the thought that he was not alone in his silliness. I thought of how I try to hold so tightly to the sticks in my own life, things I thought would bring me happiness, things I struggled for, or sought to accomplish, so important.... I thought. I wonder how I look to God--pretty silly, I imagine. Those things that seem so important to me, are so often dirty useless sticks to God, things that are only weighing me down, distracting me, keeping me from hearing his voice, and noticing the beauty He has brought to me. I wonder how many times He has tried to point out something beautiful He made special for me, and I never notice because I am too busy "picking up sticks." I wonder how many times He's called me to sit down and talk to Him. Yeah, and like Trevor, I oblige him for a few minutes and then soon get distracted "picking up sticks". My task slows me down in my walk with the Lord, and keeps me from really enjoying his closeness, and his love. Then there are those aweful times that my "sticks" are so heavy that I begin to stumble and fall like Trevor. Then, just as Trevor's big sister was there right beside him helping him to pick himself back up again, sometimes even encouraging him to lay down a few, but always loving him through it all even in his silliness, so my Jesus is always there to pick me up when I fall, he helps me to have the courage to let go of some of my "sticks", but always loving me despite my silliness. Now that's the kind of God that I am happy to walk with all the way to the grand stop sign of eternity where I'll no longer carry the burden of "picking up sticks".
