Little Reprieves!
I sit here writing in my car as I watch families enjoying their simple liberties on this sunny, brisk October Saturday. It is sweater and scarf weather and the sunglasses could also come in handy today. There are so many families in the park. What a beauty!
One coach is teaching some young boys about 7 to 10 years old how to play soccer. I know that he is the coach because his jersey has it labeled on the back. In my rear view mirror, I see family members lined up in their outdoor chairs as they prepare to watch a real soccer match. I see colorful balls stretched out along the sidelines.
When I look up again from my writing, I see that the match has begun. The teams of boys have on blue uniforms versus the orange ones and they are off to the races to see who will win the game.
This is a nice reprieve from the daily activities. It is a welcome break from the storms and concerns that life dallies up regularly. One of my aunts used to say that things go along smoothly for a while and then another storm comes rolling along. We have to hunker down until it passes and hopefully come through it with as much intact as possible.
Little reprieves like this wondrous Saturday can offer us a chance to breathe and have our faith stabilized. Whether we believe it or not when we have been shaken, Mother Nature knows what she is doing. When we are tested, we have to hold on tight and bear down. Between those battering trials, we must exhale and look for those sunrises and sunsets to remember that life goes on.
Oliver Cromwell wrote that, “Nature can do more than physicians.” So like the strong swimmer, we come up for air and then we can carry on. We can pause as we stand on the rock of hope and affirm that, this too shall pass.
Fresh air helps us breathe as we adjust our attitudes and regain our equilibrium. There is an equation and a natural order though it may seem illusive. When I look up again, I see a parent strolling along with his two young girls dressed in soccer gear. This is proof that there is a balance! Those little reprieves hold us steadily as we continue on our journeys.
Lynn M. October 23, 2016
