Rhythm

There are times when each of us gets down.  There are times when each of us gets frustrated, upset and angry.  There are times when we are faced with obstacles that seem absolutely insurmountable.  There are times . . .

My wife had just delivered Hannah, our firstborn.  I can’t begin to describe for you the joy I felt.  Unless you’re a parent, you just cannot understand.  I was holding her and the nurse had to ask me to give Hannah to her because she needed to clean her up. The nurse gave her back to me and then my wife, Kim, politely asked, “Can I hold her now?”  Embarrassed, I gently laid Hannah into Kim’s arms.  Peace and joy!  The way it is meant to be.

I left Kim and Hannah so I could go home, grab a few items and get cleaned up.  I stood in the elevator when an elderly man and his son entered.  Heck, I was excited and grinning ear to ear and the older man noticed and asked, “What is the occasion that you’re here this morning?”  I answered, “My wife just gave birth to our daughter, Hannah.  Our first.”  He nodded, looked down at the floor, and when he looked back at me there were tears in his eyes.  He said, “I just lost my wife and my best friend.  The Lord gives, and He takes away.  That’s life.” I apologized, and I didn’t know what to say.  In my absolute joy, this man just lost his wife and best friend, and the young man lost his mother.  The older man wiped a tear and shook his head, smiled and said, “It’s life.” My joy, his sorrow.

I think sometimes we forget the rhythm that life takes.  There is a song out right now that has a lyric, “Even storms run out of rain.”  And they do.  In the midst of disappointment, pain and sorrow, we forget that there will be success, relief and joy.  There will be low tides, just as there will be high.  There will be darkness, but the dark gives way to light.  There will be failure, but in failure comes success.  Mountains will give way to valleys and eventually to the plain.  Believe that!

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!