The Right Clothes

By Virginia Smith

My husband and I enjoy taking trips together on his motorcycle. Last summer we rode down to Escalante National Park in southern Utah, and before we left I took the opportunity to do a little shopping. I had a jacket and helmet, but they were out of style. Now, that doesn’t matter one bit to my husband, but it does to me. I mean, what will the other biker chicks think if I zoom down the road sporting out-of-date clothes?

So, I went shopping for some snazzy new biker gear. Motorcycle clothing is expensive, but I was prepared to spend big bucks for a helmet, because I know how important head protection is. And I wanted a new riding jacket made of reinforced mesh with protective pads at the shoulders and elbows. The saleslady stuck with me, showing me different styles and commenting on the way certain colors complimented my complexion, – you know, the important stuff.

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Books and Covers… and People

By Virginia Smith

You can’t judge a book by its cover. We’ve all heard that saying. I know it’s true literally. I received a book as a gift not long ago, and when I saw the cover, I thought, “Nah. That story doesn’t appeal to me.” Then a week or so later I became desperate for fresh reading material and opened the book. Wow. Within a page or so I was into the story, hooked by the author’s writing and the character’s conflicts.

Perhaps more importantly, the saying is true figuratively. How many times have I formed an opinion about people because of the way they look? Oh, I’m never rude. But have I missed getting to know a truly delightful person because I didn’t take the time to see behind the façade? Have I been put off by a scowl, perhaps? Or by clothing that isn’t “appropriate,” by my personal standards? Have I discounted someone because they don’t speak my language well enough? Or because their beliefs aren’t the same as mine? Or even because I’m intimidated by the air of success they project? Am I missing some truly great stories because the cover doesn’t look all that appealing to me?

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Indescribable Love

By Virginia Smith

From an aging photograph on the bedside table, a bride and groom smile at one another with eyes full of love. The woman in the nursing home bed bears no resemblance to the bride. Dull, sightless eyes stare toward the ceiling, and sagging skin clings to the bones of her face like winter leaves reluctant to loose their fragile grip on the tree that gave them life.

As I hand a damp cloth to the man seated beside her bed, I detect a similarity to the groom in his wrinkled face. He raises the cloth to her forehead, and from the tenderness in his eyes I know he does not see her as I do. He sees instead every smile she has ever given him, every tear she has shed, every night spent together. He sees her as he knows she has been, and as he hopes she will be again. He sees her with love.

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The Narrow Trail

By Virginia Smith

In Utah’s Wasatch Mountains just east of Salt Lake City there’s a trail I love to hike. It’s called Donut Falls. I drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon and leave my car at a small and often crowded parking area, lace up my hiking boots and take off. There are two trails – the first is wide enough for a car, though no vehicles are permitted up there. It is easy, with a gentle grade and few rocks littering the way. It’s a beautiful hike and leads to the top of the falls where I can see the donut, a giant flat rock with a round hole where thousands of gallons of rushing mountain water pour through.

The second trail isn’t so easy. It’s narrow, steep, and often jagged. I stop periodically to catch my breath, and at one place I have to climb down a six-foot muddy ledge, holding on to tree roots for balance. But it’s worth the extra effort, because the narrow trail ends below the falls instead of above it. All that water pours through the hole above me and thunders into a sheltered pool, refreshing me with a cool mountain spray as it rushes past me over a stunning rocky creek bed. The view from that angle takes my breath away. It’s well worth the struggle to get there.

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The Greatest Organizer

By Virginia Smith

Thank goodness for electronic calendars. Back when I worked in the corporate world I learned to rely on my computer to organize my day, and that’s a time management technique I’ve kept in my career as a writer. Each morning I turn on my computer and examine my schedule, so I know what’s in store for me during the day. Often my hours are filled with back-to-back conference calls, appointments, meetings with editors, and looming deadlines. Without my electronic day planner, I wouldn’t know where to go, or what I’m supposed to do when I arrive.

God has a plan for my day, too. The Bible declares that the Lord has made each day, and arranged every moment to fit perfectly into His plan. Not only does He know about my lunch with a grieving friend, He also knows about the neighbor I’ll see on my way to the mailbox who needs a smile to brighten her morning. He knows about the lady at the grocery store who needs help lifting heavy bags into her car at the exact moment I pull into the parking place next to hers. Not a single encounter will take the Lord by surprise, because He has filled in every moment on the calendar He maintains for me. When I trust in Him, He’ll show me where to go and what to do, and my day will bring glory and honor to Him.

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