ANOTHER MONDAY

The cycles of time can be so mundane at times. So often week after week the days wear one in the predictable monotony of sameness.

There are always the valleys and the occasional mountains. It just seems that there are more valleys than mountains.

I'm not sure I think that sadness and stress are good substitutes for dull. Having a crisis hardly makes us every feel full of joy it seems.

Yet, life will always have those times. Whether we like it or not there will be challenges and tests of our faith and lives in general.

That doesn't keep us from wanting things to get better. And I know I'm just as guilty as the next person of playing that game of thinking I've reached some point where I have arrived. Where I've been tested enough and faced enough crisis to live a quiet and peaceful life.

I get to think that for about a day or two, sometimes even a week or month before things will change. It is never enough to totally devastate, but enough to remind that if we put faith in this life we will surely be disappointed.

This last week the routine took some unexpected twists and turns. We found out that somebody we had done business with and who behaved in a totally unethical way was in fact guilty of criminal behavior. I do not know what the end result of this situation will be, but I doubt the person will gain from being exposed for committing illegal acts.

At the same time my son had the joy of getting hired for a full time job as opposed to the part time job. It was a high point for him since he got a job in a field that he had wanted to work for a very long time.

Then sadly he ended up being the victim of a financial scam. Even though the joy of the new income will be a blessing for years (hopefully) the anger over being stolen from will haunt the days.

Was it necessary for both to happen? Couldn't he had the blessing without the pain? I can't really answer that in all honesty.

I do know that in the process we did see the hand of the Lord working behind the scenes and even in the darkness his light of grace still shined. So through the mixed blessings of another Monday came the chance to see life through the eyes of faith.

It might not be a life full only of the blessing you can put in the bank. Or the ones that lead to a chance to boast. But lessons learned are a blessing in themselves, even if we don't always have the time during our yawns to see them as clearly was when the tears fall.