Headlights

My grandfather used to tell me about when he was in the Army Air Corps and often had to drive from his home in Oklahoma to his military base in California. He made the trip many times, often at night. He would say, "Kirby, when I got in my car in Oklahoma, I couldn't see my base in California. I could only see as far as my headlights would shine. But that was all I needed to see." He used that as an analogy to life. We don't need to see the end destination, but only what's in view just ahead.

What's in your headlights?

In my headlights I see a blonde lady ever increasing in beauty and two small boys. Oh, yeah, there's a business in there somewhere, too. But I find that if I allow my mind to get too far ahead I end up worrying about stuff that I have no business worrying about. When I do that I'm just straining to see California when I should just pay attention to what my headlights are shining on.

Heavy?

Life comes like a journey, not like a microwave dinner. It really isn't at all predictable like a Marie Callendar's broccoli fettucini dinner. This journey has quite a few hills and valleys, and you just never know how you got to the point of going up a steep hill. Whatever happened to the happy-go-lucky years?

Well, I believe they can be regained.

Things feel heavier when we are in the midst of challenge and hardship. These inflict varying levels of trauma to our hearts. And the result is that familiar (oh how we wish it wasn't familiar) twisting of the gut that makes us realize that everything will never be the same again.

But I've got a vision of Christian, the character in The Pilgrim's Progress, dropping his heavy load at the cross. Have you ever carried a heavy pack for long enough to hurt pretty bad? Oh the feeling of dropping that pack is utter relief.

So drop your pack.

Why do things have to be so heavy all the time? I mean, it might as well be the beaches of Normandy the way I see so many people around me hurting. And everyone seems to be carrying such heavy loads.

If you ever need to be reminded of how to regain "happy-go-lucky" living, just go sit down and play with a small child for a while. You'll remember. I guarantee it. And things won't feel quite so heavy anymore. I do it almost every day. It helps me remember that "...unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." -Jesus