Finding the Rollie Pollies

Moments are fleeting

The sun rises without you realizing

The leaves change color and suddenly it’s fall

 Snow is swirly around you like confetti

And all of a sudden it’s spring

life is supposed to be new and refreshing

Did you make each moment count?

Did you go out of your way to love those you care about?

I didn’t know I cared until it was too late

I didn’t know what I was missing out on

I didn’t know it would hurt this bad

When it was gone

When He was gone

Recently I have been reflecting on pain and heartache. Sometimes the troubles and trauma of life are so painful that it is hard to imagine what a normal, carefree life looks like. Like when you were four and the only thing you cared about is finding the rollie pollies under rocks. (Or was that just me?)

Through Christ Jesus I am able to be lifted out of my pain and taken back to when I was four. He takes on my pain in all its tears and heart-wrenching agony, and he shows me the rollie pollies under the rocks. Is it possible to completely forget your troubles and focus on what is under the rocks? Not always, but I am thankful for the beautiful moments when I can live in the moment and laugh through the tears.

When I think about the pain in my life, I am oh so thankful for the various communities that have wrapped their arms around me, but my heart aches for the young people we work with that didn’t have a community when their life was crumbling to pieces. My goal at SYM is to be able to be that strong community to young people. I know they have been hurt just as much as I have, if not more, and I want to meet them where they are and show them the rollie pollies. I want them to come on activities feeling comfortable sharing their pain, but also having the freedom to leave it behind and start a new day.

 Isaiah 40:31 “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Life is so fleeting, and my prayer is that we make every moment count. Tell people how you feel about them, take chances, and let yourself be a child again.