IDareToHope

Day 5. Whew. Made it this far. 🙂

Today was Monday, which meant a return to work. I worked to keep a good leash on my tongue, and be kind with the words that came out of my mouth. Only with God’s strength.

I didnt make it down the beach until late, about 10pm. I had dinner at my friends, and we talked late and enjoyed going through beautiful photos of my sister and brother-in-law’s recent wedding. It’s still t-shirt weather out so I can get my feet wet without fear of catching a chill on the way home.

But the wind has picked up, and the clouds looked stormy. Lots of dark larger rocks have washed up, making it difficult to find small pieces of colored glass. It took perseverance and patience.

Sometimes my Christian walk is like that. There have been some very bleak times in my life, where it’s felt like all darkness, emptiness, or just periods of waiting. Waiting and watching. What does one do while walking through piles of dark rock, struggling to find joy? Keep walking.

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
Romans 5:3‭-‬5 MSG