Horizon

I try to get out everyday to walk. Some days are a hard pass especially with rain or bitter cold. Even on the days when I hurt, I was feel better when I stretch my legs and walk. I have a cute bundle of fur that also enjoys these outings. I don’t know about you, but I will repeatedly look ahead to see how far I’ve gone. I take the same routes daily yet it always amazes me how quickly the walk finishes.

Even when I realize I’m done, the finish always surprises me. I’m wondering why. Maybe because I have this tendency to keep my eyes on the ground. I don’t want to fall, so especially when the ground is uneven or maybe patches of ice, my eyes are cast down. What’s funny to me, in the middle of every walk, just after the first mile, Luna jumps up and down. Same spot every time. I pick her up and carry her for a moment and then that is out of her system and she is ready to run again.

I wish I could read her mind. I’ve come to depend on her little dance in the middle of the walk. Her encouragement to me (probably this is not her reason) always makes me smile and even laugh.

I have a dear friend in my life whose posts are funny and light-hearted. She will entertain with foibles of her distracted antics. And if you don’t know her well enough, it would be easy to assume that life is always great. There is another layer, friend, as to all of us, there is more than you see. She has daily, chronic pain that makes moment by moment processing hard.

I admire her courage to look for beauty and joy in her life. I bend towards sarcasm which can be funny, but it also can be sharp.

In my Lenten reading today, I was in Psalm 36. A few verses:

Psalm 36:7-11

”How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come upon me, And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.“
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.36.7-11.NASB1995

I think the Psalmist here is reminding us to look for the beauty of the Lord. To consider His lovingkindness. To remind us to take refuge. That God provides us with so much.

It’s interesting to me that I am also, as I have said, memorizing/meditating on Matthew 6. Jesus tells us:

Matthew 6:31-34

”Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.“
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.6.31-34.NASB1995

We remember God knows what we need. He knows it all. So, I know that my friend, looking for joy is on the right track. When I wake up in the morning and pain is here, I know what my first step needs to be. Listening and pondering the word of God. The words of man come quickly enough. Reminding myself of truth right away. This is not pie in the sky talking. This is real life. I woke up today hurting all over. It hurts to walk, to sit.

And I have a choice to make. Will I listen to the word of God and meditate on his precepts or will I run to other things? Something always changes when I bless His name. The other part of this Psalm 36 that hits me is the discussion of light.

Psalm 36:9-10

”For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.“
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.36.9-10.NASB1995

With God, we have life. In His light we see light, which brings me right back to Matthew 6:22-23:

”“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!“
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.6.22-23.NASB1995

In God’s light. May our eyes be clear as we fix our eyes of Jesus. We want to be full of light. It changes my perspective and yours. We long for the light of Christ, we have the light of Christ. Walking can be painful, physically and spiritually.

Yet, here’s what I know to be true. No matter what I face today, my God holds the horizon that I walk towards, but he also holds my day today. He is the light. I want to reflect his light and know his joy today.

So for whatever you face today, you can take the next step with Christ. I’ll end with some of my favorite words in Scripture.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭

”Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.“
https://bible.com/bible/100/2co.12.7-10.NASB1995