The Bright Side

I muse over Colorado visitors who, after driving through our majestic mountains, comment about the guardrails. Equal to their expressions of gratitude for the existence of them - is the overwhelming fear where they are absent. My son and daughter-in-law drive countless hours up and down from the highest elevations to the lowest, and I don't think they could tell you where the guardrails are and are not. But folks who are unfamiliar with our extremely steep canyons go from sweaty palms to sighs of relief as their tires hug the winding tight rope. It's a matter of perspective, isn't it? What constitutes a feeling of safety for one person can conjure extreme fear in another. And we can have a false sense of security as well -visualizing a non existent guardrail. I think we do that often, in fact.  From a spiritual standpoint, people can make guardrails out of acts of kindness, church attendance, and a plethora of rituals. Even those who faithfully follow the Ten Commandmen

Caught up in emotional frenzy, Sharon needed to get away alone for awhile to unwind. The solution was a no-brainer, she would head to the tranquility of the Colorado foothills. Time disappeared as she traveled upward on the unbeaten path. She felt the stress and anxiety slowly dissipate and her mind began to clear as she breathed the fresh mountain air. Then she stopped. Her surroundings had become barren, overgrown with waist-high wild grass and flowers. Sharon realized that she had reached a place that appeared to be seldom visited. Then she noticed it. An old, broken-down bench in the midst of the weeds. A soft voice beckoned to her, "come, sit with Me". Time stood still. She heard it again... "come, sit with Me." The warm and welcoming presence of God waited as she made her way slowly to the bench. "Okay, Lord. I'll sit," she whispered. The bench creaked and shifted underneath her. She closed her eyes. The birds sang joyfully all around her and