PUDDLING TIMES
There he was, doing something I would never dream of doing! No, he wasn't involved in any criminal activity. There was no bank robbery or hostage situation. Nor was he doing something heroic, like running into a burning building to save a small child. He wasn't even occupied in something daring like bungee jumping or skydiving. He was just behaving like a six-year-old-boy coming home from school.
What was he doing that caught my attention? I guess it depends on your perspective. Some might call it wasting time, or dawdling. Others might consider it enjoying life. John had just gotten off the school bus, but instead of heading straight for the house, he stopped to break some ice off a few puddles.
Big deal, you might think. What's so wonderful about a six-year-old-boy breaking ice? (Even if it was the thin white ice that has air under it so that it cracks easily and makes a neat tinkling sound when it breaks.) Well, let me ask you a question. When was the last time you stopped to break some ice? When was the last time you snapped off an icicle, or spelled your name in the snow on a car window? When was the last time you did anything besides rush from point "A" to point "B"? When was the last time you focused on the journey instead of the destination?
You see, we're talking about a big shift in emphasis between the two perspectives. When we're focused on getting from point "A" to point "B," anything thatgets in our way is an obstacle, a nuisance, an unwanted interference. From this perspective, life doesn't begin until we get to point "B." But, when we're focused on the journey, every circumstance along the way is an opportunity, an experience, a surprise that adds richness and dimension to our lives. From this perspective, life is the journey to point "B."
It's always fascinated me that our Christian life, conduct, and actions are often described as our "walk." For example, Paul tells us that we're called to "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7, KJV). And John says, "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love," (2 John 1:6, NIV). What do we learn from this image of walking being used figuratively to describe life? Simply this: Life is more than getting to the destination. Even if the destination is the greatest point "B" of them all — eternity with God! Life is a series of steps. Faith is a series of steps. Growth is a series of steps. Most importantly, God is more concerned about the quality of our steps, than He is in the distance we've covered. Bottom line: there's joy in the journey, not just in the arrival. Let's hope we all have the sense of a six-year-old and stop along the way to enjoy it! Got any good puddles in your driveway?
