Pastor Ken
Our house faces a park. The perimeter is about a mile long. It’s big enough for a baseball field, a children’s playground, and a small pond. In the fall, a flock of Canadian geese migrating south love to take a break there. The length of their stay depends on the weather. One day, as it rained hard, I wondered where they would go to avoid the relentless downpour.
It turned out that they didn’t hide under the trees, nor took cover in the pavilion. They stayed in the open and squatted like statues. No matter the intensity of the rain and the fury of thunder and lightning, they remained still and waited until the rain stopped. Then they shook away water and moved on. There is a lot of interesting information online about the behavior of the Canadian geese, including their flight formations and how they switch positions. But how they stopped and waited out the rain made me think of some moments in life. When facing a difficult situation, perhaps remaining still is the best option.
Years ago, when I was about to leave Hong Kong for my college education in the United States, I visited my piano teacher to say goodbye. Since she’d studied in the United States, she was kind enough to offer me some advice. “Whether you are at the airport or the bus terminal, when you arrive, don’t panic. Stop and look for signs. Usually they’ll show you where to claim your luggage, where the taxi area is, lobby etc. Be clear about the directions before you start moving. That’ll save you a lot of trouble.”
Sure enough, my teacher’s few words became very useful in the future. When we stop and look around in a new place, we can easily find helpful information.
Sometimes, people struggle to meet their financial obligations. So they seek additional employment alongside their full-time job. However, the heavy workload makes them so tired that they can’t think at the end of the day. The pattern continues that they barely meet their basic needs. In this situation, an important step is to stop and do some analysis of the family expenditure. Take a look at how people in other parts of the world live. Many of them have less income, own fewer things, and live in a much smaller space. Yet they enjoy their lives with their families much more than a lot of us living in the US. Happiness doesn’t depend on material abundance. Living in the US, we should first refuse to go with the flow and respond to the trends and advertisements. And don’t compare with the Jones. With fewer expenses, we don’t have to work that second job. If you don’t stop and think, life becomes too busy, and you can’t find a way out.
Anyone who has experience hiking in the woods knows that if you are lost, you need to halt. You have to locate your position on the map, find out the correct direction, then return to the right trail. If you don’t have a map or lose electronic signals, in the worst-case scenario, you must search for water and shelter while waiting for rescue. Start moving without knowing the right direction will only make things worse.
Some people encounter difficulties in marriage and think that finding another partner will solve the problems. For times like this, you need to stop and seek professional help. Quite possibly, the problem lies with you. If you only want to change others but not yourself, the next marriage will end up the same.
Be still from time to time. Reflect, evaluate, and choose the right path. Only in this way can we see the direction, take the next step, and reach the next destination smoothly.
