I've been thinking lately a lot about train rides.
Out west as a 15 year old, headed for Regina and a youth conference during March Break. What an adventure that was.
A last historic run for a steam engine, just a little later, near the end of highschool; the ride where my boyfriend broke up with me. What a heartbreak that was.
Our honeymoon destination, Montebello, Quebec, first class, (with the same boyfriend - yeah, we got back together). What a lavish healing that was!
To Stratford for a homeschooling field trip with my children, age 7 and 9. What a memorable teaching moment that was.
With my granddaughter Abby, just recently, up to St. Jacobs for a day of just us time. What a Gramma moment that was.
Rides of significance in my life, all made possible by a span of 4 feet, 8 1/2 inches.
That's the distance between the tracks. All the way. All the way to anywhere, railroad tracks are lined up side by side at exactly the distance of 4 feet, 8 1/2 inches. Has to be, or the train would derail.
The tracks are aligned.
And it reminds me of a question Jesus asked one day. A rather pointed question, as He was inclined to do. It was a question of alignment.
"Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46)
That didn't make sense to Him. Either you're going to call Him Lord and do what He says, or your not. Otherwise you're not aligned.
Say and Do. Values and Behaviours. Beliefs and Choices. They have to line up.
Take jujubes for example. I say I want to eat healthy. But leave me in the house alone with a bag of those sweet, chewy nuggets of gelatinous junk, and I am very soon out of alignment.
Take speeding for example. I say I want to obey the rules of the road. But let me be just 5 minutes late to an appointment where I wanted to make a good impression, and I am very soon out of alignment.
Take honesty for example. I say I want to live an open, authentic life. But ask me a pointed question at the wrong time in front of the wrong people, and I will find a way to skirt around the "real" truth, and say what I think you want to hear. I'm out of alignment.
Now of course, trains are machines and people are not, so let's give it up huge for the grace factor! The grace factor has to be in play, or we'd all be left to perfectionist self destruction, or giving up. We would. Pefect alignment, that's not for right now. So thank God for grace. Thank God for His ability to see us as if we were done when we're not.
But the alignment factor is still in play. To move forward strongly into the future, to maintain our sanity, to succeed in anything actually, we have to have some form of alignment between what we say and do, our values and our behaviours, our beliefs and our choices.
Is it too late yet to say Happy New Year? I want to say it. I want to wish you great success in all you do and all you have going for you this year. I want to bless you and any efforts you are making to make things better for yourself, those you love, or this planet in general. I want to cheer you on toward all your goals, all your dreams.
And if I could, most of all, I'd grant you a year that was 4 feet, 8 1/2 inches wide....all the way.
Father, this is the day.