A limited view
The jagged rocks jut out on one side, made of stone seemingly unmoving. On the other side the branches of a tall bush with their flowers block the view of the placid, peaceful lake. The lake, the lush green grass and the shore line beacon to us come and sit for awhile, inhale the sweet scents of the spring time. Yet, we cannot move past these barriers to get to that illusive place of peace.
The stone walls in our lives look different yet, appear to be unmoving; the dead end job we are sick of working at, the people in our lives that constantly drain us of our happiness, the culture that says the more you buy the better you are and we cannot afford any of it. Then there are the branches with the flowers that block the view of the peace but give us comfort in their beauty; our families, children and spouses who we love but take so much of who we are that we can’t seem to get to that shore line.
We have a limited view of that peace, we have a scent of those spring blossoms and the other side looks so inviting yet unreachable. What are we to do? We are stuck! Or are we? Maybe that stone wall doesn’t need to be moved. Maybe we need to move away from that stone wall. We will never change another human being in our lifetime. The only person we will ever change is ourselves. So maybe we need to change the scenery. When those people who drive you crazy approach you find the beauty in their souls, pray for them and love them more than you ever thought possible. If you cannot change that stinking job then change up your attitude about it and challenge yourself within it.
Learn to embrace the branches of flowers that appear to stunt your journey. Those flowers are there for an important reason. Our families teach us love, selfless love and although they seem sometimes to hold us back from the shoreline they are providing more love in the present moment than that peace that seems so unreachable. Inhale the fragrance of where you are right now. Realize that the limited view is not blocking your way but is only another part of the journey. One day those flowers will fade and you will walk straight to that lake. When you take that walk make sure that you have learned, loved and lived your life to the fullest with grace and kindness so that when you find yourself immersed in the waters of the next world God will let you find that peace that you long for in the afterlife.
