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| A gentle reminder - some of life’s most precious moments happen when you least expect it… |
As previously referred to in another wrote (see post from March 2013 entitled "The Pathway) – I was traveling
down a beautiful road, one that I
thought I was destined to travel upon all the days of my life only to have been
chased off the road but the fattest, ugliest, sexless looking of trolls. It was a private way and the disgusting troll
had reminded me that the road belonged to her, pulled out her ownership papers,
barked at me to be on my way off her property. Heartbroken – I had no other
choice but to change route and cross over upon another path. Looking behind me at my beloved road one last
time, I realized that the road was subservient to its troll and would always
be. The pure natural and vibrant beauty
of the road would remain unrecognized, unappreciated and neglected - its
location taken for granted –all the days of its existence, which was a shame for its beauty was such that
had I been able to remain upon it, I would have danced and frolicked and
appreciated its natural beauty all the days of my life.
My head downcast, and being such, I did not see the different
kind of beauty in the new path I’d taken. Different from whence I had come. Golden
sunshine peaked down in between tree leaves; birds sang joyfully, honeysuckle pungent
and thick filled the pathway with a natural wild sense of beauty. Yet, I missed it all for my gaze had gone to
my feet – not in front of me, and my shoulders were slumped in defeat, I cared
not where I roamed. Like a leave
flitting about in the wind, I went mindlessly forward, all that had been
vibrant and full of color now in my present state of mind, had become black and
grey. I couldn’t venture on the road I longed for, so I no longer cared, the
beauty had dissipated in the world around me.
Walking with downcast eyes and a heavy heart I did not see
the tall oak of a man until I bumped right into what apparently was a set of
trunk sized knees, it startled me (so
lost was I in my own thoughts of sorrow).
Like a startled deer poised for flight I froze in the headlights of this
unexpected intruder. (Although truth be
known, I suppose I was the intruder, since I was the stranger upon the path).
“Whoa…,” Said a strong steady voice. He stretched out a solid arm with large hands
to keep me from toppling over.
I lifted my head up. This man was so tall I had to lean back
and stretch my neck waaaaaaay up to see. Hazel eyes in a heart shaped face
looked down at me with amusement. A red
beard handsomely mapped his lower rectangular jaw. He looked like a combination
of a woodcutter and a leprechaun gone giant, but there was a gentleness that
exuded about him that looking upon him, made me feel unafraid.
“Why are you so downcast?” He questioned, raising a large
pointer finger to lift up my chin so we could be eye to eye. “You should be looking ahead of you, not
down.”
“I suppose I should,” I responded with a sigh, “yet I care
not where I go. I am journeying wherever
it is my feet choose to lead me…”
“Such a lovely face should not be wearing such a solemn
look.” He stated. “Come, no doubt you
are hungry and I am pleased to share my lunch with you along with some words of
encouragement to make it all the more palpable.”
He led me along the pathway to a small flowing stream. This gentle giant of a man sat cross legged
on the ground and encouraged me to do the same.
Sighing, I obliged. He opened a lunchbox, which I had not noticed was
beside him; broke off a piece of bread and a chunk of cheese and handed it to
me. I was about to decline except for
the dead giveaway sound of rumble from my stomach, so I decided to partake of
his generosity.
“Tell me your story,” He said encouragingly, leaning forward
to listen attentively. His face so close to mine I could count freckles that
danced upon his nose. His red well
groomed beard gave him an almost regal look, and the kindness in his eyes
encouraged me to share my tale… About the unexpected beauty I had fallen upon,
the temptation to proceed, which I gave into, the joy and love and completion I
felt walking along what I had thought was my own little beautiful road… How I
got chastised and commanded off by the horrible troll and found myself alone,
discouraged and at a loss as to where to go. When I was finished, I rubbed my
hands together to free them from the crumbs and looked up into the face of this
gentle giant to see his reaction to my tale.
How astonished was I when I saw eyes filled with tears and compassion.
He was quiet for a moment, this giant of a man. When I gazed
up at him I saw a range of emotions cross his face and it seemed as though he
was trying to gather his thoughts. Why
should one feel so strongly for the journey of a stranger?
He was quiet and I
was uncertain whether I should stand and leave or sit and stay. And then he spoke…
“In life you will encounter many various roads and pathways…
I have found that the best ones are those that travel wide enough for two and
go “both ways.” Even those that are not
easy on your feet teach you endurance and perseverance; and though you may not
realize at it the time, strengthen you for the journey ahead. The most important thing is not the beauty in
the surroundings around you or the context of the road itself – but how you travelled it… Life is a journey
down many roads. Think on this – what did
you learn from this last road you took?”
I listened to his words and thought long and hard before I
answered. “I learned of love and
friendship. I learned that life is much better when shared. I learned that there are many more meanings
to “unequally yoked” than what I had been originally taught.”
“So you see,” said he. “Although you no longer journey down
that road (and not at your own choosing) you have gathered a lot of insightful
treasures along the way. Hence, the roads
that you travel end up coming together and forming a map called, “YOU.” Think now, what else did you learn?”
I tapped a forefinger to my lower lip as I recalled my
journey through the road that I loved. “I
learned more about myself. Humbleness,
compassion, mercy… I learned forgiveness and most importantly of all that each
person’s journey is their own and not to be judged by the observer.”
“Well then,” he exclaimed, “It seems to me that was a road
worth traveling no matter its end… You are a better, wiser person for it. Or so
it would seem to me.” He rose from his sitting position and once again loomed
high above me. He reached down to extend a hand to me to help me up. I could not help but notice how small my hand
was in his immense larger one.
“Who ARE you?” I couldn’t help but ask, curiosity taking over
and then blushed with embarrassment at my straightforwardness, for surely it
was not my business.
He grinned at me – such a boyish grin for a gentle giant and
responded, “Just a traveler like yourself.” He gathered up the remainder of his
lunch box, closed it shut and tucked it under his arm.
Looking around at my unfamiliar, yet beautiful surroundings –
seeing the newness of the path for the first time, shyly I asked, “would you
journey with me a while?”
He looked at my shy expression and laughed a deep laugh, his
hazel eyes filled with amusement. “It
seems as if we already are – for you stand upon the same path as I.”
“Very well, “I said my own laughter ringing with that of his.
“Lead the way…” And, although he took up
most of the pathway with his size and his girth - He did.
The moral of the story is to always try and find the beauty
in whatever path life leads you. Abraham
Lincoln once said, “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice
because thorn bushes have roses.” The choice is ours, it may not be the pathway
you imagined you would journey on – maybe it’s not the one you wanted or perhaps the choice has been taken out of your hands, not yours to make… It just might be better than anything you would
have chosen for yourself…
“Trust in the Lord
with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge
Him and He will direct your path.” (Psalms 3:5)
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