"Lately It Occurs to Me..."

Jerry Garcia once sang, "lately it occurs to me, what a long, strange trip it's been." I have had similar sentiments lately, but perhaps for different reasons. My six year-old son broke his leg on October 18 while playing soccer with his cousins. For five weeks, he wore a cast and got around in a wheel chair. Last Tuesday, he was liberated from the cast and now has a walking boot. Either way, he has lost a step (which, for Corran, is a big deal). His mind still wants to move at his regular pace, but his leg says "no," at least for now. But, as I have observed Corran these past weeks, and as I have observed people's response to him, I have realized that we do not like to be slowed down in our society. I know, there is nothing earth-shattering in that revelation. But, we need to think about it for a moment, and truly consider what it means. We are all heading somewhere in life, and if you live in Southern California, you recognize that most of us are in a hurry to get there. So much so, in fact, that we often times lose sight of what is going on around us. My son will walk again (and he will probably break something else somewhere down the line). But, what of parents whose children will not walk - ever. How do they fit into the mainstream of our society? I don't mean do we make sure they have good parking, or good seating. Those are important. But, more important, how do we allow for the opportunity for others to take their place in the world. If we are going somewhere fast, everything that we encounter is an obstacle, not an opportunity. That is a terrible way to live, and I am pretty sure it is not what Jesus would do.