11.30.20—The old year!--Deuteronomy 32: 1-4
My friend, may I ask you a question? What makes a Christian content at the end and confident at the beginning of a year? Is it simply the ability to bootstrap ourselves into position and blindly reaching out into the mists of tomorrow?
My friend, life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.
I’m M. Clifford Brunner
What makes a Christian content at the end and confident at the beginning of a year? Is it simply the ability to bootstrap ourselves into position and blindly reaching out into the mists of tomorrow? Alone we have little chance of extracting anything of value from the year past. Alone we have even less of a chance of finding a good path into tomorrow.
Here’s a story. Skiing takes a lot of talent, talent that I have never mastered. To be a good downhill skier you need a good sense of balance and synchronous coordination. I live near a ski hill and am always impressed as I watch the downhill skiers as they gracefully take the slope with their perfectly coordinated zig-zagged turns. It takes practice and talent to be able to traverse the snow in such a manner. It is even more amazing when someone with these same skills is able to tackle the snowy slopes without the aid of their eyes. I first became aware of blind skiing when putting research together for a book prior to the 1980 Winter Olympics. I ran across the story of a blind skier who was competing in the upcoming olympics and was literally amazed that anyone who could not see the slopes and all the obvious hazards connected with them would have the courage to ski them. As impossible as it sounds, there are blind people who ski. They are as skilled or more than sighted skiers in that the amount of practice they must put into mastering the balance and precision required for skiing without perspective or a knowledge of slope or distance is incredible. Yet, despite their highly polished style and finely honed skills, there is not a skier among them that would dare approach a slope without one extremely important piece of equipment. A blind skier requires a sighted partner, someone who can guide them down the slopes, tell them when to turn, brake, or duck. Paired with sighted skiers, blind skiers are taught on the flats how to make right and left turns. When that is mastered, they are taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners ski beside them shouting, “Left!” and “Right!” As they obey the commands, they are able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depend- ing solely on the sighted skiers’ word. When they reach the bottom of the slope, skier and guide embrace, the one exult- ing the other’s courage, the other praising and giving thanks.
What a beautiful picture this is for Christians at the end of one year and the beginning of another. We are poised, blessed with the skills and talent necessary to move forward. Nonetheless, we are poised on a precipice, blind to what is really in store for tomorrow. We know we have the abilities to cope with the twists and turns of life, but we also know that we are just as blind to the outcomes. Without God telling us daily when and where to turn, finishing the race might be difficult if not next to impossible. We must rely solely on the Word of the only One who is truly sighted--God Himself. His Word gives us the direction we need to finish the course.
We pray. Heavenly Father. thank you for the talents and abilities that You have given us. Each of us is truly blessed beyond that which we deserve. Help us to hone these skills as we pass into another year. But, O Lord, more than anything else, be our guide and constant companion. For we are blind to tomorrow. We trust solely in You. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
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<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.