usually, i wonder what their method of healing is and often, when i ask, the answer is some version of prayer and perseverance. and with that, there is hope for eventual change and peace. sometimes, however, i can see the impact of the trials sitting on their shoulders and their features drag from burden. i am sensitive to it, i think, because the look of it is something i have seen before. i saw it on my dad during the last year of his life as the weight of his issues seemed to compress him until he even appeared smaller than his actual frame would allow and i see it on other people i care about as i watch them navigate life.
i went run/walking with a friend one morning and, in the dark, we talked about life and watched the stars. we chattered about the basic fluffy stuff that keeps us busy and we stayed away from any real topic that would require energy to process. she and i both, though our issues vary greatly, normally relieve our occasional bouts of emotional stress through physical means but presently, the health and strength of our bodies has limited our ability to do that. so, for that day, we tabled the insecurities, the losses, and the economy and we moved toward Cassiopeia and around to Ursa Major and we sent those unspoken thoughts to the sky and by the time we were back to Orion, we were home again.
the stars used to be the only way for people and sailors to navigate and find their way home. as technology has advanced and modern conveniences have been developed, though, this practice is rarely used and i find this a bit unfortunate. in some ways, the invention of the light bulb, while immensely valuable, impacts one's ability to even see the stars. people, in populated areas with big city lights, may not notice how bright the stars can really be. as a country girl, i often slept outside and gazed at the stars and knew that someone great must have made them twinkle and fall for me. and now, as an adult, i find myself seeking the stars and their creator when i am stressed and in need of comfort. there is something about viewing the expanse of the universe that creates a diametric feeling of closeness to me. it's like i can see the space the constellations fill circled around me and i feel safe.
when i think about the people in my life and those i encounter at work, i hope they have or can find something that brings them peace. there are portions of our troubles that, no matter what we do, we have no ability to control or to make them right through our own endeavors, especially, when our history and past circumstances impact our present. somehow, though it is difficult, we all have to figure out how to let go of certain items of insecurity in order to move on and let new things in. for me, i have to turn off the chaos by turning off the lights so that i can see the stars and their creator more clearly. for others, however, it may not be that simple.
someone i know recently bought themselves a special box to put their troubles in. a receptacle to place the panic in that only God can possibly resolve. it's important, i believe, when times are tough and faith is challenged to have something tangible that allows one to physically give away those unsettling fears to an unseen being and ask Him to remove them from you. for many, without that box to put their hands on and without the ceremony of gifting those pains to a higher power, praying just seems too far-reaching or simply may not feel like enough action to create the desired results.
that's why i feel like this box idea is genius!
so, here is my question... What would you put in your God Box?
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