Complete abandon! The joy of the thought excites us. To walk away from it all and be free! This comes so easy to children pictured here by my grandchildren playing in the huge pile of leaves they raked and used blowers to make. Not pictured are PaPa who is still blowing back into the pile what flies away in their fun and Mommy (not I) lugging the rolling can full of leaves back to the creek. These children are not thinking about the homework ahead, the test tomorrow, the friend who hurt their feelings at school today, or how they are going to pay the bills this week with an empty account. That is rarely true for us as adults.

 I attempt to abandon the worries in my life by driving out of town to enjoy the scenery, visit a unique place- and this past weekend to take the grandkids on their first train ride pulled by a very old steam engine! I enjoyed kicking back and taking in the moment.  However, I never achieved the abandon the children did hanging out the windows, singing train songs and even asking the conductor if he spelled believe when he punched their ticket- to which he replied, “ If you believe it spells believe it does!”. (If you haven’t seen “The Polar Express” treat yourself this Christmas and you will fully understand the wonder in their eyes when he said that.)   As I closed my eyes to the sounds of the steam engine on the tracks it took effort to ward off thoughts that could easily have ruined the moment.

 “I have told you these things that in me you might have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

How many times have I read that verse? To the degree I believe it I can experience the abandon of life’s troubles fully in my heart. My eyes will always see the world as it is, my ears will hear the sounds of the times, but my heart can know Jesus has overcome the world! My present and my future can exist with Him…………