{"id":2764,"date":"2012-06-25T15:47:53","date_gmt":"2012-06-25T19:47:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=2764"},"modified":"2012-06-25T23:29:24","modified_gmt":"2012-06-26T03:29:24","slug":"sky-and-ground-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/06\/sky-and-ground-people.html","title":{"rendered":"Sky and ground people"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>On most street corners on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, I find such a diverse mixture of folks. \u00a0There are the extremely affluent who seem to be always looking up as though searching the sky for a new adventure or advantage. \u00a0These folks are casually mingling with the “wacked-out” street people who mumble while constantly looking at the ground.<\/p>\n

This visual upward-downward difference hits me almost everywhere I’ve ventured; but the stark comparision is even more apparent here on the islands that most people call “Paradise.” \u00a0My son explains the downward folk. \u00a0He says many people come for vacation. \u00a0They have such a great time. They decide to stay. \u00a0Then, the reality of no job and no chance for a job hits them hard just before they crash land in a drug-induced semi-coma.<\/p>\n

The contrast of the upward people, however, is the most interesting to me. \u00a0Because these people may be equally as lost but in a different reality-jungle. \u00a0Successful folks are never quite successful enough. \u00a0And if you reach the pennicle achieving your ultimate life’s goals, then you are like Alexander the Great. \u00a0Broken because there are no more world to conquer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It seems apparent that all of us are searching for something. \u00a0Whether it is our next meal or next extravagant jaunt, peace, joy and a quiet spirit appear to be a rare commodity all over the world. \u00a0There is, of course, only one thing which gives us real joy, peace and calmness and that is a relationship with the Lord Jesus. \u00a0Our relationship is a free gift and each step that leads to true friendship is also a gift. \u00a0Yet, in our humanity, we do have to work hard at finding the steps that lead to the gift.<\/p>\n

The gift\/work paradiam is as great a paradox as God’s blessing for all–whether we are affluent or destitute. \u00a0Perhaps because of their childlike approach to most things in life, I have found that the mentally challenged community \u00a0is best able to bridge that gap than others.<\/p>\n

Who are you? \u00a0Part of the world that is looking upward but never satisfied with what you have? \u00a0Or do you find yourself constantly looking downward, as though searching for the next stumbling rock? \u00a0Or have you been able to find real peace and joy?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On most street corners on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, I find such a diverse mixture of folks. \u00a0There are the extremely affluent who seem to be always looking up as though searching the sky for a new adventure or advantage. \u00a0These folks are casually mingling with the “wacked-out” street people who mumble while constantly…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3,182,40,186,49,16,8,85,263],"tags":[690,21,688,7,699,715,701,694,689,414,57,6],"class_list":["post-2764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-developmental-disabilities","category-disability","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-prayer-2","category-redemption","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-oahu-hawaii","tag-prayer","tag-simple-scriptural-truths"],"yoast_head":"\nSky and ground people - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/06\/sky-and-ground-people.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sky and ground people - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On most street corners on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, I find such a diverse mixture of folks. \u00a0There are the extremely affluent who seem to be always looking up as though searching the sky for a new adventure or advantage. \u00a0These folks are casually mingling with the “wacked-out” street people who mumble while constantly…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/06\/sky-and-ground-people.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-06-25T19:47:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-06-26T03:29:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/files\/2012\/06\/looking-up-e1340653375146-300x199.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. 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