Misunderstanding...
"Some people brought children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples scolded the people. When Jesus noticed this, he was angry and said to his disciples, 'Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.'" (Mark 10:13-14)
The disciples frequently misunderstood Jesus and had to be lovingly corrected by their master. In this case, they were about to hurt children by keeping them away from Jesus. The truth of the matter is that it's easy to misunderstand and hurt each other as we act out of our misunderstanding...
"Rye mice"...
 | |||
 | | |
| | |
| | |
As I stood at the counter to purchase our tickets for the tour that would take us to the summit of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, the lady helping me said, "Oh you're going to love it up there. The view is breath-taking and the "rye mice" are everywhere! There are some this big!" She held up her hands to illustrate the 8-10 inch length of the little creatures. Having traveled to the top of Pike's Peak a few years ago and seeing the small mammals that scampered around the rocks at the top of its summit, I made a mental note to myself to be sure and get some pictures of the hardy little creatures that inhabit the barren wilderness of Mt. Washington's summit where winds have been clocked at over 200 miles an hour. As we neared the summit I began my search for the "rye mice." When we reached the summit I still had found no "rye mice" so I spent several minutes photographing the beautiful structures in the picture above (temperature 8 degrees). The tour guide told us that these structures are frozen clouds formed when the moisture of the clouds hanging over the summit condenses and freezes under the direction of the harsh winds. Having failed in my efforts to photograph the illusive small mammals high atop Mt. Washington, my curiosity was aroused. When I returned to my laptop I began to searuch for more information about these "rye mice." I was frustrated in my search until I caught a glimpse of a phrase in an article describing the sights at the top of Mt. Washington. It seems that Mt. Washington is known for its spectacular "rime ice" formations. I misunderstood the ticket agent. I had spent my time disappointingly looking for the illusive "rye mice" while all along I was taking pictures of the beautiful frozen clouds -- the "rime ice."
It's easy to misunderstand, and if we're not careful, to hurt each other in our misunderstanding. I pray for understanding and the patience and care not to hurt others in my misunderstanding. How about you?
Blessings and Peace,
Gary
Help save lives! For more information on my new book, "A Relentless Hope: Surviving the Storm of Teen Depression," visit www.survivingteendepression.com.
Check out my new video, "Teens Surviving the Storm"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1hSpxC_G24
