Posted by
ScarletPimpernel on Friday, March 07, 2008 12:23:42 PM
I've come a long way in the past five years. My life used to consist of waking up with a hangover, a sense of dread, and only a few minutes to get to work. I did not see a good reason for being. Not that I was suicidal but Life just seemed to be a practice in wasting time. The weather would bum me out on rainy cold days and even the bright warm days of May gave no solace. I could not put my finger on it but something was missing. The parties, the vacations, going to the track, watching basketball games with my friends - mere distractions until the empty feeling came back. I was restless.
Then I got saved. I always knew God existed and He made everything but I preferred to keep my understanding vague. All those "begats" in the King James Bible stopped me cold. I had been around Christians and even was a Catholic myself. But the "Good News" did not penetrate my being until I ran into my wife. She was not perfect but she showed me she was serious about God. Her actions made me stop and think about it. I decided to leap and ask Jesus to take me in. That was five years ago this Spring.
Now every day is fine by me no matter the weather. I give thanks and praise daily. Routine activities give me a chance to reflect on God's grace and His love for us. My days usually start with letting the dogs out. I'm still not the greatest at waking up, especially at 5 am. I stumble around a minute or two trying to find dog walking gear in the dark so as not to wake the wife. And I'm a bit sleepy and resentful to be honest. But when I get to the dogs my mood changes immediately. They are sleepy too, wriggling around and stretching, being gentle and quiet in the early hour. They drag me out at a quick pace in rain and cold and heat. I end up laughing at the whole situation. One of the many of God's gifts to man is a good dog and I got two of them.
I had gone back to bed after the initial walk this morning. My wife did the second walk a few hours later. When I woke up again, she told me she had spent time on the balcony watching the early morning rain. That inspired me to write this entry. I get a daily renewal for Life out of doing simple things. Watching it rain, watching our neighbors playing tennis and enjoying the pool, having a cup of coffee, playing with the dogs, making a delicious mess in the kitchen, sitting on the couch smooching on my wife while watching dumb movies- all are quite pleasing activities. Doing my job is fun now since I learned it's all about love, care, and service. Even the little things.