I try to reserve Sundays for "Sabbath rest": I read, nap, write, spend time alone with God, etc. It doesn't always work out, but for the most part it's how I spend the day. Today, was no different. I slept in, read the paper, and then watch the Democratic Presidential Candidate debates. Then Charley and took a walk in the park, which was no "walk in the park" (HA!): it's hot, the grass is brown and crunchy and the air still and sticky.
A couple of things occurred to me:
1) We are so hungry for rain, and it is so needed. The last few phone conversations with my parents, my dad has ended each call with this "be sure to ask the Man Upstairs to give us some rain". Country-girl-at-heart that I am, I have been praying and will continue to pray for just that. This drought is real and is having real consequences for the farmers, for our land, for all of us. As I was walking today, I thought that the dry, dusty ground I was walking on was also a reflection for our souls.
I think this country is so thirsty for real, living water. We need it so badly. We are dry, parched and dieing a bit every day. We are hurting financially, we lack compassion, sensitivity and forgiveness towards each other, we are fighting over any and every issue we can think of.
Yep, I'm praying for rain to water this earth: for our crops and our yards to be refreshed (well, whatever is left of them!), but I'm also praying for God's word to come down, water our hearts and souls and give us a fresh new perspective and start. I'm praying that the old dried up parts will be burned off, and new fresh "starts" can really have a chance to grow. That rivers of compassion and grace will bring forth the fruit of cooperation and understanding: in both little and big things!
2) I watched a dad and a young girl play with a soccer ball at the park where I was walking Charley today. The dad was VERY SERIOUS about instruction around "stops", "kicks", and "dribbling", etc. The young girl was just loving being with her dad, that was obvious. So, she kicks a ball, and it goes past him and he says, "I don't have the right shoes on, that's why I missed it"...hmmm...
They kept playing and the father shot the ball past the daughter, who missed it. The daughter says, "I don't have my shin pads on and that's why I missed it" ...hmmm...
I thought to myself that it took less than about 4 minutes for a quick lesson to get learned and passed down: "when I fail, there's always some excuse I can give" (please don't get me wrong, I have no idea how hard parenting is, and I'm just observing one snapshot of it in time...I know that!)
However, this made me thing about how I handle things. When I miss the intended goal, when I over-shoot or don't catch a ball someone is clearly aiming for me, how do I react? Do I "roll with it" and correct and keep going, or do I think of an excuse for missing out? YIKES!
God, I'm going to fail, and others are going to fail me. Sometimes it just simply "is what it is", and sometimes the failure wasn't intended, it's not a sin, it's just part of the learning process; part of life. Of course, sometimes it is due to something wrong I, or others, have done and we need to confess, correct and move on. Please help me to have a gracious, merciful, humorous approach to mistakes. Help me not to indoctrinate myself or others with the need for excuses. Help me not to use that method to cheapen what could really be remarkable: treating others (and myself) like you would treat us...to experience true grace, loving kindness, long suffering, compassion and REAL LIFE! Please, help me with that...
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