Some of us remember when the world’s suffering was relegated to one hour on the nightly news. We watched a sober-faced newscaster recount famines and wars and disasters in far-off places with sorrow in our hearts, and then we returned to a sink full of dishes or our algebra homework and the horror faded as … Continue reading When it Feels Like Evil is Winning
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Invisible Drums and Air Guitar
I wrote a devotion that was published this morning at Christian Devotions. I hope you’ll go there and check it out! http://christiandevotions.us
Legacy
I am visiting the land of my ancestors this week. One of America’s earliest settlements, it is now filled with tourists and the industries that serve them. The tourists take pictures of the 17th century jail where my 10th great-grandfather served time and feast on lobster that was once so common that it was fed … Continue reading Legacy
Who Loves You?
“Who loves you?” I used to ask my children as I held them close. Mama. Boppy. Jesus. We were made to love and be loved. In the image of God we were created, the God who is the very essence and definition of love. So we spend our lives reaching out of our brokenness to … Continue reading Who Loves You?
Stitch by Stitch
I do some cross stitch embroidery every now and then. I stitch to remember, to give something of myself that my hands have made for those I love. It seems a straightforward task, but the small, precise stitches are challenging. One dropped thread can skew the outcome, marring the master pattern I’m trying so carefully … Continue reading Stitch by Stitch
My Church, My People
“Your gall bladder needs to come out right now,” the emergency room doctor said. “I’ll contact the surgical team.” I was in a city far from home, my husband recovering from spinal surgery nine floors above where I lay on the emergency room gurney. If I had been home, I would have acquiesced. But not … Continue reading My Church, My People
Nurture
They are in the nursery. In the classroom. While we work and worship, they care for our children in back rooms and church basements, sharing the love of Jesus with those in their care. We gather in our sanctuaries and our auditoriums, watching the people onstage as they lead and teach us, grateful for their … Continue reading Nurture
A Table Before Me
My mother attended boarding school at a time when girls were taught the importance of setting a proper table: salad fork on the left, then the dinner fork. Knife on the right, facing inward, then the teaspoon. There were also places for soup spoons and dessert forks. One did not use one's knife for the … Continue reading A Table Before Me
Far From Home
He counted the change carefully, brow furrowed at my question. “Sorry” he shrugged, “my English…not good”. “It’s okay”, I answered, “Welcome to America”. And then, turning back, I looked into his eyes. “I mean it. I’m glad you’re here.” I thought of my immigrant grandparents, struggling to learn English after long days of bricklaying and … Continue reading Far From Home
Hug Status
My son Ben strides through our church like he owns it, seeking out his favorite people to hug. As we have finally emerged from our year-long quarantine, no one is happier than he to have human contact again. Some people with Down Syndrome dish out hugs like candy at a parade. But not Ben. No, … Continue reading Hug Status
A View of the Lake 