Who’s that singing? I peered through the glass of the storm door and discovered a little sparrow belting out an aria on the deck. The sight beyond the sparrow quickly turned my smile into a frown. Thin-stemmed, summer plants drooped over the edges of pots and cried for replacements. The grass, drained of summer’s lush green, imitated a worn, beige carpet. The typical mid-autumn scene looked drab and colorless—much like how the uptick predictions of coronavirus cases and recent political controversy make me feel. As I concentrated on the bleak picture, the little feathered songster hopped onto a…
Tag: pandemic
Finding Pandemic Gratitude and Service
The little bird figurine in the photo above sits on my kitchen counter and reminds me, “Every day is a gift from God.” I gave the bird to my mom to encourage her when she struggled to maintain her usual optimism in the face of congestive heart failure and muscle weakness. My mother longed for the former days of good health and the freedom of independence when she could meet friends for lunch and shop for groceries. As the current pandemic continues to stretch across the months of 2020, we too long for the former times—for the good health and…
The Safest Pandemic Fellowship
After facing 2020’s canceled events with minimal social time, safe gathering opportunities fill my heart with joy. Family, friends, and Christian fellowship brighten our days. Last week one of our granddaughters was giddy with anticipation to visit Poppy and Gigi (that’s us) for the first time in months. She danced around the room and with top-of-her-lungs excitement, shared her good fortune with siblings. Two days later I was the giddy one. Our son invited us to join his family at a state park where he’d discovered a secluded, crystal-clear stream. We waded, splashed, found wild muscadines, and watched a toy…
L-I-S-T-E-N: Six Ways to Avoid Pandemic Distraction
“I can’t listen,” complained our youngest granddaughter when the adult conversation in the car prevented her from hearing her favorite song. We smiled at her use of “listen” and turned the CD player volume up. Problem solved. Most listening challenges are more complicated. This morning as I read a devotion, the stone deck fountain played soothing, peaceful notes as the water trickled down its sides. The sound provided perfect “background music” for my study and reminded me of God’s peace that flows in the hearts of believers who trust Him. In prayer, I released some anxious thoughts that threatened to…
Some Trust in Chariots
My daughter’s attention was riveted to the tale of a brave mongoose who protected an Indian family by fighting cobras. Proud of my efforts to introduce her to classic literature and convinced she was now old enough, I read the story she’d selected, a cartoon-illustrated version of “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling. Have you ever made what you deemed a wise decision but lived to regret it? “I loved Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Mama. He was brave. But, Mama, what if cobras get into our house? We don’t have a mongoose. Can we buy a mongoose, Mama?” “Honey, cobras don’t live in our part…