40 Words for 40 Days: Day 34

Hello dear friends,

    Is the sky that meets your horizon blue? Is there a crisp bite to the air as you step out amidst trees adorned in golden leaves? Or is your sky filled with twinkling stars as you walk along the sidewalk of this warm evening? Do you have some good news to celebrate, or is there some silent fear gnawing at your mood? In whatever setting we find ourselves, we can all be encouraged in today’s 7th word. It rhymes with thrive and is the first thing for which we can be thankful!

ALIVE

    I find great comfort in the scripture from Acts 17:26, “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.”

    Last fall, our oldest son, Gabriel, embarked on a new life adventure. Line and baby Karsten were already nestled safely in their new space in Norway, awaiting his arrival. Amidst the bustle of preparation, we seized every opportunity of time together, storing up memories to cherish.

    Dennis and I often catch each other’s eye, just as an exciting journey or challenge is opening for one of our maturing children, but then must quickly look away. If we don’t, avoiding the shared tears that spring to our eyes—the happy/sad tears of letting go—is impossible!

    We all can be ‘leapers’! This is my reference to living fully in the center of the moment at hand, and being ALIVE in it, but also ready for the next ‘yes!’ Time is short, our settings are fluid, no matter how permanent we believe them to be. And there is a time for all things as Ecclesiastes makes clear: for dancing as well as mourning, times to rest and times to work, but in all things, Jesus is near, ALIVE in us, as we put our trust in him. The moment at hand is full of hope, because it’s ours to embrace and use to God’s glory. The boundaries of time and space are authored by God, who moves and works in all things based on love. ALIVE in him, means trusting that we are safe in the center of his will. In this truth we can rest and find peace, in every circumstance we face.

    God bless you and keep you today!