Seizing the moment. It is a spiritual act, one that can determine the course of our journey. We can see this in the story of Tobit: Now when the boy [Tobit] went down to wash his feet in the river, a large fish suddenly leaped out of the water and tried to swallow his foot. He shouted in alarm. But the angel said to him, "Take hold of the fish and don't let it get away!" The boy seized the fish and hauled it up on the shore... (6:3-4).
The boy Tobit was terrified of the "big fish" that came to "swallow his foot." He could have solved the problem by running away. But instead he followed the angels' advice, and faced the very thing that threatened him. He grabbed the fish and hauled it to shore. That very act changed the course of his journey. It is not an accident that what threatened to disable him held the healing potion for his future difficulties, a wife with a demon, and a father with blindness.
We all have experiences that mirror this story, when some sort of "large fish" attempts to cut off our feet (which takes us wherever we go!). It is up to us to see the experience for what it is, an opportunity. We can face challenges in positive ways, seize the moment with truth or kindness or courage, and change the course of our history. It is for us to believe in our power to take what threatens to destroy and turn it into something good. We don't need to be passive in the face of struggles.
The story of Tobit is a powerful example. What appeared to threaten actually held the cure for two seemingly hopeless situations. Tobit would never have found this out had he run or succumbed. It was only in seizing the aggressor that Tobit obtained the treasure, a treasure that cured.
No comments:
Post a Comment