Paths

Bill and I met Scott in a sports bar last night.  We were there because of NBA playoffs and a bad cable connection.  Bill had been waiting all day to see the game.  So when he couldn’t fix the cable and it was a no-show for watching the game at our house we started talking about a Sports Bar.  He did a little research on-line, we pushed back dinner plans and off we went.  We walk into the bar with 4 TV’s going and men sitting around watching and chatting.  We find our little table and start focusing in on the game.  Bill brings out the moose dice he got from our 80-year-old buddy in Colorado.  He loves that game! We watch the game, sip our beers, and play a little moose dice during the lulls.  As the game is winding down Scott comes over and says, “Hey, what game are you playing.”  We invite him to sit down and we’d teach him.  Well, we never got around to that. Instead he starts pouring out the pieces of his broken life.  He has a little girl, a broken marriage, and drug and alcohol addictions. He has a Lutheran background, but where is God?  Who is He? We told him we were sent there just for him.  We never came here before and probably won’t come back. We had a message for him. God loves him and hasn’t forgotten him.  Later I wished I had added, “you can turn your life around now, today, one step at a time, God will help you.”

Scott made a lot of choices to get to where he is today.  We each make choices everyday.  Galatians talks about the seeds we sow.  Seeds are small, if you don’t look close they seem insignificant.  But if you plant a row of little carrot seeds, after a while you will get some delicious orange vegetables.  If you plant a row of weeds what will you get?  Seeds produce fruit, the fruit produces a new life.  That is what counts.  Not keeping rules and laws, but letting the Spirit help us to make good choices, plant good seeds, bear good fruit, live a good life.

At one point Scott pointed to the men around and said: “Divorced, divorced, divorced – all of them!”  Not only that but we heard in the same 24 hours several stories of divorce, brokenness, drunkenness leading to bad decisions. Ok, Lord what are you saying?

Little things are important.  Very important.  They add up to become big things. Choices I make every day.  Choices to love, to forgive, to accept, to work on relationships, instead of giving up.  Choices to be kind, to be patient, to be self-controlled, not to be angry.  We make these decisions everyday.  They add up!

For Scott

Am I lost or am I found?

If I party hardy will I drown?

Lift my head up

See the light

Take my feet out of this mess

See the path laid out for me

Drying out along the way

It’s clearer now

More like the day

If I focus I can stay

Now I see the hand that guides

I feel the presence by my side

Lead me home

I want to go

Now I see where I have been

Away from You

My wounds so deep

My heart is shattered

How can I live?

Your words bring hope

I will listen, not lose heart

Stay this course

You’ve got my back

© 2011 Julie Clark