Time To Reflect

Hebrews 10:35 – Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.

A woman called to confirm I'd be on the 8:30 ferry the following morning to attend a two day seminar. Five others from within our community would be attending as well, and as it was taking place on a smaller island, she gave me the taxi number "just in case he sleeps in".

I got up earlier to walk the dog, water the lawn and do some chores before leaving, but it was just one of those days where things go wrong from the start. My dog decided it was her day to dilly dally, the watering wasn't going well and when I walked on the ferry, it was obvious that none of the passengers looked to be seminar bound. And, I did have to wake up the taxi.

I'd recently taken on a lot more things, hadn't checked the dates, just relied on someone else's word and … was a day ahead of schedule. Confident that there was a reason for all of this, while waiting for the ferry, I had an hour to sit in the sunshine and reflect.

I had seen the sunlight seemingly dancing playfully across the sparkling water; seen a seal frolicking in the sea; saw a tiny little tabby cat cuddled in its owner's arms and followed the frothing foam from the ferry as it rippled out into the waves. And once back, I met some old friends with whom I had volunteered, one of whom is attending the seminar. We shall go together, and on the right dates.

Upon reflection, these sorts of things happen to make us sit up and pay proper attention to those people and things which are most important. I would not have seen those things or those people or taken that time to reflect, had a mistake not been made. When we're doing too much, always ahead of ourselves, we can't fully appreciate what God is giving us each day.

We must trust that when things are seeming to go wrong, He, in His infinite wisdom, is showing us what is really going right. It is from Him that we are given time to reflect … upon reflection.

Prayer: We give thanks, Oh Lord, for your graciousness in the ways in which we are given time to reflect, to appreciate and respect all that you have given us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.