Grateful for the Ride
I’m grateful for the ride…
I once heard a talk given by a great leader who was filled with much optimism. He quoted a work written by Jenkin Lloyd Jones:
“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.
Life is just like an old time rail journey … delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.”
“The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”
I truly believe that when we have a higher power that we express our gratitude to, our lives are fuller and richer, with deeper meaning and purpose. When we can give credit to someone else for the good things in our lives, rather than taking credit ourselves, we have a different perspective and outlook on life. I believe that it gives us strength to go on when things get really hard, courage to choose the right path, even if it’s the harder path at times, and direction as we face tough choices.
Even when life is full of “delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts”, we can always find something to be grateful for. After all, the sun always rises each morning to bring us hope for a new day of beauty and healing.