As I sat in the swing after supper waiting for the sun to set, I heard the most beautiful train symphony playing out as the train began blowing its horn in busts of short notes, loud and brash, vibrating the air with sound waves. The notes musically echoed softly back up the tracks like two trains singing lullabies. When the horns stopped blowing, I could hear the squeaking and the rocking of the steel wheels on the train’s rocking chair tracks. I love listening to the trains as they travel farther down the tracks, their clickety-clack sounds softening as they play out, blending into the twilight’s music. The freight train’s music is beautiful and mesmerizing and hauntingly hopeful. Dave Matthes writes, “I’ve always felt that distant train whistles heard in the dead of night are the universe’s way of letting us know the best days are neither ahead nor behind us…they’re happening right now, cradled in the palms of our hands.” So true!

Mother Nature painted the horizon in pale lilac watercolors at sunset. The sky was crowded with cigar smoke gray clouds as the sun rolled down the horizon. Mr. Waxing Gibbous Moon woke early and appeared behind my house, almost full dressed, so handsome in his illumination against the blue sky canvas. Father Sky didn’t have to drag him from his cloud covers. As Father Sky bid the day adieu, he kissed the sun goodnight and threw a handful of diamonds into the heavens to bejewel the stars and wake the night. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes, “Moonlight is sculpture; sunlight is painting.” I love that thought. My most favorite sun and moon quote is attributed to Jeffrey Fry. He writes of the sun as male, the moon female. “The sun loves the moon so much that he dies every night to let her breathe, and in return, she reflects his love.” I love that quote but I see the sun and her warmth as female.

Reading quotes today, I thought about this one while I was pondering in the porch swing. “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us,” E.M. Forster. If we let go of our life expectations and open ourselves to unexpected opportunities we can achieve a fulfilling life. Most of us have tried to plan out our lives but life’s challenges and changes always get in the way and sidetrack us from our chosen path. God has planned our journey but he lets us choose how we navigate the path. Sometimes it’s an easy path to trod, the way is well lighted and well marked. Other times we face obstacles on our path and have difficulties walking through the darkness. We must learn to trust God to show us the correct direction. If we walk through these trials and tribulations with God urging us on we’ll eventually walk back into the sunshine of God’s love.

Christianity is not an easy path to trod but when we walk this journey we are walking with faith in God. God wants us to walk through our life with kindness, doing good for others, bringing others into his kingdom through our witness. Colossians 1:10-12 reads, “So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Our steadfast faith in a loving God is the most important part of our journey through life. God will show us his chosen path and guide us when we step off in the darkness. God makes the journey possible. With his heavenly assurance we feel his grace and love and know we are not walking alone. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,” John 8:12.

Life is always transient and everything is temporary, nothing that happens lasts forever. We appreciate life when we accept that change is a part of traveling down life’s path. Enjoy the happy moments for the joy they bring and file those moments into your heart so you can recall them on dark days to bring sunshine back into the day. We keep walking though life with the assurance that when tough times come they will not last forever. It seems forever when we experience them but God is helping us carry those worries. Sometimes when we reflect back on our struggles we’ll realize the burdens we’re not as heavy as we made them.

“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

“Don’t worry. God has gone before you and prepared the way. Keep walking.” —KWMinistries