Saturday, September 26, 2009

NIKKI HAHN: WRITER, GUEST BLOGGER



A LEAF IN THE WIND


( First published September 20, 2009)

A leaf drifts down from the tree and the wind catches it like a kite. I am watching as it dances down the street, helpless to the blowing wind. The street is quiet except for a few children playing in the road and my husband is channel surfing. His thumb is forever pressing 'next' without staying too long on one particular place. My book hangs limply in my hands and I am stuck somewhere between chapters 5 and 6. My eyes continually wander from the television screen to the quiet neighborhood outside my window where life continues to play like a VCR without a pause button.
Don't you wish you could sometimes press 'pause' and stop the continuing march of time? Every day, every month runs swiftly past, and dark hair turns gray, children grow older, and the time a husband and wife have to share together grows shorter. Was it not yesterday when we were children playing house, playing ball with our fathers, and was it not yesterday when we first fell in love? My husband and I are lucky for our relationship has no distractions. There is not a day I do not appreciate him or wish I could press 'pause' and spend more time with him.
Why, you ask me, am I thinking so seriously today? A friend of mine lost someone dear to her this past weekend and my prayers are with her as well as my sympathy and love, but time ticks on by like a clock unrestricted by battery power. She will grieve and be surrounded by people who care, but outside her world traffic continues to back up on the freeway, people are hanging out at a coffee shop, and grandmothers are knitting cute scarves for their grandchildren. Life continues like the wind, but we do not have to be the leaf controlled by the blowing of the winds. There are those of us who are children of God who believe Christ died on the cross for us. Our fate is not controlled by a chance wind. Our fate rests in the hands of Jesus. We laid our life in His hands, handed over the control of our life to Him, and we are the better for it.
Social networking like twitter and face book are not simply a means for my name to get out there in order for my book to have a better chance at publication. Social networking is caring about others in our world. There are so many lost souls floundering like a leaf in the wind, with no direction, purpose undiscovered, and so many who are beguiled by the other side. In short, I have come across many great people online and I was given the privilege of being able to pray continually for them. Their requests are fresh on my heart even now.

Application:
1) So many times on Twitter people trying to market new ideas are always trying to sell something on their profile. Are we like this? Are our conversations focused on ourselves? Are we losing time that could be spent more wisely? Is our witness like a salesman on your front porch?

2) How much time is spent with our spouses? Do we laugh together? Do we pray together? Are we like one person heading on the same journey? Is our marriage Fireproof?

Scripture:
Ephesians 5:31:
"For this reason a man leaves his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." (NASB)
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

No comments: