In Celebration
| NOTE: I am sorry for not posting again sooner, but blogspot was not letting me access my blog for QUITE a while. It seems like they may have fixed the problem now! Yay! Keep checking back for more soon. ~LT "If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well'. " Martin Luther King, Jr. I was looking for a good quote about writing. This was not what I had in mind at first, but when I read it, I liked it...alot! This post is in celebration of my finishing seven chapters of my book...and, actually, this is a very encouraging and appropriate quote. Even if no one ever reads my book, if it never gets published...I can at least write it with the best of my ability, to touch lives and to glorify God. Oh my...I wasn't planning to write an in-depth post...but I feel one coming on, so bear with me! Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Philippians 2:14-15 "Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." I should love to write a story about such a street sweeper as Martin Luther King Jr. mentioned...to see where the typing away of my fingers would take him. Perhaps I shall include such a noble sweeper in my book...hmmm... Really, though, the lesson of that quote and of the verses above is to do EVERYTHING as if we were doing it for God...because, really, we are! Whether writing, or mopping the floor, or mowing the lawn, or just being faithful in the seemingly small and ordinary tasks of our lives...we must remember to do it all for God's glory, and to be a light in the universe, whether anyone sees us or not. I have a quote in my room which says, "See Jesus in everything, and in everything you will find blessing." I have found that to be true. When we stop worrying about how we feel, or how we think someone else should be treating us, and simply focus on serving Jesus with the tasks he has given us, it is wonderful...and he will bless our faithfulness. Sooo...in celebration of finishing the seventh chapter, here is a portion of it...copyright of course by me - though if anyone wants to try to duplicate the previous 6 chapters going only on this...feel free to try! JUST KIDDING! A portion of Chapter 7: by Tai Sophia Polczynski Conan came to a place in the path where it divided into two separate roads. They seemed to run somewhat parallel to each other for a while, but by squinting, it seemed that he could make out that one gradually curved to the left, and one quickly cut to the right some ways ahead. He had no idea which road he should take, and wondered why the others had not caught up to him yet, so that they could discuss it together. (Since he had gone into the forest first, he did not know about the odd things that were happening to the others on the path behind him.) He thought that, perhaps, he could travel down one a little ways, and if it did not please him, why, he could always come back and take the other. Perhaps...but what if that way led on to another, and he could not get back? He remembered the parchment-book that they had been given, and reached for it in his saddle bags. He drew it out and flipped through the bits of maps and accounts of previous travelers. He skimmed some of the accounts, but each seemed to have a different story of what they encountered. How could this help him? He began to close the book when his eyes caught on a part of a sentence: "...Many have taken the road that gently curves." Of course, by the time this struck him as meaningful, he had already closed the book, and could not seem to find that exact page again. However, this seemed like a sign of sorts to him, and he decided to go ahead and take the road that gently curved to the left. If many have taken it, he thought, then it must be a good road. However, he had forgotten that many of the people who had ventured into this forest had never been seen again. Sir Torrin was really not so very far behind Conan, but even so, when he had come to the divide in the road, it was beginning to get even darker than it had been before, and Sir Torrin assumed that the sun must be setting. He thought of the parchment-book, but it was growing too dark to read, and he did not want to delay a moment, or rely on a silly book...so, he chose a path from instinct, and coincidentally, it was the same path which Conan had chosen; the one which curved to the left...although he had been given not two but three different roads to choose from - one of which ran straight ahead. By the time Leith came to the split in the road, his way was lit only by a little white moonlight, which somehow managed to sneak through the thick canopy of branches and leaves above him. He pulled his horse to a stand-still, and gazed to the left and to the right. He decided that he could never make the choice of which road to take without seeing what the parchment-book had to say first, so he tied his horse, and laid down on the hard ground with only his cloak to cover him, for the long night which followed. As for Sonas, well...he was nowhere near the split in the road at the time that darkness fell, and couldn't see himself sleeping at this point in the journey...not yet. So, he continued on down the road, letting his horse choose its own pace, keeping alert and ready to defend himself at every rustle and cracking twig. On and on through the chilly night he kept on. It seemed like only a few hours to him, though, before the light began to get stronger - not very noticeable at first, but increasing more and more. It was a relief for him to be able to see the path again, after the deep darkness of the night...and as the greenish light filtered through the leaves, he saw a small, irregular mound in the distance...and a horse nearby. He was immediately suspicious, and grasped his sword's hilt...but as he drew nearer he recognized the horse. It was Leith's horse, and Leith, aroused by the hoofbeats of Sonas' horse, was now sitting up, and gave a wide smile as he recognized Sonas. "Sonas! I can't begin to tell you how glad I am to see you! I was beginning to think I would have to go it alone." "As was I. It was a long and lonesome night I spent, for sure. Why ever did you and Sir Torrin disappear so rapidly?" "It seems that this path has something of a mind of it's own...though I am not sure if it is working for