That Stubborn Rock
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That Stubborn Rock
dove Sun 13 Jan 2008, 12:18 am
Read: Proverbs 15:1
The beach is within walking distance of my apartment. Sometimes when my work at the radio station is done, I walk down there to have a little time with the Lord and to enjoy his fresh wind and sunshine.
Today, the breakers were really up, white and restless. A tang of salt passed over my tongue and into my lungs with the fresh sea air. A tongue of reef jutted into the ocean in front of me. On a whim, I decided to get closer.
The first part was low in the water. I hurried past it to the end, where the rock jutted high above the sea. I figured I'd be safe from the waves there.
Wrong. As I got to the top, a heavy wave swept against it. I was drenched to the skin instantly. But I noticed something. To my right, the reef was low. And there, the wave didn't splash. It just rolled quietly over.
The reef is fighting the ocean, I realized. It refuses to move.
It made me think back over my life. What about some of the times I had foolish disagreements? When I insisted on my own way?
"A soft answer turns away wrath," says the Bible. "But a harsh word stirs up anger." (Proverbs 15:1 NKJV) Heading for my towel and a dry shirt, I decided one thing: I don't want to be that stubborn rock.
Sometimes it can be wise to let it go. Will it really make an eternal difference if the person at the post office cuts in line? Will it change your life forever if that thoughtless driver turns from the wrong lane? If Aunt Mabel just called and already wants to plan Christmas for her house AGAIN, is it really worth fighting about? Maybe taking a deep breath and backing away from the situation will help.
The things we fight for the hardest will all crumble anyway. What we take with us is the souls we've saved and the legacy we leave in the hearts of those who loved us. In time, the ocean will win and that stubborn rock will wash away.
Dalan Edwin Decker is a freelance author and radio personality in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the author of Shadow Trail, a novel for children, and contributed to Encounters with God 2 (Standard, 2006). For more about Dalan, upcoming works and appearances, be sure to visit him at dalandecker.com
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com
The beach is within walking distance of my apartment. Sometimes when my work at the radio station is done, I walk down there to have a little time with the Lord and to enjoy his fresh wind and sunshine.
Today, the breakers were really up, white and restless. A tang of salt passed over my tongue and into my lungs with the fresh sea air. A tongue of reef jutted into the ocean in front of me. On a whim, I decided to get closer.
The first part was low in the water. I hurried past it to the end, where the rock jutted high above the sea. I figured I'd be safe from the waves there.
Wrong. As I got to the top, a heavy wave swept against it. I was drenched to the skin instantly. But I noticed something. To my right, the reef was low. And there, the wave didn't splash. It just rolled quietly over.
The reef is fighting the ocean, I realized. It refuses to move.
It made me think back over my life. What about some of the times I had foolish disagreements? When I insisted on my own way?
"A soft answer turns away wrath," says the Bible. "But a harsh word stirs up anger." (Proverbs 15:1 NKJV) Heading for my towel and a dry shirt, I decided one thing: I don't want to be that stubborn rock.
Sometimes it can be wise to let it go. Will it really make an eternal difference if the person at the post office cuts in line? Will it change your life forever if that thoughtless driver turns from the wrong lane? If Aunt Mabel just called and already wants to plan Christmas for her house AGAIN, is it really worth fighting about? Maybe taking a deep breath and backing away from the situation will help.
The things we fight for the hardest will all crumble anyway. What we take with us is the souls we've saved and the legacy we leave in the hearts of those who loved us. In time, the ocean will win and that stubborn rock will wash away.
Dalan Edwin Decker is a freelance author and radio personality in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the author of Shadow Trail, a novel for children, and contributed to Encounters with God 2 (Standard, 2006). For more about Dalan, upcoming works and appearances, be sure to visit him at dalandecker.com
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com
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Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717) wrote powerfully about the need for an intimate relationship with Almighty God, including this: “He who has a pure heart will never cease to pray; and he who will be constant in prayer, shall know what it is to have a pure heart.”
