Up-Down…Up-Down…Up-Down…

Do you feel like you are endlessly waiting for life to “even out” or “calm down?” Do you feel like you are waiting for when things are “easy?”

I have been reading the book “The Road Less Traveled” and in it Dr. Peck, begins chapter One like this:

“Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult- once we truly understand and accept it—then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”

He continues by describing how we moan and complain about the enormity of our problems, our difficulties, or our pain as if life SHOULD be easy, as if somehow our afflictions are unique, or especially visited upon our person, our family, or our tribe. Dr. Peck teaches that life is a series of problems, and it is our job to solve them.

Peck says, “What makes life difficult is that the process of confronting and solving problems is PAINFUL.”

I continue to experience the pain and the ups and downs of life. And have often in my writing referred to it like the waves. The waves that are always there, that don’t stop. It is our job to learn to ride the waves differently.

I was given another beautiful illustration of this last night while listening to a sermon by Steven Furtick.

He showed these two pictures: an EKG of a heartbeat and one without. The EKG of the heart with no beat is a straight line. And we all think we want the straight “line”, the straight path in life, the easy, no terrain, no mountains, no valleys, no ups and downs.

Then he showed the picture of the EKG of a heart beating and said, “This is what LIFE looks like.”

Take a look at the pictures in the comments of this post.

This is what Life looks like, my dear. A series of ups and downs, contractions and expansions, mountain tops and valleys, an endless rhythm. This is LIFE.

So much of our suffering comes because we fight against reality, we blame others, we push responsibility away, when we accept this is my life and my problems, my mountain tops and valleys to take on and solve, we can experience life in a new way. Where we find great meaning and joy in the process of taking on life’s problems one “beat” at a time.

This is what I want for you, my dear. I want you to take the step you need to take today, to own your life, to come to your own rescue, and take on the next problem. Every beat of your heart is reminding you, this is LIFE.

Fall into the rhythm, don’t fight it and receive this invitation:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your LIFE. I’ll show you how to take a real REST. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced RHYTHMS of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live FREELY and LIGHTLY.” (Matthew 11:28-30 The Message)

One beat at a time my dear, let’s recover, let’s rest, let’s walk freely and lightly and take on LIFE’s next mountain together.

From My Heart to Yours,