An odd title for a post but a lady picking up sticks in the park is what inspired me to write this post today. She must have been in her late sixties and as I walked just past the lake, I saw her collecting fallen twigs and larger branches ever so diligently. I was completely puzzled. Was it kindling for fire? That would be odd because it would have been much easier to go to Kroger and just get a bag. It must be for some sort of craft project I thought to myself and smiled- satisfied and convinced that I had found the answer. But the story changed when I got an opportunity to speak to her.
As I made the turn to start another lap around the grass lawn, she came in from the other side. She had a sweet smile and an open friendly demeanor that made it easy for me to approach her. I asked her why she was collecting the sticks and her answer was nothing like what I had expected.
She told me that seven years ago when she had moved to the neighborhood, she had witnessed two young kids pick up the fallen sticks and hit each other playfully. Unfortunately one of them had hurt the other very badly. She took that to be a sign from God. She said, "That day I told myself this is what the Lord has set as my purpose. I must collect these sticks and prevent any other accidents." The conviction in her voice was absolute. She had no concern for the fact that, just given the size of the park and the sheer number of trees around, there was no way that she could keep the park stick free. However many she collected, there would be new branches and twigs the next day. The park would never be clean and she would not prevent all the stick fights that little boys will have in the park- but her faith and the strength it gave her, made all of that meaningless. She had seen an act and had found the courage to read the signs. No meaning was needed where faith was the basis.
My final thoughts as I walked back home were all about her and her mission- wouldn't it be amazing to have that kind of faith- a guiding light that shined in the darkest of moments and cast aside all shadows of doubt? Very few people are lucky to find that faith and the strength that comes from it and if it does come to someone- they should cherish it.
As I made the turn to start another lap around the grass lawn, she came in from the other side. She had a sweet smile and an open friendly demeanor that made it easy for me to approach her. I asked her why she was collecting the sticks and her answer was nothing like what I had expected.
She told me that seven years ago when she had moved to the neighborhood, she had witnessed two young kids pick up the fallen sticks and hit each other playfully. Unfortunately one of them had hurt the other very badly. She took that to be a sign from God. She said, "That day I told myself this is what the Lord has set as my purpose. I must collect these sticks and prevent any other accidents." The conviction in her voice was absolute. She had no concern for the fact that, just given the size of the park and the sheer number of trees around, there was no way that she could keep the park stick free. However many she collected, there would be new branches and twigs the next day. The park would never be clean and she would not prevent all the stick fights that little boys will have in the park- but her faith and the strength it gave her, made all of that meaningless. She had seen an act and had found the courage to read the signs. No meaning was needed where faith was the basis.
My final thoughts as I walked back home were all about her and her mission- wouldn't it be amazing to have that kind of faith- a guiding light that shined in the darkest of moments and cast aside all shadows of doubt? Very few people are lucky to find that faith and the strength that comes from it and if it does come to someone- they should cherish it.
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