‘Life ain’t no picnic!’ How many times have you heard that? Or what about‘no pain no gain?’ And then there is ‘if life gives you lemons, make lemonade.’ Patsy Clairmont opens her second chapter of "Dancing Bones"with these old sayings. She says "We’ve all been told that the ‘school of hard knocks’ is part of life, but if you’re like me, crushing blows still catch you off guard, leave you speechless, and at times rob you of your very breath." Clairmont isn’t too fond of any of those sayings. Why? Because they don’t make us feel any better.She shares that in the valley’s of life "where bees nest and poison ivy spreads" ~ that as long as you brace yourself for those upcoming painful experiences that you can better "safeguard your heart from disillusionment." She also points out that though there are hard times ~ good can be found even among the bees and poison ivy. An analogy she makes is that of fruit. Fruit does not grow in high elevations on mountain peaks but rather it grows in the lower elevations ~ the valleys of life. And she encourages us to remember that we can partake of this luscious, juicy fruit even in the hard times. Hardships don’t have to always be about lemons, or pain, or hard knocks.
Scripture repeatedly tells us to prepare for hardships ~ it is a given that they will be a part of our lives. So don’t miss the view while you are there. Clairmont says to "spread a gingham cloth in a valley of clover and picnic on the Lord’s kind mercies in the midst of heartbreak and disappointment. For in the shade of his presence, we experience Christ’s tender care for our bruised emotions." The view from the valley doesn’t have to be a bad one.
