I wore a jacket on my walk this morning. Fall is trying to push summer off the stage. It isn't going without a fight - our temperatures are predicted to climb back up into the 90's this weekend.
But this morning dark blue clouds filled the northern sky - I'm not sure if this qualified as a real 'blue norther' but the brisk wind and gray skies made me think of bonfires, roasting marshmallows, and hot chocolate. I swear I could smell campfire smoke.
I'm seeing more deer on our walks - a sure sign of fall. They appear far down the road, usually just crossing into the woods on the other side. This morning one stood still in the middle of the road, staring at us. Max froze and stared back, but when the deer finally skittered into the woods, he ran after it. It was only a half-effort - he knows from experience he's not ever going to catch a deer - but he looks for excuses to run, especially now that he's stuck walking with senior citizens like me and Charly. Sometimes on our walks he'll bark and start running, and I swear he's just making it up. But Charly falls for it and tries to run after him, so it's a good thing.
Earlier this week a representative from the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality dropped by to check out our neighbor's dam. He was one of the first persons I talked to months ago - a really nice, sympathetic, understanding and helpful man- but his agency had no say in the matter until the dam continued to grow and grow and grow. He called me last week to let me know he'd be in the area. I haven't heard back from him this week; I'm very curious about his visit, and I've thought of calling to see what came of it, but I'm so tired of the whole thing, tired of hitting brick walls and hearing agencies say, "oh, what a shame, but there's nothing we can do."
Tom and I have reached a peaceful point of resignation about the dam; except for a few creative tit-for-tats we've imagined, there's not much else we can do about the situation, and in the grand scheme of things - life and death - it's just a background story. I've handed it over to God - to either have it removed or help me put it in the proper perspective and live in peace.
A friend sent me this article, written by another friend who wants to remain anonymous, and it reinforced that attitude...
"On Sunday, September 6th, I arrived at church and worship was just beginning. The Lord impressed on me three wonderful words "It is broken." As always, anytime we hear from the Lord, we get excited. I moved on into worship, all the while pondering with Him what He meant by this and whom this word was for. There was such anticipation in my heart. Over the course of the worship time, as I looked across the sea of many familiar precious faces, faces with many battle scars from the trials of life, God showed me that this word was for the entire body.
It is broken. Whatever burden weights us down, it is broken. Whatever tie has kept us bound is broken. Whether it is physical illness or emotional turmoil, it is broken. Whether it be addictions, distractions, afflictions, deceptions, pain, blame, unforgiveness, pride or apathy, IT IS BROKEN! Whatever name you put on it, God has already stamped over it "BROKEN!" He reminded me that it was broken on the Cross -- and the body of Christ IS already healed. In my own life and the lives of my wonderful church family, however small and trivial or mountainous and insurmountable, IT IS BROKEN off of us!
My sweet daddy just celebrated another birthday. To be honest, I wasn't sure he'd live to see it. He has been battling Parkinson's and Dementia for the past 5+ years. He is very frail both in his mind and his body. It has been a very long, painful, heart wrenching, grueling road. God reminds me so beautifully though that even this too is broken. One day my dad will walk in complete wholeness - be it here on earth or with the Lord in heaven. Parkinson's and Dementia are not my dad's identity. They are already broken off of him. So be encouraged! Whether you see it today, tomorrow, next week or next year, your burden be lifted - IT IS BROKEN!
The breaking of the drought this week is a physical picture of the spiritual breaking throughout the body of CCC."
Thanks to my friends - for the writing and the sharing of this inspiration.
Oh, and happy 60th birthday to Bruce Springsteen! Thank you for following your dreams so many years ago and sharing your music, energy, passion and poetry with all of us.
