It’s raining and raining. While our home has remained dry and secure, those living near creeks and rivers have plenty to worry about. Flooding plagues the Northeast and Tennessee Valley areas, while Texas is battling fires due to drought conditions. So I was drawn to this deceptively simple photo taken by my friend Carole. Her friend holds a single, dew drenched leaf in his strong hand. To place that leaf securely in his grasp took patience and a gentle touch. You can’t shake or tip the leaf, or the dew is gone. He holds the leaf in a cupped hand, adjusting the shape of his palm to natural curve of the leaf. In the midst of all this mayhem, this photo reminded me that God is sovereign and all powerful. Our entire world, throughout the ages, is like a single dew drenched leaf in God’s hand. This divine power is gentle, loving, caressing. God’s power conquers with grace and mercy, convincing rather than coercing. In the Old Testament, we see God patiently, persistently pouring out His love, regardless of the human response. In the New Testament, we see God deign to take our human form to pay the price for our sins. Christ lived and died among us, then rose again, conquering sin and death on the cross. The Most High, the Omnipotent, offers love, no matter what the cost. Let this unending love be our response to those suffering from these natural disasters. Take time today to learn how to help someone affected by floods or fires. Perhaps a neighbor that lost power can take a hot shower at your home. Cook extra, and share a home cooked meal. Simply listen to another’s story, be present to their pain. Let us be like Christ, like a cupped hand gently caressing a dew drenched leaf. Photo by Carole Buckwalter © 2011
Reflecting on Power….
08 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in Reflecting on...... Tags: Carole Buckwalter, charity, gentle, grace, love, mercy, power, trust
Reflecting on Discernment….
07 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in Reflecting on...... Tags: community, contemplate, discernment, discipline, faith, growth, journey, prayer, turtle
Temperatures are dropping and we are expecting rain all this week. The rain has turned cold, and the ground stays wet even between showers. The leaves are starting to drop, helped along by the storms. So I was drawn to this photo of a turtle making his way across the damp ground. My photos of turtles usually look like a picture of a rock. Perhaps I am in too much of a rush, or too clumsy. I startle the poor thing into drawing back into its shell. Box turtles can completely close their shells to protect themselves from enemies. Without looking closely, the shell blends in, almost disappearing from sight. Perhaps that is why box turtles can live to be 100 years old. In this amazing photo, the turtle is looking straight at us, as curious about us as we are about him. It seems to me that discernment is a lot like being a turtle. We look all around for answers, chasing one clue after another. Or perhaps we stew over the difficult questions of life in solitude, losing sight of everything else. We are tempted to settle for an either/or solution, when the real way out means both/and. True discernment takes time, both time apart and in community. Just as our faith includes both public worship and private prayer time, discernment involves both public and private moments. When we seek God’s will, what we seek is the still, small voice, not loud, clamoring chaos. God is eternally consistent – we are never directed to violate God’s laws. God is persistent – forget second chances, God will give you more chances that you can ever imagine. God is community – His will for you is confirmed through other believers. True discernment requires us to slow down, to tread carefully, to listen to our own hearts and to others. Take time today to discern God’s will for you. Slow down and move deliberately, carefully listening for that still, small voice. Heed the words of others, even though the conversation may seem unrelated or trivial. And trust that in time, the answer will be looking straight at you, just like this turtle. Photo by LadyBugCrossing
Reflecting on Grief….
02 Sep 2011 1 Comment
in Reflecting on...... Tags: faith, funeral, grief, love, parents, peace, prayer, trust
It’s raining this morning, or perhaps the rain from last night is dripping off the large oak trees. I linger when walking the dog on days like this. The world seems so silent and at peace. So I was drawn to this photo of my parents at my sister Lana’s wedding over twenty years ago. Mom and Dad are making their grand entrance at the reception, happily greeting everyone. You can see my sisters Rita and Pam in the background along with members of the groom’s family. This morning Lisa and Roxanne, sisters and my friends since elementary school, are burying their father. Last month, they buried their mother. My heart aches for them as I write this, knowing they are preparing to leave home for the funeral. I remember looking at my feet the morning of Mom’s funeral, wondering why I only had on one shoe, wondering how long I had been sitting there, without the energy to put on the other shoe. Over fifteen years later, getting ready for Dad’s funeral, I expected to feel that heaviness. Yet expecting something doesn’t make it any easier. When I read about the Pit in the Psalms, grief is what comes to mind. You feel stuck, oppressed, lost without hope of ever getting out. Someone you love is gone from this life forever. I’m not sure I understand what happens after death, and for me, I’m not sure it really matters. All I know for sure is that while we all die, love lives forever. Love is more powerful than our frail bodies, our weak wills, our feeble attempts that fall short in this life. So this morning I bid your prayers for these precious sisters, offering the words of a favorite hymn, Ubi Caritas. Where love and caring are, there is God, Ubi caritas, et amor, Deus ibi est. May this peaceful morning and the peace of God that passes all understanding, be with you, now and always. Amen. Photo credit The Torre Studios in Burlington, NJ
Reflecting on Abiding Love….
01 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in Reflecting on...... Tags: abide, cat, faith, Kellen Levinson, kitten, letting go, love, prayer, trust
The warmer weather has returned, to remind us summer is not yet over. Those prone to allergies are having a tough time, as the weather can’t seem to make up its mind. For those suffering from migraines, this is a day to simply roll over and pull the covers up over your head. So I was drawn to this photo of Seamus, taken by my young friend Kellen. Seamus is helping Kellen finish her homework, sort of. Mostly, Seamus is abiding with Kellen. The word abide is often misunderstood. The verb abide is equated with the noun abode, meaning your place of residence. To abide means more than to live somewhere. It’s like the difference between a house and a home. To abide means to remain steadfast, to conform, to submit. Abiding love is never ending love, unconditional love, love that submits even when the cost of that love is beyond anything you can imagine. I often use images in intercessory prayer. When someone I care for is undergoing immense challenges, or in great distress, I often picture them like Seamus, as a kitten curled up in the lap of God. Like Seamus caught up in the folds of this beautiful fabric, I picture my loved one enfolded in the abiding love of the Almighty. Too often we think the answer is to be strong, to struggle and fight. Yet that path limits us to a human solution. When faced with overwhelming odds, we must submit to a higher power, to the Author of Creation. No matter what we face, it is but a small thing to the same God who defeated sin and death on the cross. Take time today to rest in the abiding love of God. Let go of what burdens your heart, offering a simple prayer for yourself or for another. And like Seamus, let’s stop to curl up in the lap of God – there is plenty of room for us all. Photo by Kellen Levinson
Seek the Sacred Amidst the Ordinary 