Humbled by a Thought

The parable of the Drowning Man has come to mind this morning.

My friends have trickled into my experience like the various things that God sent the drowning man.

The man was convinced that God was going to save him. He was sure that God would reach out directly and rescue him. It wasn’t until the man passed away and angrily talked to God directly that he realized God had been there the whole time. The man learned that God tried to save him by sending him various rescuers. It didn’t seem like God was saving the man to the man because he had a certain idea of how he’d like to be saved.

As humans we get caught in our egos. Sometimes…correction, often we get really stuck in our egos. We put on our colored glasses and look at the world in a “here’s how things are going to happen” kind of way. We take an “all or nothing” approach to life. Then when things don’t happen in that one specific way it is very upsetting.

Like a disgruntled customer in a restaurant we flag down the waitress. “Um…excuse me. Yeah, hi. These french fries are cold and I ordered chicken. Where is it?”

The waitress responds gently, “Well, we are out of chicken. So you ordered the steak instead and I guess you finished it?”

The customer looks at his plate “Oh.”

“As for the fries…” The waitress continues, “You were talking with the people at your table. Fries get cold quickly. They were hot when I brought them to you, but if you’d like I can warm them up for you?”

“That’s okay. Thanks.” the customer says.

We must be willing to see that what we get may not be exactly what we wanted, but we are 100% provided for and blessed.

I have often craved to be rescued. I get lost in my fantasies of being whisked away by an imaginary boyfriend. The classic knight in shining armor tale, but instead of a knight, he’s just a man. And instead of armor he wears jeans and a plaid shirt. So basically I guess I’m attracted to the Brawny paper towel guy.

Anyhow, my point… while Disney made being rescued by a sexy man look really good to young viewers, like me… I don’t need it. And while we often take being rescued by God literally, it comes in various forms.

Sometimes it’s a loving hand to hold. Sometimes it’s being able to sit with your significant other on the couch. Sometimes it’s family that comes over to help when life gets overwhelming. However for many people who live on their own and are trying to make things work on their own, like me, it’s our friends that save the day.

So today I am feeling humbled and very grateful for my friends that live far and wide. I’m grateful for their patience, their loyalty, and their love. I often feel like I didn’t do enough to deserve such wonderful people. However we have no idea how our existence makes a difference in the lives of others. We don’t have to do a whole lot to make an impact. We are all tapestries and we all bring a unique set of colorful threads to the masterpiece of our world. 

The drowning man missed a key element of beauty that exists in this world. It wasn’t until she died that he understood how profoundly connected we all are. And no matter what you call God we are all interconnected in the most beautiful ways to that Source. When one thread takes themselves out of the mix for whatever reason then the grand design gets hurt.

Dear friends,

Keep being you! I am humbled by your beauty and grateful to be a witness to all that you are. I love you.