65 STEPS

I live in a big house.  A really big house.  When we built it and moved in ten years ago I rejoiced in its spaciousness.  One time I even counted the steps from our bedroom to the laundry room (65!) and saw the distance as a way to increase my exercise.

Times have changed.  The kids are grown up, the hubby has retired, and we are much more aware of the environment and our impact on it.  We’re more than ready to downsize.  Those 65 steps have become burdensome.

Recently I carried a load of clothes to the laundry room, only to have my husband call out, “Did you get the shorts I left on the floor of the closet?”  Resisting a snarky response I retraced my steps, muttering the whole way under my breath.  But then a remarkable thing happened: I was overcome with gratitude-

-gratitude for having a husband who needed his shorts washed

-gratitude for knees that were a bit creaky but still moved me when and where I wanted

-gratitude for the beauty of the house I walked through

I thought how much of life is like that “journey” between my bedroom and the laundry room.  I can focus on the negative or I can actively look for God’s presence and grace.  Willie Nelson may sing “and there was darkness on the face of the earth,” but as for me, I prefer the psalmist’s words of hope:

“Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as day.  Darkness and light are but one.”  (Psalm 139:13)

With the Light,

Debra