TRANSITORY YAWNS

We have those times when life has its lulls of listlessness. One can never walk the mountaintop or stay in the valley without a pause. Of course, I think we would naturally crave the mountaintop more and are sad when it passes. Whereas, when one crawls through the valley of shadows and trials they always seem to last way too long.

It is so much easier to welcome the end of misery than the conclusion of happiness. That is never something we regard as a blessing. At least I don't feel it is seen as such.

Still, it does fade and even bad times can pass. Although there are times, such as with a life-threatening illness when it only fades at the grave. Somehow that is not quite the same in terms of seeing the misery come to an end as having a chance to soar among the clouds another time.

As Christians though death is only seen as a beginning. It is a chance to travel to our real home and begin our real life in the presence of our Lord and Savior. That is hardly a time of sadness, except to those left behind who feel the pain of loss.

But in between those moments we come to the times when there is a point of quiet. It is a welcome respite from all the uncertainty and problems of a valley. It might not be quite as thrilling as a mountain top, but we are at least in a time when life is quiet just the same.

This is naturally a time of replenishing, healing and reflection. It is a rest stop, not a sanctuary. And it is not a point of reward where you have arrived to a level of spiritual maturity where you get to retire from the walk of faith.

I've known a few people who viewed life in such levels. They actually looked at their lives and the point they reached as proof of God's blessing. Which is fine, for life is God's blessing, but it doesn't mean he suddenly excluded us from any future trials.

Yet, in the minds and spirits of those I've seen with such attitudes they actually convinced themselves that trials are a think of the past. That somehow their times of problems and struggle are gone forever. Yep, it is the essence of spiritual stupidity.

Life, fleeting as it is, will always change. God will not spare us the fire, nor ice, nor the times of quite. But we must keep moving, never assuming any place we reach in our thinking is a castle where we can live happily ever after. Many a soul has lusted for that kind of dream life. Some even conjure it through denial.

That works right up to the point when the next storm hits. Drenched, the world becomes a far more brutal brush against the senses. But hopefully we move ahead and learn instead of retreating to a closet and pretending reality doesn't exists.

And if by chance we are spending too much time napping, accepting it isn't the way life will always be is a good start to renewal. Then the next time we can hopefully reach of point of yawns and see it as rest, not reward.