| WHERE JOY ABOUNDS - Thanks Connie W! | cblessum on 8/17/2006 |
| Where Joy Abounds By Robert J. Hastings Readers Digest June 1988 Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long train trip spanning the continent. Through the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at us from a crossing, of cattle grazing on a hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of mountains and valleys, of city skylines and village halls. But uppermost in our minds is our destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. Then wonderful dreams will come true, and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the loitering minutes-- waiting, waiting.... "When I reach the station, that will be it," we tell ourselves. "When I'm 18." "When I buy a Mercedes!" "When I put the last kid through college." "When I've paid off the mortgage!" "When I get that big promotion." "When I retire, I shall live happily ever after!" Sooner or later we realize there is no station, no place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream that constantly outdistances us. "Relish the moment" is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, and swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more. LIVE life as you go along. | |