Furrows

Looking around at the faces that surrounded me I saw a hunger, a deep hunger for truth and for healing.  They seemed to be drinking in the message that I had the privilege to be sharing with them.
What was that message?  It was the message of hope, a certain hope.  It was the Good News.

Each face reflected the difficulties that their choices in life had brought them.  Their choices had found them with bottles and/or drugs as their companions; as their comforters, ultimately their masters.  Because of those choices these precious ones found themselves confined to a long-term rehabilitation program.  Some are there by choice, some are habitual rehab-ers and some are there to appease either court or family.

Papa and I love to go to visit these dear friends.  It is such a joy to love them.  Papa's love is unconditional.  He sees what everyone of us can be.  He understands the pain and struggles of each life.  He sees our hearts, looking beyond the dross that has accumulated as we have gone through life.

Over and over He reconfirms that it is His desire that I spend time at this particular rehab.  Today, as I headed over there for my visit, I had a headache that would not quit.  The barometer was indicating a rise in pressure and it was all going on in my head!
A good friend told me that she would pray for the headache to lift.  I realized a little while ago that it had done just that before I even had arrived there!
God is so good and gracious!

This evening I have begun to read a book that my same friend had passed on to me.  One of the chapters referenced a passage in Luke Nine.  The final verse, sixty-two spoke a whole message to me by itself.  "But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

It stirred a number of thoughts. 

I read somewhere that when a person is plowing, to ensure a straight furrow, they have to keep their eyes fixed on one point.  Imagine what happens should they look back while plowing?!  Such a mess!

Now imagine either looking down the whole time or being distracted by whatever crosses your path.  Again...What a mess!!

My friends at the rehab have spent much of their lives looking down.  They have felt ashamed.  They have felt worthless and hopeless.  They have not known that there is something, actually, Someone that they could look to for direction.  Their furrows have been anything but straight.

They are not alone.

Who among us has plowed nice straight lines in this life?  At times, we might get fixed on a goal and plow a pretty straight furrow for a while, but not for too long.  Life happens. 
Distractions come and suddenly we realize that we are way off target.    Another realization might come, that the target was not really the right one.

When Jesus is the One we look to we will never be disappointed.  And even when we look away and the path gets a little crooked?  Ah...He will work it out for good!