Explore Our Community and Faith Journey

After two of what felt like the laziest weeks ever in my life, things are now accelerating at breakneck speed. I wake up Monday morning, and before I know it, I look at my watch and it is Wednesday afternoon – and I still haven’t completed what I hoped to finish before Tuesday! Thankfully, quiet evenings and sleep filled nights continue to be the norm, though there is a tugging each evening to get one more item checked off the list.

It was 4:00 a.m. and a gentle breeze was flowing in through the window next to our bed. The rhythmic sound of the leaves stirring in the treetops accompanied the breeze. I lay without covers for a few minutes, savoring the early morning refreshment, with no intent to rise for a few more hours. When I became chilled, I snuggled under the warm blankets, leaving one leg uncovered under the window as I slowly drifted back asleep. When I awoke the sound and the breeze were gone, and I was refreshed.

This past Sunday afternoon our 2.5-year-old granddaughter burned her hands. In a situation like that, what is the very first thing a person should do? If your answer is “attend to the wound” … “comfort the child” … “pray” … my reply would be a definite “YES”. If your answer is “find out how it happened” … “get angry” … “find someone to blame” … my reply would be an even more definite “NO”. In fact, most of that second list should not even be included on later things lists.

A few years ago, Monica was riding one of those huge scary roller coasters with a friend of ours (I am the type who volunteers to sit with the backpacks on the bench). Just as they hit the apex prior to the big drop, she turned and asked him, “Did you remember to buckle your seatbelt?” It had no seatbelts – but the horrified look on his face as he franticly fumbled for it while their car passed the apex was priceless. Thankfully, Monica lived to tell the story. Our friend, however, may have had his life shortened by a year or two through the experience.

In our family last year, we received a notification that Father’s Day was being cancelled because a certain family member was turning 60 on that day … and priorities are priorities! This year I was told it would be delayed because of a death in the family. I am sort of wondering if next year it will be on the calendar at all (LOL).