There were times when it was a cold rain and I was miserable in my warm jacket, and couldn’t imagine how cold my son was out there without protection, running around in a thin nylon jersey uniform.
And as we go along in life, we too are walking or running about on the playing field in our thin skins, feeling the cold rain driving down on top of us, wishing for half time and a break. When you’re fighting a quit, or fighting any difficulty in life, you feel very vulnerable and maybe even alone. You have a lot of other people around you, but somehow you just feel alone and cold and wet and uncomfortable.
But! But! But!!!! Did you know that there are magic blankets hidden in your world? Yes there are!!! They are everywhere and they are at your fingertips if you need them. Let me show them to you, come closer and let me wrap you up safe and warm inside of them.
See this one? It’s woven with many colors. It is multicolored and has designs that are intricate and complicated and vibrant. This is the blanket of friendship. This is the warm blanket you wrap yourself in when you reach out and ask for help. This is the warm cozy blanket that comes around you when you finally stop trying to stand off to the side, all alone, and when you pick up the phone or you log onto a website or you walk out your door and drive to a friend’s house. This is a wonderful blanket indeed.
See this one? It’s woven with deep blues and soft ripples of aqua. This is the blanket of deep thought and meditation. This is the one that you wrap yourself in when you need some time alone from the busy world, from the demands that overwhelm you, from the worries that weigh you down. This is the pool you can dive into that envelopes you with safe calming waters. These waters are healing waters and rich with energy and renewal. And this is the blanket you pull over your head and hide from the surface, inside where you connect with yourself and with something much greater than you.
See this one? This is one of my favorite blankets! It is bright yellow and gold and white and all the colors of the sun. This blanket is the blanket of joy and of laughter and of fun. This is the blanket you wrap yourself up in when you take a walk, ride a bike, lay on the beach, play with your dog, go to the movies, enjoy a fine meal, and take a cruise. I try to wrap myself in this blanket at least once a day.
When you are experiencing moments of sadness and guilt and hopelessness, reach for one of these warm blankets and wrap yourself up in it for a while. They are always neatly folded on the shelf right where God placed them for you, in your world.
