awareness

Monday morning's commute to work was the first in snowy conditions for the season. At one point, just as I passed a large truck, I came to a changing-to-red traffic signal. As I braked, I realized I couldn't stop. And that is when I noticed the driver stopped at the light.
As I continued through the very red light, he simply waited. He did not inch forward into the intersection. Thankfully, he was aware that I was unable to stop and he waited to go forward.

I am NOT that driver.
Traffic signals hinder my progress (at least, red ones do) thus if I'm not racing through them, I'm strategically attempting to hit them without stopping, or, if stopped, I'm subconsciously getting ready to race any other driver out of the "blocks" to get going down the street. And this is characteristic of me whether or NOT I'm late. I drive in racing mode and often grumble if someone else (heaven forbid) causes me delay.
It is pathetic.
That awareness and the patience of the other driver equaled mercy for me.

In my current class, we are reminded that over 2000 verses in scripture point toward God's preference for the poor. God, the King of awareness, draws near to the broken hearted, and is completely in tune with the needs and struggles of the poor, the widowed, the orphaned, the oppressed.

Am I?

I can't help but consider my awareness for this treasured part of God's heart in the season of Thanksgiving and Advent.
I grumble about a driver who might delay my progress.
In Deuteronomy, God "grumbles" about our lack of awareness to the things He cares about deeply.
Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God's, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors.

I am thankful for many many things. God gives abundance.
But He desires abundance for all.

Lord, have mercy. Open our hearts to your heart.

farewells

You may have noticed, I've been absent.
Quiet, really.

The past two Monday mornings, on the way to work, I've received phone calls from close friends who have lost a family member to death.
It makes me nervous for this coming Monday.

More than that, though, really, it makes me consider life.
So much of what we know as pleasure and beauty may not compare to what is to come.
I don't know.
I do know, that when these losses occurred, when these "healthy" people were unexpectedly snatched from this life, without warning or foreknowledge, parts of their world, and unconsciously, parts of our world, stopped.
Life ceased.

Words cannot ease these losses.
Even the comfort of knowing these two lives were people in close and intimate connection with Jesus Christ does not ease the loss.

In fact, knowledge, reason, logic, these don't really fit with loss.
Loss like this creeps it's way into life uninvited. Yet, it is a frequent visitor.
Emotion also plays into this time. Sometimes vast amounts of it. Sometimes not even a drop, yet it lingers below the surface. Regardless, we are left to process and grieve. We are faced with memories, joys, sometimes even regret.
And ultimately, we are left to the Creator and Giver of life.
Why, how, when, where? These question linger.

But, we do know Who. We know God knows. We know God cares. We know God hears.
It doesn't minimize the loss.
But it provides a space. The presence of the Lord is real.
And God draws near to the brokenhearted.

As a community, we also face thoughts and articulation about death.
In my current class on social justice, we've been identifying how much is "not right" with the world. It is a broken place. Countless, unknown people to you and I die without even a second glance because of disease, evil, neglect, abuse, etc.

And so, I find additional comfort knowing that these friends who passed from this life were known. They loved and were loved. They knew and were known.

So many other things remain a mystery. But God is still love.
Today, that may be all I know.

add a word, write a story

I'm not sure where this started, but I sometimes play a game with people in a car where you write/tell a story by every person taking turns and adding a word (Was that from you, Mom?). I'm on a road trip visiting B's family and we wrote this story yesterday.

Once
there
lived
a
really
hungry
hippo
who
promised
to
never
eat
a
monkey
again.
Then,
without
delay,
he
started
running
to
the
neighbor's
house
which
smelled
horrible.
Just
then,
a
spider
tripped
on
enormous
piles
of
monkey
manure
and
sticks.
"Help!"
he exclaimed,
"would
someone
with
kleenex
help
remove
this
splinter?"
However,
noone
would
listen
or help
with
his
splinter
predicament.

Meanwhile,
back
at
the
hippo
hospital,
ten
doctors
administered
a broken
treatment
because
they
believed
that
if they
could
treat
monkeys
and
heal
rats,
then
spiders
could
run
through
monkey
manure
without
getting
splinters.

The End.

in the category of silly moments

The other day at work I quickly walked outside to post a package in a UPS dropbox to be certain it shipped that night. It's a great thing because UPS picks up by 6 pm and the drop box tells you (or me, rather) whether or not the shipment has been picked up or not. I love that.

It was week one of my spiritual justice class. I was actually thinking and praying as I walked, inviting God to make me more aware of these issues on his heart and in my life.
I say all of that in a vain attempt to excuse what happens next.
See, our UPS box stands next to our USPS box.

And, if you had not already guessed, in my serious social justice contemplation, I sadly dropped the prepared and labeled UPS package into the USPS box. I can't even tell you how badly I wanted a "go go gadget arm" to slip into the narrow USPS opening and drag out my package. Oh it was a desperate moment. I confess, not sans a swear word either. Social justice issues and talking with God were no longer my concentration, obviously.
For days I kept checking our mailbox at work, thinking the nice postal person would return the UPS package with a helpful, "cannnot send without proper postage" or something, stamp.

Nothing.
It was worse than waiting for a bathroom stall to open up when you really really REALLY have to go. (I know. THAT bad.)

Here it is, nearly two weeks later.
My coworkers and I are taking a coffee break in the gorgeous sunshine Tuesday afternoon.
And we see him.

The USPS carrier, picking up the mail from the aforementioned USPS box.
So I ran (not kidding), ran, like a groupie to the band, to talk to the mail carrier.
I mentioned my plight.

And he smiled. "I caught it," he said, as I breathed again for the first time in two weeks. "I placed it in the UPS box."

Now, seriously, he is my favorite person of the week. What a fabulous individual. It was all I could do to not hug him.
We have a great mail carrier AND system.
Despite my moments of distraction.

No matter what happens today

10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election

1. The Bible will still be the indisputable word of God.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.

Isn't it great to know who is really in control ?!!
The will of God will never take you
where the Grace of God will not protect you.


This is sent from my Mom (thank you!).
It's a good reminder to me that Jesus is the Savior. Of the world!