This morning on the train to work I was in a window seat facing away from the direction of travel. It was a bright, sunny morning and as we passed through fields of farmland, the grass looked almost too green and sheep were toothpaste white in the brilliant sunlight.
But of course travelling backwards I had only the briefest of glimpses of these vignettes. With no warning what was coming, my eyes had only a moment to absorb what I saw before the train flashed past and onto the next scene.
And I thought how often this happens in life. We rarely have much warning how a new person or experience is going to turn out. Often an encounter is over so quickly it slips out of memory almost immediately. Sometimes, though, a brief meeting or experience slips under our defenses like grit into an oyster.
What I’m trying to do is find ways to let that grit transform itself into a pearl, rather than just live with the irritation. I’m sure that awareness and listening to what the irritation really means are key to this. Sometimes it’s difficult, though.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:45-46
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