Putting Life On Hold Temporarily

I was greatly looking forward to this past week.  Why?  Because I was going to have a week long vacation from work.  After not taking off any time since last summer, I was ready to be off and relax. 

The first day off was fun.  I played golf with my father and some golfing buddies.  I didn't shoot too well but it was good to hit the links after a lengthy absence.

Then it happened on the second day off.  Of all things, I started coming down with a cold (which is extremely rare for me).  I didn't really have a sore throat or nasal congestion.  However, I developed a persistent cough.  In addition, I have felt extremely "washed out" during this time period.  So, what should have been some fun vacation days for me have actually turned into your basic sick days.  Any dreams I had of accomplishing great things this week, e.g. cleaning around the house, trying to get caught up on some paperwork, etc., have been put on the back burner.  Each day I have done little more than guzzle cough medicine and lie around the house.  Not the best vacation in the world.

Yet, sometimes that is what happens in life.  Due to illness or other distress, life gets placed "on hold".  There is really nothing to do but wait out the storm.  Hopefully, when the storm dissipates, life will resume as it is supposed to be.  The same place you get off the merry-go-round is where you get back on, ready to resume the ride.

I hope to be back in action soon.  But for now, much to my dismay, life is temporarily on hold.

Getting Firm Footing

I went out shopping for new tires the other day.  I didn't buy any, but was just checking the prices on various brands at different stores. 

One store I visited was advertising some tires which provided "serious traction".  Basically, the ad described tires for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).  In looking at the advertisement, I was amazed at the variety of treads on these tires.  Some were like dimples, some looked like zigzags, some indescribable.  Nevertheless, whatever the tread pattern, the major purpose of the tires was to allow vehicles to ride in rugged terrain without incident.

Come to think of it, just like a car cannot run without wheels, you can't make it in life without some "serious traction" as the ad proclaimed.  This does not necessarily mean tires, but anything to hold on to during times of distress.  It can be your faith, your family, friends or even your finances (good luck with that).   However, I feel that ultimately the best option of stability is to trust in the Lord.

Psalms 55:22 states, "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;  He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."  No matter what the weather or the terrain, clinging to the Lord provides, as the ad proclaims, "serious traction".  Ready to hit the road?