9/11 weekend

a few weeks ago i went to walmart with a friend and as he picked up groceries for his family i noticed a few of the television monitors playing near the check-out line playing a miley cyrus movie, and for 3 minutes i was captivated. not by miley, mind you, but by this song 'the climb' she was singing. what an incredible piece of songwriting, clearly intended originally for a country singer. and yet the song took on a new life without a countrified feel and with a young songstress making it applicable to audiences young and old alike.

i'm discovering that some of the best songs are those that honestly deal with the pain of moving forward, the struggle of facing down challenge after challenge. it's as if we're all in the same boat, paddling upstream, and when we hear reminders of that, something resonates in our souls that we are headed in the right direction.

on this 9/11 weekend, i pray all of us remember that life is hard, but very good. we only get one climb each but it's worth every drop of sweat. and may those who have gone before us remind us that life is also short, and we're incredible blessed to be here for however long a time we get.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 thessalonians 5:16-18).