Every Good Thing

I asked her how she was doing, this gym friend of mine. She removed earbuds inserted in each ear, hesitated, then told me how she was doing, really. Unflinchingly I nodded, I knew, I understood, I knew that road.  A tricky part of this life is re-learning what you thought you had already nailed. To cross that bridge once again, all wobbly and worn from trodding rough terrain, and foot lodges between slats, sticky discouragement sets in. I wrote down two titles on yellow Post-it retrieved from staff member, who in turn agreed on one title, saying he reads it daily. I handed her the small piece of paper, a prescription for aches and pains, told her one of my own copies is worn thin from all the studying. From all the learning. From all the trying to get it right. That just this morning inspirational words, they leaped from an ear-marked page, astounding me with their fresh insight, even though I had read this entry already, perhaps a dozen times and this is why I offered my friend the titles. Every good thing begs to be shared, delighted in, a bountiful gift is passed on, into the hands of someone else. Another fellow traveler. Oswald Chambers explained in My Utmost For His Highest, "God will bring us back in countless ways to the same point over and over again. And He never tires of bringing us back to the one point until we learn the lesson, because His purpose is to produce a finished product."

Later at home, I clipped blossom for glass vase inside, and this very good thing caused tears of gratitude to well in my eyes. And those feet that still slip and often stumble, I humbly plant firmly in His grace.

 

 

Climbing that ladder, rung by rung, holding fast to this radical grace, to the One who stands at the top, gentle hands patiently waiting. The lessons, they get easier after time, exhorting the virtue of patience, especially with yourself, and  repeated messages, they don't appear so scary, more like text messages with holy wisdom. An accepting breath escaped that day, flowing free, unhindered, paving way for next faltering step, for re-learning that walk all over again. 

And every good thing is birthed in grace.

 I opened the devotional once again, an ear-marked page, a chance to begin anew.