life, a beautiful disaster

There is an old fable I read once, told by Japanese Samurai. It goes like this (well some what, I’m re-telling it from memory):

One day there was a monk meditating in the woods. He walked through the trees and admired their beauty. He felt the breeze flow passed his cheeks, and listened to it’s subtle hum passed his ears trying to interpret it’s language. As he marveled at nature’s vast pulchritude, he heard the sound of growling. Suddenly he found himself surrounded by 20 wolves snarling, coveting his flesh. He began running, but came to the edge of a cliff. surround he began to climb down. As he gazed 300 feet beneath him he saw a mighty Tiger circling waiting to devour him once he fell. Just then he slipped off the edge and caught him self a few feet down on a berry branch growing out of the side of the cliff. As he clinched on to save his life he saw the most beautiful Strawberry browing on the branch… “what a perfect most beautiful berry!” he said to himself. So he picked it, and ate it. And that’s where the fable ended.

Now what I love about that story, (besides the fact I finnally found a use for the word pulchritude) is that it presents a wonderful picture of life.

Graham Cooke once said,” Now that you are Christians, there are no longer good days or bad days, just days of grace. Grace to enjoy, and grace to endure.” As I find myself in a place of enduring, I’m finding grace in the midst of it. I’m finding those perfect berries to enjoy as I dangle off the side of the cliff. I my case the berry doesn’t represent enlightenment, but Joy and peace in believing. The prize for me no matter the mountain I climb is his heart. The joy and peace of knowing that I’m going to live forever, puts a smile on my face, no matter how many wolves snarl, and tigers circle. One day… one beautiful day… he will split the sky! Paul was right to command the church of Corinth to encourage eachother in this truth. A king is coming, but not just a King, the one my heart longs for.

So bring on the wolves! And if you are like me and feel you are dangling off a cliff with no hope in your situation, know this; More than the stress, more than the pain, to live is Christ and to die is gain… we are going to live forever…