Standing in the Stream

I found a lifelong encouragment in a stream. I was wading in the hot shallow stream across the street from where we lived in Memphis, Tennessee when I spied a flashing golden keychain amidst the crayfish and pebbles. I loved wandering barefoot in the stream, though it was always spooky too. Tiny creatures always darted against my ankles, mostly crayfish and minnows, and tadpoles. But I never knew if the next creature might be some miniature hammerhead shark. You just never know. So I walked barefoot in the stream, mostly loving the feel of the water cascading and the smooth pebbles but with a sense of trepidation for the unknown.
And that is how I found one of the treasures of my life at age 8. It was shimmering among the smooth pebbles under the gurgling water, a gold keychain that I realized God had planted right there just for me. I picked it up reverently, knowing that at long last, after a long hard eight years of searching for the meaning of life, here it was. It was of course not real gold, but a beautiful gold color, and on one side were hands in prayer, and on the other side, the "Serenity Prayer."
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
the courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Amen

I clutched that little keychain to my heart, named her "Goldy" with that wildly creative knack at clever names that helped me come up with Friskey for my cat and Lady for my dog. Goldy stayed in my pocket for years, and when not in my pocket, reposed in my velvet lined Wilkinson Sword silver razor chest that my Dad had given me. I still have Goldy, over 40 years later. Every so often I open that little silver treasure chest and examine the collections from my childhood that still are so precious to me. A tea bag paper that has a verse on it promising me a long and happy life, a little heart shaped rock I colored red with a magic marker, an indian head penny, a silver dollar, and Goldy.

I am not sure that God ever did grant me that serenity prayer. I think I still may struggle to accept the unchangeable. I think I still rise only weakly to change the hard things I can. I am not sure I really yet know the difference. But it is possible that the lesson had less to do with the prayer on the keychain and more to do with how I found Goldy. Walking barefoot in the stream, like baring a soul to the flow of life, has dangers. There are all kinds of things that float by and knock into you, and some have teeth, and some can knock you down. But when you walk in the stream, sometimes the sun sparkles on a treasure in your path and you would have missed it standing safely on the shore.

Proverbs 2:3-5

³ and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,

⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,

⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.