Not the mountain, but the sand in my shoes
Brenda Harris
We are over a month into our “shelter in place” mandate and I’m sure many of you, like me, are asking the question, “How much longer will it be before we can begin to return to ‘normal’ life once again?” I think to myself, “Surely it cannot be too much longer!” but then before I know it another full week has passed and still no end in sight.
I am quick to admit I am enjoying having my family at home (a rare and unusual time) but this time has not been without its challenges too. Tears have been shed, tempers have flared, and irritations have been expressed. When these emotions have occurred, a phrase my Mom used to say when I was younger came to mind,
“It isn’t the mountain ahead that will wear me out but the sand in my shoes."
When frustrations and disappointments have arisen, it wasn’t the mountain of COVID-19 that was wearing us out but the sand of silly things rubbing us raw in our shoes. Unknowingly, and sometimes knowingly, one of us poured sand into someone else’s shoes. The weight of that sand made it difficult to walk through the day and blisters were beginning to develop.
Thankfully, my family is pretty quick to apologize so the sand was shaken out of the proverbial shoes eventually, however it required extra kindness and humility in order for peace to be restored.
This past week I was reading 1 Corinthians 13 which is a well know chapter to most of us but what stood out to me were the behaviors that love demonstrates. Take a look at verses 4-8:
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.”
I felt these were a good reminder on how to demonstrate love, especially right now while we are all confined together. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live out His attributes to those around us each day. In the midst of all this, it is my prayer that we will be especially loving, kind, humble, other centered and patient. May we be the first to say we are sorry and demonstrate compassion. In doing these things we will not only please God but have less sand in our shoes. This will make the road before us easier to walk no matter how long it lasts.
With love
Brenda
