REFLECTIONS

“Blessings Come at the End”

On our recent vacation in Yachats, Oregon, Mary and I looked forward to walking along the black volcanic rock that punctuates Yachats’ scenic coastline. Some mornings and evenings the fog was so thick that we couldn’t even see the water 30 feet away. On an evening where the fog was like pea soup, we were amused when a woman complained about not being seated at a table with a view. What was the point? There was zero visibility. The window might as well have been painted battleship gray. Despite the lack of view, Mary and I stuffed ourselves to the point where we could barely stand.

Hours later, still too full to sleep, we tried to walk off our dinner with a stroll around the inn. On a fluke, we looked outside, and were surprised to find a brilliantly starry night. Putting on sweatshirts, we followed the Oregon coast trail through a grove of coastal pine illuminated by the light of the milky way. It was the one of several unexpected blessings on that trip.

I think the blessings Mary and I discovered on the Oregon coast are much like the blessings this church is experiencing right now as a congregation - we are finding unexpected moments of beauty and grace together. As we search for the path ahead, there will still be times when the path will be shrouded in fog and mist, and we may become unsure of our way or grow wary of getting lost. The blessings to come can seem just out of sight, but they are as present as the pounding surf - even on the foggiest nights. In life, as in scripture, the blessings always come at the end, usually after being disoriented in the fog. Maybe God works that way so we’ll appreciate the blessing to come even more.

Yours on the journey,

Pastor B. J.