The Natural Order

“Do not fight the natural order,” they say, “Do not go against the flow, rock the boat, or tip the scales. Things are a certain way for a reason. The lion kills the gazelle and all that. His father was a farmer and his father before him, so he will be a farmer. She was born poor, she will live poor, and she will die poor . . .” But is we do not fight the Natural Order, what are we doing with our lives? Nothing! We float, ghost-like through an existence that was meant to be so much more. And the Truth is that people struggle against nature everyday. Any time they drive their cars, or sip their mochas, or take their medicine, or live in their houses. The earth was not put here with these things on it, man fought for them and made them. Every time that the hot summer air presses softly on their skin, they run from the Natural Order to their air conditioned safe havens. But a number of these people still slide through life without purpose. This kind of tipping the scales has little more than selfishness as a reward. I want to live in such a way that I fight normality. I crave a life of more than surface value. I want to buck the system, to rock the boat in such a way as to spill society out of the boat; maybe then the cold water would shock them into living. I want to be born rich and die poor; to be born a farmer and become a fisher. This life has only a temporary hold on me and it should know that. I will not forever be constricted to this body with its sorry limitations. One day my spirit will be free, and I want it to rest and know that it did something to change this world for the better. I want to rest in the peace of fighting the Natural Order.

Scars Should Be Called Stories

Scars should be called stories because that is what they are worth

A boy proudly showing off the scrape on his knee

But you see when we grow up and call ourselves adults we hide the scars and shove the stories deep in our closets . . .

We cover our wrists and say, “It’s okay, I’ll live to fight another day,”

But we won’t, not if we let our wounds fester,

But we can’t let them air so we can heal because we care too much about our dirty laundry,

Well guess what, everyone else has their own dirt so stop flirting with Rationalization because he will ruin you.

Stories need told and if scars are stories, no matter how old, then they need shared not covered. Others can learn from you, feel comfort in knowing that they are not alone.

You have scars but they say, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” and it feels like it is killing you. More like death than strength. Your breath is labored with pain; it’s insane to live this way.

But there is hope because before there were your scars, there were His scars.

His scars bring healing more than hurt, and love more than desertion.

And believe me the story of those scars is more beautiful than handful of cheap lies.

The hands that formed the earth took nails, and the head that thought it all up was embedded with thorns.

So though I am broken, I have hope

And though I am marred, I have love

And though I am damaged, I have joy

And though I am stained, I have scars.

Look at the scrape on my knee or wrist or back or face.

Scars should be called stories because that is what they are worth.

Labyrinth

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The mind is a dangerous place. Treacherous in all aspects, but most in the fact that it is inescapable. There is absolutely no way to run from your mind and whatever lurks in the recesses. Fear can stalk unabated, and Worry wears grooves in the floors. Anger fires in the depths, yet there remains no way to flee from these self-sustained demons. Even in sleep, the mind reigns. Dreams are molded by its desires. We cannot escape from ourselves; the thought in and of itself is completely ludicrous. Left alone, these monsters will destroy us, drive us six feet under and walk away from the gravestone without so much as a Rest In Peace. But fret not; you are not completely helpless against you. Fight! Do not sit idle while you run yourself ragged. As I said, flight is not an option, but conflict is. So many wait and Worry while there is nothing that they can do that they can do about the situation except fight their Worry. The only thing that they succeed in doing is driving themselves mad in the maze of their mind. The mind is a dangerous place; you need not make it worse.

Stained-glass Glasses

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     There are some things that I can see that I just do not have words to tell you. And these ghosts and fairies and goblins are invisible to your wide eyes. You strain those green, blue, hazel, brown, violet irises trying your hardest to see what I see; you just are not able to. It is impossible. Some people balk at that word; they say that everything under the sun is doable, or at least plausible, but I know they are wrong. You cannot see all that I see, no matter how hard you try. And do you want to know why? I will tell you, but you must keep it a secret: you are not wearing my glasses. My stained-glass glasses. I see the things in my own little world, and you can most likely see what is in your world. But we never see the exact same dragons and trolls. I propose that the true manner in which we choose our friends is based more on the colors of their glasses than much else. We like those that see things the same way, or rather in a similar way that we do. We float through life clinging to the people that we bump into with stained-glass glasses similar to our own. Some colors we choose, and others are handed to us, whether by life or death or otherwise. My glasses are stained with love, and art, and life, and music, and pain, and intellect, and change, and oh so much more. What are your stains? And what are you trying to force those that you hold most dear to see that they just flat out cannot?

Reflections

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A glassy surface of water. A window. A mirror. Stop a moment and look at your reflection. Pause by a mirror and really look at yourself. Are you happy with the person that you see staring back at you? Peer a little closer, past the crooked nose or dimpled cheeks; look at who your really are: at your heart and at your mind. Do you see anything that you wish was different? Change it, or at least take the initiative to. Life is not about being perfect, but it is about trying your best. How often do we look at ourselves? I mean really look, not just to fix our hair. What does your face say about you? Are you determined? Depressed? Damaged? We need to let something remind us to reflect on our lives, so why not let it be our reflection? Who we are is not in our body or face, but it is reflected in our physiology. Take some time to reflect, do not rush through life forgetting who you are.

Tick Tock, Time

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It flies, it drags, it slips, and it flows. Days, minutes, seconds, and ever smaller jolt past us with the intensity of a bolt of electricity or mosey past like a wandering tumbleweed, but regardless we are powerless to alter its passing in anyway. Society is enamored with the idea of time travel; the number of films, books, and other tales concerning the ability to right the wrongs of the past or retrieve the secrets of the future could fill numerous volumes. And however much time is spent on the idea, I know that said ability will never be achieved. Only God stands outside of time; man was not meant to hold such authority. We cannot step past the boundary of time, ergo we must put our hands to making use of the present. Time is a gift not meant to be squandered on dull routine. If you are neglecting to utilize what you have been given to make a difference, then you waste the greatest thing that you have ever been given: LIFE. You may say, “What difference can I make, I am just one person.” Well I answer you, “If everyone stopped asking that question and did something, then the world would be an acceptable place to live.” Leave your mark on life (and let it be positive). Leave a legacy.

Consistency Constantly

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“Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.” These wise words were penned some thousand odd years ago by James and have since then been deposited in the greatest book of truth that this world will ever know: The Bible. But think about this short string of syllables; it means more than you might think at first glance. Of course the obvious significance is paramount, however it is not just telling you to keep to what you say. This command is crying for Consistency. It is calling for a way of living that holds to a solid foundation. Being wishy-washy helps no one. You cannot enrich someone’s life with indecision, nor can you support anything with weak braces. What kind of a life can you build for yourself and your family if you are constantly undermining your own decisions? The world is founded on principles that only God can break. None of us can fly just because we want to; that would break the law f Gravity. Likewise, we cannot breathe underwater because we were created to be Human Beings, not fish (or birds). Life is less about instability and more about Consistency. If we cannot depend on anything, when major Change comes, our worlds will be shaken. Change is a good thing, but we need to balance it with stability. We need Consistency Constantly.