In the Midst of Weeds and Desert Sand

My run this morning led to wandering thoughts--one, I wasn't sure I wanted to run this morning--it was threatening rain, chilly and not summer like at all (though not hot and that was a plus!), two, the community we live in needs to repair something regarding our water supply and the water will be off from 9am to 5pm (how in the world with four kids)--let's pray the time passes quickly.

My wandering thoughts led to a somber moment regarding thoughts of changes and circumstances that can evolve or disintegrate over time. And, how during changes and circumstances, the thickness of murk can be crippling. The thoughts and lack of hope imprisoning--the embers barely burning. As I was lost in my thoughts, I came to a turn around, head home point in my run-- and I happened upon something I had not noticed before after months of running this same route--beauty in the midst of weeds and desert sand.

Much of the time we think, at least I find myself thinking that optimal circumstances are a necessity for beauty to grow, for life to be in a steady state of happiness, for growth, for creativity--when I have forgotten that most times, beauty, development, growth, knowledge, creativity, ideas, arise in the hardest most trialing times of life. Are trialing times easy, are they something we look forward to, will outcomes turn out the way expected, will happiness always arise, no, not much of the time. Though, the mere thought that beauty can and has the ability to grow in weeds and desert sand, it equally has the ability to grow strongest in us during unexpected changes and murky circumstances as we pass through our raging storms, giving hope to the smallest of embers--progress, continuing forward, battling, putting one foot in front of the other, enjoying calm moments, in our raging fires of life.  

---