The Road

I rounded the bend and caught my breath.  I heard it before I saw it - the sweet bubbling sound of the creek.  Many rains had brought the creek bed to life.  It thrills me!  A gift of grace that sweet, still morning.

My mind wandered to think about how I had no idea what lay ahead of me just around the bend in the road, like that happy creek.  Grace around every turn.  Where I live, sometimes you can see a long way, but you can't see it all.   There is always more beyond what you can see or around the bend. 

The creek bed had been a dry place. Coming down the hill and to that curve, I was fully aware of its existence, but not the transformation that had taken place.  It went through some fierce storms and torrential rains.  The result?  Life.  Beauty. Joy. Grace.

I had plenty to ponder that morning as I walked. The life filled creek and it's journey reflect  the dry times, the storms that waged, the heavy rains that have fallen in my life and I found myself overwhelmed to the point of tears of gratitude - thankful for the gift the dry days, the storms, and rains were.  I couldn't see them as such at the time. Looking back, it is all grace.

I am so thankful He saw fit to bring sorrow to my days and not leave my heart as ugly as it was.  I am so thankful that He took me through valleys so I could meet and engage in the lives of beautiful people who are traveling there as well.

What do the storms and rain bring to a dry life?

 Life. Beauty. Joy. Grace.

Sometimes I may think I can see a long way down the road of life, sometimes I may be at a bend and know I have no idea what is coming.  Either way, the reality is I don't know, and I am thankful.  I am thankful that around every bend is grace because of the One who is sovereign over all of it.