this quest or against it. It seems that we could all be walking at the same pace, and yet, one person would end up far, far ahead of another, and one would end up far behind. I was not able to keep pace with Sir Torrin's horse while it was walking, unless my horse was at a full gallop!" "It would almost seem like an unfair advantage." "It would but I have a feeling that it is really about the same in the end." "And what of this divide in the road? Which of the roads are we to take?" "I do not yet know, but I plan to look in my parchment-book to see if I might find some guidance there...but first, breakfast!" So, Leith and Sonas split up and looked for anything edible which was not too far from the path. Sonas found a little woodland spring, which one would have missed had it been dark, and he filled up their water jugs with the clear, cool water. He also found some wild blueberries, which he carried back to the road in his hat. Leith had succeeded in slaying a squirrel, and had already cleaned it by the time Sonas returned. "See here," Leith began, "I have this squirrel, which is better than nothing...but I have never been much good at starting fires..." "Ah, I see. The man who can do everything must at last admit defeat. I am only joking. Let me see what I can do." In ten minutes or so, they had a beautifully blazing fire, and Sonas had even rigged up a little spit for the squirrel to cook on. Leith shook his head in amazement as he and Sonas enjoyed the wild blueberries while they waited. After breakfast, Leith pulled out his parchment book and opened it. His eyes widened as he began reading, and looking at the fragments of maps and drawings. "There is so much in here!" he exclaimed, "But it's not laid out from things at the beginning of the path to the end...it's just all mixed in random-seeming order together. How will we ever find what we are looking for in all of this?" "Let me get my copy out too. I will start at the back and work my way forward - that way there will be two sets of eyes on duty, instead of just one." "My, my! I should have looked at this book before I even began down this path. I don't know why it didn't enter my head to do so! Here is a part about the road being different for each person...oh!" Leith stopped, as his eyes lighted on a paragraph. "I think," he excitedly began, "I have found something referring to where we are now! The man who wrote this is talking about how one person can suddenly get far ahead of the other on this road - like we experienced - until the divide in the road. If we set out on the right path, that will no longer occur. He says, 'Some people see two paths, and others see three, and I cannot yet explain why. Many have taken the road that gently curves,'" Leith flipped the page and then continued, "' but that is a treacherous path, full of jagged rocks and sheer cliffs. That road is nearly twice as long as it need be, though it eventually intersects the right road again. Some take the straight road - they that can see it - because it looks easily traveled, but it is full of quicksand which, if one is not careful, can be their end, and suck them in - never to let go. It is the path to the right that is the safest route - though none is ever truly safe in this wood. I cannot say what you will meet along the way, for it changes according to he that travels it, but I can guarantee a safe path for your feet, at least. There will be hills and stones to be sure. It is not easy, but it is firm. You will find that your pace returns to normal once you have set out on this road. Beware and do not take any road just for the thrill of it, for you will find that you will not be able to return to the divide in the road once you have set out down one way, however long you may try to ride back. Very few have ever gotten back and been able to choose another path...very few indeed.' And that is all he has written for this section...there's a little sketch of the roads here, with arrows pointing down the road to the right. How many roads do you see, Sonas?" "Three, of course...and you?" "How odd...it is true what he wrote then...for I only see two." "I wonder where the straight looking road leads. He never said." "That, my friend, is probably because no one has ever survived on it long enough to find out. Oh! I do hope Sir Torrin and Conan haven't taken that road." "Why not? That would be fine with me." Leith stared long and hard at Sonas before replying, "I have never heard you say something so un-dignified before now!" Sonas looked a bit abashed, and taken aback. Then, it seemed, he realized how selfish what he had said must have sounded and hung his head. "Forgive me, Leith. I don't know why I have even attempted this contest. I would make a terrible king, and anyone can see that you are the most worthy of us all to become one." "Oh, do stop! Don't begin to sulk. Take a correction like a man. I am far from being a worthy king - in fact, I almost forfeited my place in this contest...but my only hope is to somehow perhaps win back Breenna, if I can - for she was one of the three chosen to stand at the end of the contest and perhaps be chosen to become the next queen. I could not bear to see that happen, without having tried to reclaim her. I am immature and selfish and proud, just like the next man...but my father taught me, when I was little, to take correction and to learn from it, instead of pouting or putting up walls. That was one of the most valuable lessons he taught me while he was still living." "I am sorry, Leith. I guess I am proud and selfish...and immature too. I will try to learn and change." "Try as you will, Sonas, you will never accomplish that by your own power. Only God can truly change a man...or woman. Sonas...I care about you. I care what happens in your heart." Sonas sighed, and said, "Well...shall we take the road to the right then?" "I suppose so, if you are ready to go on." Leith replied. "Yes....I am." So, they loaded their saddle bags once again, adding some blueberries and squirrel meat wrapped in leaves to the cargo, and mounted their horses. Then they nudged them onto the path which would carry them on...to where, they did not know. ~Lady Tai |
posted by Tai Sophia at 2:53 PM
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