The Main Thing
These past few months have been a struggle - well you could say longer than that but, recently its just been rough hasn’t it? Then, when fun seems scarce, funds are low, and friend’s visits few and far between, water finds its way into places it shouldn’t be getting, prompting “The Big Dig”!
Just when I thought “phew, almost out of the tunnel”, it feels like we are DIGGING a tunnel!
whimp? Oh yes! This is really not a time to be complaining at all! …so many have a much rougher time going on than I do but I’m still finding things a little overwhelming some days.
Tonight, after digging in the dirt all day wondering if this drainage project would ever be over, I stepped out of the house briefly to watch the moon rise over the trees while Hilary prepared desert. The moon rising at the far end of the lake leaving a milky path across the water is magnificent this week being full and low at dusk. We see it as we eat at the dining room table.
As I turned to return to the house, two things struck me. The first, the rather obvious large pile of dirt. There are several of them actually but this one is between me and desert! Pecan pie and ice cream too.
The second thing was the inviting warm glow from the dining room - where the pie will shortly be. I could almost taste desert from out beside the dirt pile and for now at least, pie was my focus.
I was reminded again of what is important. What do I want to spend time thinking about right now? Pie or dirt? Good things, fun times or dirt?
The dirt represents a nasty problem that is both costly and difficult to rectify. It will likely drag on for weeks before I can finally stop letting my brain process the “next” of that project. Pie? Well that is where my family is sitting around the table enjoying each others company.
The “Main Thing” these days HAS to be something on the other side of the big pile of dirt. Focusing on the dirt just gives the ice cream time to melt and the pie time to get cold. I’m not saying the dirt pile isn’t important or that I don’t need to give it thought, no not at all. But to let it occupy my mind and become a thing to over-shadow family time and pie? Um, no! Let’s keep the main thing the main thing shall we?
Paul reminds me in the book of Philippians (my favorite book of the Bible), “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:14
Dirt? What dirt?
