This morning I woke with a word in my mouth. I love words, take them to heart, adopt them, work with them–but this one woke me from a sound sleep. It lay there on my tongue as I tried to decide whether to spit it out, swallow it, or digest it. I was still half asleep when the word spread its invasive tentacles through my mind. I could think of nothing else.
Slide. That’s the word, a simple five letter one that comes with a hiss, fills your mouth, and ends like the closing of a door. What does it mean? Is it the gradual downward trend of company profits, the sudden out-of-control slipping of an auto on an icy street, or the rush of a runner on the ground speeding into second base?
Some people slide through life on an even keel at a steady pace with little effort, excitement, or tension. They take what they get and are happy to be where they are. Others don’t slide at all. They seize control, have goals and refuse to let anything change their courses or thwart their plans. Sadly, these power-driven controllers may miss the joy of unexpected blessings passed up or ignored along the way.
Then there are others like me who have goals and look to the future, but are firmly anchored in the present. I'm thankful for every day as a time to enjoy being alive in the beautiful world we live in. I appreciate my ever-active, creative mind that makes me curious and eager to know everybody and everything. I love my writing time when I’m alone with thoughts pouring out, but I also crave the company of others and want to share their lives.
Most of all, I want to be what I was made to be and to accomplish all I am meant to do. At times I feel I’m sliding along, not moving fast enough toward completion, like the pineapple pie that my family loves. I make that pie from ingredients waiting in the kitchen or on a pantry shelf. When the pie’s ready, I slide it into the oven. After what seems a long time, its mouth-watering aroma tells me it’s done. The filling is slightly tinged with brown, just solid enough not to jiggle, and surrounded with a lovely brown crust. A pie sure to please my family as much as it does me.
My life seems to be at the sloshy stage of the pie when the ingredients are all in place but they just haven’t jelled yet. My goal is to reach the point of doneness where I am all my maker planned for me to be. I have to stop sliding along and reach my destination.
Next time: Stopping the Slide
