I've been inspired this morning by two things: One is a picture by our new pastor (also fabulous photographer) of an old well used door with cracked and peeling paint and door knob probably turned a million or more times, and the other is a song written by Amy Grant called "Better Not to Know".
In life we have so many experiences, some good, some bad, some happy, some sad - many ups and downs as we move along. I have often thought when I receive an antique piece of furniture in the store, about the stories it could tell about the families who had owned it and had it sitting in their home as "life" was happening around it. When the item was purchased, it was gleaming and new and selected perfectly for the specific spot it would be placed. Life was good and plans were being made for the future in the life of this family. Each day came and went and this special piece of furniture was right there taking it all in - I'm pretty sure it would witness some special family times of celebration and some sad family times of loss and pain.
Think about it - how awful it would be if we knew the future and all that would happen around us. It would most likely spoil the joy of this day. It is for sure better not to know so that we can go innocently into the day expecting the best and knowing that whatever comes along that there is a constant there - our faith that sustains us no matter what comes along. Everything that we do and dream is worth the effort - whether it ends up being what our heart desires or not in the long run - it is the doing and the living and the believing - that is what is important.
Faced with the possibility of losing a loved one, our job, our health, our home or anything else that we hold dear and that provides us with stability and security, that solid rock sitting there in the corner that we can know for sure will be there through all our ups and downs can provide us with the strength to carry on. For sure, it is better not to know what the future brings us. It is far better to believe that we can survive and move forward no matter what comes along. There is joy in each day that God gives us! Oh! The stories those antique doors and furniture could tell us of those who moved in and out and around them. Stories of survival and strength and happiness and joy and sadness and loss. Life - that's what they would tell us all about!
Every day is a gift from God - cherish this one and find the joy that is always there if we will only seek it. Old things, and the stories they could tell!
