Not too long ago, a child who spent a lot of time at my house mentioned her "spot" - a spot where she spent a few moments reflecting and thinking during her growing up years. At first I thought it was kind of funny that she even remembered her "spot" but this morning as I sat on my "spot" reflecting on the sunlight breaking through the thick clouds, I decided spots really were more important that I even thought they were! Let me try to explain.
When my own children were growing up, I used spots as a way of disciplining without yelling or spanking. "Go to your spot," I would say and off they (and even their friends) would head for time to reflect on the transgression and time to prepare for better choices.
As I sat on my spot this morning, I felt the sunlight breaking through the thick cloud cover was a message from a higher power saying that even though there will be lots of dark days ahead and lots of confusion and murkey times, there will indeed bright spots today and indeed there will be a future with many more bright moments and happiness. I was reminded of the bibical verse where God promises us that he has plans for us all, plans not to harm us but rather for us to prosper. I left my spot to continue on my morning walk / run with a smile on my face ready to face the day, but not without thoughts of the Sabbath on my mind. Let me try to explain.
Late last night, when I should have gone to bed, I was up captivated by a rerun of Fiddler on the Roof. Even as their world was crashing around them, they kept the Sabbath - a spot of sorts - and a time to stop and reflect and think. It was the time when God did speak to them and offered them guidance and direction along with the promise of a future - even if it was not the future they had planned.
I guess all this was most poignant to me this morning because all this thinking happened to me before I headed to church, another of my spots where I go for reflection and direction.
I was actually thinking how important spots are for all of us. While formal church attendance waxes and wanes for many of us through the years, we do all need spots and time to reflect. Time spent on our spots is time when we are reminded that we are not alone as we travel this road. There will indeed be cloudy days and days when we need to sit on our spots a lot, but there will also be times when the sunlight will fill us with the promise of better days.
Even if you do not personally keep the Sabbath, I hope you have spots where you can reflect and take the time to be reminded of the promise that we are not alone on this journey.
When my own children were growing up, I used spots as a way of disciplining without yelling or spanking. "Go to your spot," I would say and off they (and even their friends) would head for time to reflect on the transgression and time to prepare for better choices.
As I sat on my spot this morning, I felt the sunlight breaking through the thick cloud cover was a message from a higher power saying that even though there will be lots of dark days ahead and lots of confusion and murkey times, there will indeed bright spots today and indeed there will be a future with many more bright moments and happiness. I was reminded of the bibical verse where God promises us that he has plans for us all, plans not to harm us but rather for us to prosper. I left my spot to continue on my morning walk / run with a smile on my face ready to face the day, but not without thoughts of the Sabbath on my mind. Let me try to explain.
Late last night, when I should have gone to bed, I was up captivated by a rerun of Fiddler on the Roof. Even as their world was crashing around them, they kept the Sabbath - a spot of sorts - and a time to stop and reflect and think. It was the time when God did speak to them and offered them guidance and direction along with the promise of a future - even if it was not the future they had planned.
I guess all this was most poignant to me this morning because all this thinking happened to me before I headed to church, another of my spots where I go for reflection and direction.
I was actually thinking how important spots are for all of us. While formal church attendance waxes and wanes for many of us through the years, we do all need spots and time to reflect. Time spent on our spots is time when we are reminded that we are not alone as we travel this road. There will indeed be cloudy days and days when we need to sit on our spots a lot, but there will also be times when the sunlight will fill us with the promise of better days.
Even if you do not personally keep the Sabbath, I hope you have spots where you can reflect and take the time to be reminded of the promise that we are not alone on this journey.
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