Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

Archive for the tag “Doubt”

22 Mar 2012

The Lighthouse Keeper

Are you a lighthouse? Standing on the rocks and warning others to steer clear? You could be the ship at sea, heading for the destination ahead- tossed by the storms and reeling against the waves that may hold you back.

Being a lighthouse taking time to shine out to all around, you have your feet planted on a piece of rock that is jutting out into the sea. There are so many ways you can look and they all have water surrounding you. But you feel like you have a service to provide, and that you can stand on solid ground forever. In one place, never moving- always there. Still – will you wonder about the ships gone by?

Can you save everyone alone? Will you work to shine harder and make sure every boat at sea heads away from your dangerous ground. Still, is that what you want? IS that who you are? Or do you want to take your chances on the sea- heading from one port to another, stopping to discover the world around you. Do you wish to share the good news and get busy charting courses for the next adventure.

There may be times when safe harbour is needed, it’s a comfort that lends you time to recharge your batteries- wait for the tide heading out. At some point the time will come, to head back to sea- take your favorite memories and head out on the compass toward a new place. Don’t be afraid if you can see the lighthouse you will know it’s there to help you. To remind you that you are steering in safe waters.

Hold on for the storms, there are likely calmer waters are ahead. Take care to watch the rudder and make sure the course is true. You have the chartbook to show you the way, it sits on your shelf waiting for you find the maps we have been given by the master chartmaker. Take it in your hand, and grab your compass and go! Wave at the lighthouses as you sail by.

Seems like some of the people I know are content being the “lighthouse”- standing comfortably on solid rock- warning others as they sail by not to crash. Others people seem to be charting a new course every day, some are risky with storms and deep water, but they look forward to the journey ahead and the opportunity to share the words and world while we are here on Earth. Who are you? Which do you want to be?

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Doubt, God, Grace, Lighthouse, Self-Awareness, tracks in the dust

13 Mar 2012

Our Fear Factor

I have noticed more lately than ever before how much fear there is in the world. It is a controlling part of so many people’s lives. It’s simple things like being sure you wear the right thing when you go outside, or being sure you say the right things. But it can be more complicated; like fear of losing your possessions, or your relationship with someone, or losing the life of a loved one.

Like wandering down a dark street wondering what hides in the shadows, we often wonder thru life fearful of its outcome. We take the necessary steps to be on the defense and be sure that we don’t get hurt – but we do many of these things as a sacrifice to our life and what it could be. Sometimes fear generates anger, sometimes it generates sadness, other times doubt. But in defense of fear we also keep so many other things from entering our lives as well.

Being on the offense against fear can often lead us to do reckless things that we can learn to regret later. The offensive could mean we lose friends, we hurt ourselves carelessly or we falsely take on things that we shouldn’t have. Either way it puts us in the middle of reacting to everything with a single lens to look though ( and they aren’t rose-colored).

A good friend of mine once pointed out to me that the opposite of love doesn’t seem to be hate, it seems to be fear. If that is true, we do a great job of insulating ourselves from love, we don’t say things we could to others, we make decisions to continue relationships or end them purely based on fear. A lot of psychologist couches are occupied by people who have not been able to honestly share their love with/for another person – I imagine often because of fear.

Our love of God is compromised, our love of our fellow humans is painted with all sorts of prejudices. We isolate family and friends because of it. Is like FDR once said “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”? Can we exchange fear with love? Or will we forever be measuring our “fear-factors”?

It sometimes makes me sad to think we have so much more to give. Okay – I fear I have written too much. I am done now.