A walk in the mud

This is my journal that I wrote today while I was at Manchester Park. Enjoy!

"Sitting at Manchester State Park. Listening to the air, the sounds of the water life, of the creatures & kings of the sky, the steps of families in each others company... And then I hear the desperate cry of a father to his son, and it breaks the pure sounds of nature. 'Son, we do a lot for you. You need to do something for us once in while.' In most situations, the love of a father to his son is unconditional, loves him regardless of his actions, behavior, even in the worst of times, the love is still there. But this cry made me think. Even though our Heavenly Father loves us unconditionally, sending his son to die for us, he does a lot for each one of us, and it probably would be nice if we weren't just taking that and running with it. It's time for me to quit taking from Him, and it is time for me to start giving back, giving back to my Father by loving those around me regardless of how they love me. Obviously we can love those who love us but it is time to start loving our enemies and those we just simply have problems with. God used this lesson in my life this week on a personal level with someone that is an acquaintance to me. For various reasons, I have just had a problem in my heart with loving this person for who she is. After spending some time together, God changed my heart and has allowed me to see the good in her, the beauty of her own spirit shone, and I embraced her who who she is... Another father cries through the woods to his son, 'Why don't ya'll take your shoes off first before you walk on the muddy part of the beach?' I have walked on that beach, and I know that is can be very slippery and dangerous. I feel that the father was not just thinking about the mess that would be on their sneakers, but more importantly the danger of them slipping on the rocks due to feeling too safe in their tennis shoes. What a great feeling to take off those shoes, to sink your toes in the mud and feel the earth between them! What a great moment that would be!! Then I hear, 'Carefully, like this,' and then 'Yay, let's go.' Then the kids cry, 'We are going to go the other way.' Isn't that how we live when our father is right there beside us, guiding us and loving us and spending time with us, and we want to go the other way? Why? When Gracie was new to our home and Sam wasn't with us yet, Gracie would hang on my every move. Often I was afraid that I would step on her because she was so underfoot. She loved being in my presence and just being together, laying on the sofa together, having her head rubbed, anyway I would acknowledge her she would respond with her lovely sweet purr. I often thought to myself that Jesus probably feels like that with me...just hanging out waiting for me to acknowledge him so I can see he can showing love back. When I think back now about the first father's words today, 'Son, we do a lot for you. You need to do something for us once in a while,' what the father was really asking for is to be shown love by obedience and respect and to not fight the one that loves you. Don't try to 'go the other way' when our father is there telling us which way to go... that is how we can show others our love for Christ...by loving when it is difficult, and respecting where they are in their path of life and not trying to run from where the father has us on our paths... to just simply take off our shoes when we walk in the mud by the ocean... who knows, we might just enjoy it."