Kumpulan Renungan

Dalam satu tandan pisang, tak semua buahnya matang secara serentak. Ada diantaranya yang masih berwarna hijau tua. Maka, sang petani ada kalanya harus menyimpannya kembali beberapa saat menunggu hingga matang semuanya.

Pisang yang telah matang dan pisang yang terlambat matang, kelak akan memiliki rasa yang sama yakni memiliki rasa pisang. Meskipun waktu untuk menjadi matang pada pisang berbeda-beda…

Begitulah kita..tak mungkin semuanya sama. Ada kalanya menurut ukuran kita, suatu masalah dapat diselesaikan hanya dengan beberapa menit saja. Tapi bagi orang lain belum tentu, ia butuh waktu untuk menyelesaikannya. Bahkan belum sampai pada kesempurnaan. Namun pada akhirnya, hasil yang didapatkan tetap dapat dirasakan.

Dalam hidup ini tak seorang pun sempurna pada bingkai kemampuannya. Karena di antara kita memang tidak sama dan serupa, kita dilahirkan berbeda, hidup di lingkungan berbeda, pada kondisi yang berbeda dan segala hal yang berbeda. Yang mesti diingat adalah bahwa setiap orang memiliki kesamaan keinginan dan memiliki hak yang sama dalam mendapat kesempatan, betapapun itu harus dipergilirkan. Karenanya, percuma saja memperdebatkan suatu ketidaksamaan, perbedaan, dan ketidakcocokan dengan orang lain, karena kita tak akan mendapat titik temu.

Sungguh tak ada yang sempurna di antara kita, maka janganlah rendah diri…semua butuh proses menjadi lebih baik…..

Author Unknown

If tomorrow starts without me,
And I’m not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;

I wish so much you wouldn’t cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn’t get to say.

I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you’ll miss me too;

But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,

And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I’d have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.

But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye,
For all my life, I’d always thought,
I didn’t want to die.

I had so much to live for,
So much left yet to do,
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all that we shared,
And all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for a while,
I’d say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.

But then I fully realized,
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things,
I might miss some tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.

But when I walked through heaven’s gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,

He said, “This is eternity,
And all I’ve promised you.”
Today your life on earth is past,
But here life starts anew.

I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day is the same way,
There’s no longing for the past.

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don’t think we’re far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I’m right here, in your heart “

Many people complain that their memory is not what it used to be. But memory can be a powerful tool for spiritual and emotional rejuvenation!

I once attended an conference at a retreat center in the Rocky Mountains. We were given a long break one afternoon to relax and rejuvenate our spirits. Many of the attendees decided to play golf and asked if I wanted to come along.

Golf does not rejuvenate my spirit. I’ve LOST more religion on the golf course than I can remember! I feel a bit like Bob Hope who said that if you watch a sport, it’s fun; if you play a sport, it’s recreation; and if you work at a sport, it’s golf.” I decided to do something more relaxing, so I went for a walk.

A little way down a secluded, dirt road, I spotted horses in a corral. I carefully approached, so as not to frighten them. Then I inhaled as deeply as I could. With the smell of the horses and the corral came a flood of memories.

I visited my grandparents’ guest ranch every summer as a child. When I was a teenager, I worked on the ranch. Some of my happiest memories growing up were around horses and horse smells.

Inhaling horse smells, I recalled hot afternoons of pulling saddles and blankets off perspiring horses then brushing down their backs. The pungent smell of horse sweat filled my mind.

I recalled the soft touch of a horse’s nose sniffing my hand for sugar, and the warmth of a horse’s neck as I put my arms around it and hugged it close.

Manure smells brought back memories of hours spent in corrals saddling, bridling and working with horses. Again, I inhaled deeply.

I recalled rising before dawn and riding in the crisp, early morning air searching along hills and valleys for horses let out the previous evening to range free of fences.

I remembered afternoon naps under a ponderosa pine tree, my hat pulled down over my face, listening to the sounds of buzzing flies and swishing horse tails.

As I breathed in the smells, my mind enjoyed ancient memories of day long horseback rides, valley vistas of soft, green grass…brown later in the summer, pristine mountains and clear, shallow mountain creeks running beside horse trails carved in red earth.

I remembered, too, how it felt to be young with my whole life ahead. I felt again the sense of adventure and excitement of those heady, teen years. Not that I’d ever want to go back and relive them — but maybe visit occasionally in my mind. I remembered … and felt renewed.

Later in the day we shared how we spent our afternoon. Many people in our group boasted of golf scores. Some talked about walking or hiking. When it was my turn, I said that I had an extraordinary time. “I smelled the horses.”

What do you find yourself remembering? Do you often recall times that you would rather forget? Or do you dwell on those memories that bring you joy and inner peace? When you think of the past, is it with regret or with pleasure? What do you remember most: painful times or happy occasions?

Your thoughts can sap your emotions or they can flood your mind with strength-giving energy. Your good memories can rejuvenate your spirit with new life. They can be a solace during difficult times and a source of joy anytime you choose to visit.

Some memories are best forgotten; others may need time to heal. But good memories are like a treasure nobody can steal.

Keep them close. Visit them often. Enjoy.

— Steve Goodier