DEEP SAUDADE FOR THE DAYS OF BEAVER CLEAVER

As with any oldster, I miss the past. I miss a different time, perhaps a different world. I miss it terribly! In retrospect, I think more than anything, I miss the blessed naïve ignorance of youth, when life seemed simple and good, without threat or risk or life-altering challenges. The world I remember was full of exciting adventure, the thrill of exploration and discovery. Each endeavor seemed sweet, pure, and honorable.

Getting up in the early hours was never a chore. I couldn’t wait to wake up and see what the world would bring. All was fresh and new like a copper penny as the adage goes (if you can remember what those were before they changed them to the dull lifeless plugs that don’t hold any weight or substance. And yet even those poor imitations of the original penny have been taken out of circulation and soon won’t exist anymore.)

Most days, I dread waking. As I lay in the warmth of my covers, hearing the early cries of the robins, and ponder the new day, dread and melancholy encompass me. What new evil will be overtaking this bright new day that could have been so full of promise? Has it always been thus? But then I remember, God is still on His throne and the evil that seems so pervasive to my mind, is leashed. I am reminded that I may not see God’s restraint, but He does. I must recall that God has it all in hand! I must trust Him. I must remember that in my naïve days of youth, there were also many evils. People were threatened and marginalized. Inequality and prejudice often ruled the day as it does now. I just didn’t see it. I couldn’t see it through the blinders of youthful ignorance. Moreover, I didn’t realize that God and others were fighting these battles. God remains in the thick of it. He said through His Son, “With man it is impossible but with God (with me), all things are possible for one who believes (Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23, 10: 27; Luke 18: 27).” God said it multiple times so we would believe in faith that it is true. And it is… because we can trust Him! We may not understand as much as we would prefer, but in Proverbs we are enjoined to:

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways acknowledge Him,
    and He will direct your paths.     Proverbs 3:5-6  M. E. V.