Think back to Kindergarten or even first grade when your teachers would shout out to all the kids trying to get to the head of the line at lunch or for recess "Walk Don't Run." Or even this morning as I dropped my two boys off at school "Hayden - Gavin- Walk Don't Run." Such a simple idea that we all learned at an early age, but now it's vanished and everything has become "Run Don't Walk."
Jennifer Silvera sang tonight about Psalm 23, for those of us who may not remember it here's the link: Psalm 23
And the famous line:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
Notice the word walk through, not run, or jump, or sprint, but walk. Something that was taught to each of us at a young age, but forgotten. With this concept of "Grief", I've been running as fast as I possibly can to get through it. Pushing it aside, locking it away, but never did I slow down so I could walk through it with "the big guy upstairs."
Right now I take two steps forward and right away I'm taking two steps back. This creates a stalemate, which has it's place with "grief," but it's how you move to the next moment that defines you. If you run through it what have you left? Have you learned anything but how to push the pain aside? If you walk through it do you learn about you, get a glimpse into what your potential is? Or even realize what happened was part of the master plan. Cliche I know, but if God has a master plan could this be where the main character of the story either becomes the hero or not? A bit of free will mixed in there of course.
I know it's not a simple task to slowly walk through a life filled with grief. Perhaps this pain is a stepping stone for you to realize what potential God has placed in you amidst grief. And only you can take it out of your back pocket and uncover it for those around you to see.
Think of it as one of those cool decompressed sponges shaped like an animal; you add water and slowly it grows bigger and bigger until it's "potential" is awakened.
I'm finding that I have been shoving my potential further back in my pocket not realizing that just maybe the big guy upstairs has an Idea of what he intends for me. I hope I'm right In this otherwise I guess we'll all be laughing at my funeral.
For one thing it's a hard concept for me right now, he took a friend during the happiest moment of her life. So how am I to understand his point in this, another wake up call or a pure strike of lightning to awaken my soul. I guess it comes down to a flip of a coin heads or tails. Let's say heads a master plan. Tails simply a game. And here's the flip...
So remember back when in grade-school your teachers constantly reminding you "walk don't run". It's more than just a rule, it's a way to live your life: in happy times as well as grief times.
Apply it to your life "walk don't run" because really this could be the last thing you ever read. (now wouldn't that be depressing .)
