Bedtime Stories

As i sit propped up in bed and reflect on all that has happened in the past...week ALONE, i am so very grateful for the blessings and the Lord's faithfulness. On a more materialistic note, i am now a proud owner of a 2005 black Honda Civic Coupe - a belated college graduation present from my parents. I am elated, it's a beautiful car :) And thus began the search for the perfect name. It couldn't be just any silly name, it had to be THE name. (Yes, yes, i know, all of this for a car - can you imagine the naming process if/when i have kids?!) So, i searched high and low, browsed through baby name websites, glanced through countless meanings and various languages. After browsing through Song of Songs today before actually deciding on a name, i stumbled across one of my favorite verses:

Like the finest apple tree in the orchard is my lover among other young men. I sit in his delightful shade and taste his delicious fruit -Song of Songs 2:3

A word in Hebrew meaning shade/shadow is Tsila . Shade = black. My beloved brings shade, He brings refuge as we rest in Him. So, my black beauty of a car is named Tsila - Tilly for short - as a reminder of the Lord's presence. Is this silly? I feel a little silly putting so much thought into a name for a car...but thus is the result of overflowing excitement i have a hard time containing :).

And now, the bedtime story. Settle in, get comfortable, turn on relaxing music. I have learned from a Children's Literature course and throughout life that good stories have a moral and/or wholesome message woven into the plot. So be prepared.

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Once upon a time, there were four friends who set out to climb to the tallest point in all of the land. They had set their gazes high and their hopes even higher. What was a mere seven miles through delightfully cool forests, past flowing streams and placid lakes? That mountaintop experience, that feeling of ecstasy in reaching the top, the view that awaited them was so highly anticipated and totally worth the trek.



So they set off - wandering through the dirt trail into the dense forest. Soon, the dirt-packed trail became narrower, barely wide enough for two to pass through walking side by side. Still further into the journey, large boulders and knotted tree roots covered the trail. The four passed through bogs on creaking, wooden planks, their minds focused on the view awaiting them.



After an hour or so into the pilgrimage, one of the hikers began to wonder how much longer it would take to get to the tippy top. She began to feel discouraged, as the trail seemed to be leading them lower and lower, rather than to the glorious peak. The impatient and weary hiker began to ask those that passed by, on their way down from the peak, "How much further?" Rather than feeling encouraged, she began to feel frustrated at the mixed responses: "Oh, you're not far. Keep going" and "You've got quite a ways to go" and "about 300 yards" and "about 1,000 yards, and a steep climb left" and "You're not even close to the top". Though she knew she was well on her way to the glorious site on that mountain top, she was burdened by the need to ask questions and the reception of inconsistent responses.
Kim, one of the four friends, led the way. She was a weathered veteran and had climbed to the tops of many high places. She kept her eyes focused on the path ahead, and encouraged her discouraged friend to keep moving and stop asking questions.



Allison, the third friend, brought comic relief and a breath of fresh air. Though silent for most of the journey, (as she contemplated the mounds of rocks she had to climb over and the surging rivers in front of her in her own life) Allison only allowed kind and encouraging words to escape from her mouth. She made her discouraged friend laugh, as they relieved themselves in the forest and scared passer-byers.
Cassie, the fourth friend, would break out in laughter at the most random things. Joy flowed from her, as she brought up the rear. Her steps were careful, her strides were thought out, as she focused on finding firm footings and the path that lay ahead.
And finally, the four friends reached the hardest part of the trail - the side of the mountain. The trail went from horizontal to a strictly vertical climb. As the four friends heaved and stopped to catch their breath occasionally, the discouraged climber became frustrated: "How much FURTHER?!" she said, short of breath.



Before any of her friends could answer, the four noticed a clearing. They stopped in their tracks, for they knew, they had FINALLY reached the mountain top. The highest place in all the land provided a view of the valley below - the treetops miles below them, meshing together, the rivers and lakes nestled in between. The view alone brought sheer ecstasy and excitement, as the weary travelers realized their journey was more than worth it. Every rock, every bump, every frustration or river that needed to be crossed made the view even more delightful. And so, the four friends soaked up this glorious view and found sweet rest.



THE END

The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.
-Habakkuk 3:19