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In a past day and age, Canada had a political party called the progressive conservatives.  Sounds like an oxymoron – a cluster of words that are the opposite of each other.

I’ve been thinking on that over these past few months.  In times of transition, there is a tendency to jettison both approaches.

“Let’s be conservative,” you may say.  At first that sounds great – a return to the good old days.  But were the good old days what got you into a situation that has been exhausting and difficult?

“Let’s be progressive,” you may say.  At first that sound great – a forward momentum into the future.  But has dreaming a new reality brought you the stability to be able to live with wellness?

So, what if we combined both? 

I am still in the midst of the balancing act.  Thankfully today’s balancing is not tipping me too much!!

When I was young, I enjoyed the pictures of high wire actors crossing Niagara Falls.  Without a net.  Nerves of steel! 

Now-a-days, we tend to just have nerves.  And our balancing acts are not so much about physical feats of bravery, but mental feats of cowardice.  Fear is a plunger – right to the bottom!  We tend to lose perspective and move into a lose-based approach to life.

In the midst of much transition lately, I am trying to find balance that allays fear and pushes me forward into vision for the future.

One day at a time! 

Not a bad motto for today.

I wish I could capitalize the title of this blog post!  The journey of these past few months is not about some great adventure that has a marvellous ending point.  Plodding would be more appropriate.  Many terms could describe the time away:  transitional, stressful, learning, visionary. 

And now, it’s time to take up what had been set aside.

And so, for today, “that’s it, folks!”

Tune in tomorrow for more adventures in “daily life as life goes on.”

Yesterday in church some people were very thankful that their harvesting have been completed.  For urban folks, that means the combines and grain trucks are retired for the year.  Well, not quite!  The trucks are hauling grain to elevators (grain distribution centers), and the vehicles that have lasted through the harvest season will be examined and repaired for the next year’s crop.

The sky is clear today and no dust is swirling around.  As I look through the study window, the crispness of the temperature and the turning of leaves reminds me that winter is on the way. 

I had encouraged our church people to use Thanksgiving as an anti-complaint time.  One of the parishioners, after church, mentioned that he was a Leafs fan, and they were playing in the afternoon.  At 0-3 this year, he was trying hard not to complain but to see the bright side. 

We discussed the last time the Leafs won a Stanley Cup (1967) which was before he was born.  That was the year my parents moved to Toronto for a few years sojourn.  I lived in heady days of expectation of the next Stanley Cup – which still hasn’t happened!  He had just read about it.

I walked away reminded that next year is a new year, regardless of how this year goes.  The greatest our anxiety can do for us is create physical upset and emotional unrest.  How to really trust God in the midst of all this is the real point. 

May we find thankfulness to God for all he has done will lead us to trust Him more and more.