melissaw
The branches on my family tree are so numerous, they are difficult to count. There are so many grafts! People on my tree - a branch - that doesn't make sense, until I see the structure that branch provides. God really knows what He's doing when He's pruning and grafting those branches, doesn't He?
I grasped at straws, it seemed like. No meaning to life, other than to keep on going. Keep people thinking that everything was just dandy. Any word I could say, any phrase, any way to just keep on moving... Pretend until, one day, I actually believe it. Fake it till you make it, isn't that the way it goes?
When was the last time you looked at someone you thought had it all together, and wondered if they were really as stable as they seemed? Did you ever think that the ones that seemed like they were doing okay, even great, most of the time, might be flailing in the dark, just like the rest of us? Take the time today to reach out to someone, let them know you're praying for them, that you love them, that they matter to you. Don't leave them flailing for hope.
The past is full of pain and sorrow. But I remember the good times, too. I recall my fourth birthday party - I received a BraveHeart the Lion stuffed animal. He had the power to chase away all my bad dreams, because he was too scary for them to stay. Yes, that was the past. Now, I know that Jesus keeps me safe, and I have power in His Name. The past makes us who we are. The present prepares us. The future gives us something to look forward to. The past - it has shaped who I am today. Because of my past, I am me.
Under a blue sky, I relax in a chair, reflecting on days gone by. I don't know what today will bring, or tomorrow, or even the next day. I don't really want to know. To be here, now, in the moment, I am grateful just to be alive. Under the blue sky, I am content that God loves me. I am glad to have Him in my life.