... or we'll never make a difference

I answered the phone and heard a voice from so long ago. I had been the mentor and big brother and even one of the reasons he had moved away, but there he was again.
I can't recall how many times I had thought of him and where he might be. Prison ...a graveyard, no, surely not.
Our conversation was short but sweet. He had finally grown up and sounded 'well'. It encouraged me. I could look back on that time and see how stressful it was to deal with those young men and me still wet behind the ears even though I was over thirty at the time. There is no telling how many mistakes I made with them. My heart was in the right place but I had no compass to go by, only my gut feelings and my trusting in the Lord to guide me through to a good conclusion. The successes were few and sometimes far between but we did have some. And one of them was showing up to give testimony to God's greatness and mercy.
"Thank God for forgiveness", he said more than once during his visit. It was evident that he had been through alot and yet he had come out smelling like a rose. Not many can do that, especially when you know the circumstances and the people that were in his life at the time. So much damage and, there again, so much healing.
We both marveled at what we had experienced whether alone or together and gave God the credit for the successes; blaming the evil one for the bad.
I don't know how you grew up but I'm sure there are times you would rather forget. Don't. Those memories may serve you well in a conversation in the not too distant future as you do your best to relate to someone that really needs to hear that you're not nearly a saint but a forgiven sinner that knows on which side his or her bread is buttered. We have to be transparent or we'll never make a difference.

... just feeling my way?

I awoke to the sounds of a gentle rain on the rooftop. It was soothing. I can't recall the last rain we had but it too must have made a similar sound even though I don't remember it being so comforting.
Di and I haven't slept soundly in a long time. The business of life has been pressing in on us of late and taking it's toll on the both of us. I know Di has been so busy that she hasn't had nearly as much time to 'go to the lake' as before.  I like to see her get that 'alone time' with Lord. It makes all the difference in how she addresses the issues that present themselves each day; in rapid succession I might add.
Our lives are so much different now. When it was just the two of us we came and went as we pleased and made plans on the spur of the moment and more or less 'glided through'.
Not now. Being responsible for so many things, we have to plan out our moves much more carefully and do our best to stick to the plan or we get bogged down in the everyday turmoil and it ends up sapping all of our strength. I never that having to be so organized and in control would change us so much. It's disheartening in a way. The 'out of the blue' decisions are very much a thing of the past it seems.
I have to be aware of everything around us instead of just letting life happen as we did before. And I don't think I like it nearly as much as I did when we were less responsible and more unpredictable.
But "that's the way it is", as Walter would say and I'll just have to adjust to it and find the joy in whatever comes our way.
Oh but wasn't it fun; when I was just ...feeling my way?