What's abiding with you?

We’ve been without power for days. It’s inconvenient. It’s annoying. It’s irritating. What a pain! (Are You there, God? Can You hear me?) And yet, I walked outside to a surreal view of glistening trees, with every little branch seemingly seen by the naked eye, sparkling from the street light. And not just one tree, but every tree in every direction. What a breathtaking, beautiful sight! How can such misery and such beauty abide at the same time?

We’ve been spending our days over at the church. At bedtime we dash home into the cold house, jump into pajamas and huddle together under a pile of blankets until we get warm enough to fall asleep. (God, can You hear me?) But in the morning, instead of waking up to an alarm clock and getting up and out to hurry into our day, we linger in the warmth of the bed, we snuggle close and whisper and giggle and doze in and out. What a wonderful thing! There’s still no power, but how did such wonderful, memorable moments come alongside such misery as a cold house with no heat?

Are you in some kind of pain? Are there miserable circumstances beyond your control? Is it possible there is something beautiful running alongside that you have yet to see and experience? (Yes, I hear you.) We see what we want to see…

Now I’m not saying “every cloud has a silver lining” or “look on the bright side” exactly. But I do believe that pain and pleasure can co-exist and it doesn’t have to be all one or all the other. If you are suffering, and need a break from it, look for what else might be abiding alongside. Receive respite. (I hear you.) What’s abiding with you?