July 29, 2015

HOW DO I SEE LIFE?

Once upon a time I heard a preacher giving

a conference talk. He was saying he saw

life as a battle. Every day was warfare.

And, oh yes,  I started thinking, “Oh no!” 

He had his Bible and his quotes to do battle

with anyone who wanted to argue with him. [1]

I know I wanted to - but then that would only

prove his point. I wanted to say, “Why can’t

you taste those days when life is a delicious bowl of cherries, instead of concentrating on all your pits?”

For a time I was trapped in that war room,

but inwardly I realized I could go  AWOL:

Absence Without Official Leave. I could

retreat from his front line. I did. I could hear

his battle cries lessen as my mind wandered

out of that room and into the Coney Island

of my childhood or a funny game of rummy 

as an adult. I could be far from that battlefield

as he continued to argue and do battle with

some of his audience. Me?  I went into the hills

and the mountains with Jesus. He taught me

to look at the birds of the air and the flowers

of the fields - and to  enjoy sitting in the cool

of the evening with Lazarus and Mary while

their sister Martha grumbled inwardly about us

doing nothing but relaxing as she steamed 
up a supper for us in the kitchen. [2]

© Andy Costello Reflections, 2015

NOTES:

[1] Ephesians 6:10-17; 1 Corinthians 14: 8; Luke 14: 31-32

[2]  Today - July 29th, is the feast of St. Martha, so that's why I put this stuff in. Cf.  Luke 10: 38-42;  John 11: 1-44.