Growing up on a farm, it seemed I was always
having to cross the creek that ran through our
property. Take a jar of fresh water to Daddy,
working in the back cornfield. Go get the cows.
Pick a daisy bouquet for the supper table. Visit
my favorite apple tree. My path across that
rushing water was a series of rocks, placed just
right for my small strides. Big, flat rocks that felt
safe and smooth beneath my bare feet. Only once
did I ever slip on those rocks, crashing into the
creek and cutting my foot on a jagged stone. That
was the time I looked not at the rocks, but at the
water. Sometimes life swirls around me.
Deadlines to meet. Concerns about my
almost-grown kids. Quarrels at work. And when
I concentrate just on the problems, I find myself
sinking. But when I concentrate on the solid things
in life--my husband's devotion, my children's
good judgment, the power of apologies, God's
unchanging love--I begin to walk with a firmer
step. And like those childhood rocks, the path
becomes safe and smooth. Oh, Father, You are
the bridge across every trouble--one small step at
a time. --Mary Lou Carney