Rough Weather

Who do we save?

A journal writing of mine from several years ago:

It’s Tuesday of another week and rough weather is forecast for our area today. I saw a video clip taken somewhere in Texas of a red truck in the path of a tornado, being blown on its side, rolled over, and then in the quixotic fashion of tornadoes, flipped upright, after which it drove off, amazingly. The randomness of tornadoes is a scary thing. I heard there were over 20 in Texas as the storm swept through.

What I’m listening to this morning—Tallis Scholars, Allegri: Miserere. It’s magnificent.

I have this vision sometimes of churches that are turned completely inward, consumed with that closed circle, reflecting each other’s faces to each other, happy in their own closed community, satisfied with their own selves and their own status as secure believers, supporting outreach as long as it remains comfortably “out there” and doesn’t disturb their status quo, or their feeling good about themselves. Discipleship is many wonderful things but it is rarely comfortable and definitely not “feel good,” because it gives you a heart broken open for others and that means you feel the pain they feel. And maybe this is unfair of me, but shouldn’t we be able to see some visible evidence of that?

Do you remember Shake ‘n Bake? I’m making chicken with it today. Yes, I am.

I just finished the newest Milo and Alex mystery and I thought that I’d lost my taste for the series, or the series had run dry. It was dry, and SLOW for what seemed like forever and just when I was ready to put it down, the storyline turned and twisted surprisingly and (somewhat) salvaged the first 3/4th of the book. Still, there was such a departure from the usual interest level, unusually so.

Today will be a rainy day, all day, and hopefully just rain, so that means books and cookies and maybe soup. Do you have a recipe for a perfect rainy day? Assuming you get to stay home and don’t have to fling yourself out into the world willy-nilly?

I’ve always heard goat’s milk soap is marvelous for the skin and I’m trying out a facial bar now. It feels wonderful—skin feels velvety afterwards—so we will see. #loveyourbody

I am sitting here with my blanket and books, listening to the rain. Henri is basking in front of his personal small heater, Tom is snoozing after Kolache and coffee, and the day is looking quiet so far. I think of the ones this morning in the midst of chaos and fear and destruction, and because we are not, I contemplate our responsibility to them, our fellow humans. What a fragile balancing act it must be, to support them but avoid escalating to a world war, or nuclear destruction. And I think of all the other atrocities that the collective world takes little notice of, and of why we don’t. How do we decide who to save? Do you ever consider that, and what it says about us?

So much to think about. Maybe you are doing the same. Do some good work this week. Try not to do harm, anyway. Maybe vow no negativity for a day (and see how difficult that is to do). But love yourself and be good to yourself, because you can’t give what you don’t have, can you? Peace be with you, friends.

#journalingalife