Lord, teach me. . . .

And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.  –Khalil Gibran The current pandemic is making us all rethink a whole lot of things, isn’t it? Simple activities we used to take for granted, we now pause and question. Should I wipe down that gas pump—before I pump my gas? If I hold that door, am I still practicing safe distancing? How can I still let my parent/ sibling/ friend know I love them from a distance? It’s tough. All this (relatively) new technology certainly helps, but at the end of the day. . . . Oddly enough, I find comfort and companionship in my time alone. While Chuck is still asleep, I rest in the presence of the Almighty. I seek comfort in God’s Word, and also in those other, inexplicable things: the calm that descends over my anxious mind. Awareness of the beauty of birdsong, often ignored or drowned out by the busy sounds of life—yet now, clearly there for my ears ! The playful purty purty purty of Pap...

There is no respect for others without humility in one’s self. --Henri Frederic Amiel Sometimes it feels as if the crazy will never end, doesn’t it? This week, across the globe, people are responding-- and reacting-- to the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic. Some folks are stocking up with ridiculous amounts of stuff they will never, ever use up, things they normally don’t even eat; others stand tall and announce that they have complete faith in God, and have nothing to worry about. Can we please strike some middle ground here? Please? I believe God is present, even in this stuff. It gives me comfort to pray, to place my anxieties in God’s lap. I also believe God gave me a brain, and gave others even greater brains—and intends for us to use them. Scientists tell us we need to do two things, more than anything else: Wash your hands; and practice social distancing. My faith in God doesn’t stand in opposition to either of those things. Science and faith can...

Fear casts a large shadow, But he himself is small. –Ruth Gendler Tough week, huh? No matter where you live or what channel you watch (well, except maybe Game Show Network ), it’s there. There is a serious virus lurking among us. The internet is filled with information, and some of it is even reliable and correct. Knowledge is power , they say. But too much knowledge can be deadly. Especially when the pursuit of one more factoid, one more update takes us away from our routine of spending time in quiet centering, focusing on the Almighty moving among us. Stop right now. Turn off the TV, the radio, the laptop (after you read this). It will be there when you go back. Honest. There are so many, many verses of comfort and peace to be found in Scripture. What’s your favorite? Find it, and read it several times, breathing deeply as you do so. It will be okay. Someone (with more time for such things than I) came up with a handy acronym that just happens to fl...

Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong; they are weak, but he is strong! –Anna Bartlett Warner With all the news and hysteria lately about that virus and the flu, folks have suddenly rediscovered ways to be sure they wash their hands correctly. (Did you know? Sing “Jesus Loves Me,” with the refrain, while you wash, and you’ve hit thirty seconds.) Hand sanitizer is flying off the shelves; sadly, people are becoming fearful of one another. All because of a few germs we can do things to prevent spreading. What about your heart? How pure and clean is it lately? And what are you doing, especially during Lent, to make or keep it that way? What new practice have you undertaken to bring your focus to God? Do you have someone you might consider a prayer partner, who can help you be accountable for your practices? Where are you finding God at work in your life, every day? When was the last time you sat down with your Bibl...

Prayer is the most concrete way to make our home in God. --Henri J. M. Nouwen You probably know I have a thing for elephants. In seminary, in one class, elephants became the absolutely perfect (for me) illustration of how prayer should work. We have more elephants in this house than you can imagine. Did you know I also have a thing for geese ? That’s right. Dirty, honky, poopy geese. Geese that will bite the hand that attempts to feed them. Geese that run at you hissing and flapping their wings. Geese-- that are incredibly protective of their family. Geese—that mate for life, and mourn when their mate is killed. Geese—who fly in perfect formation, so no one goose has to work overly hard for overly long. When I see a pair or more of geese flying overhead, or hear their honking when I drive with the car windows down, it sets my heart at peace. This, for me, is a way God chooses to remind me of God’s presence. But my geese aren’t necessarily your geese. My p...