First, here’s a poem written by Carola Shave:
Repository
I am a repository
of those no longer here.
I populate rooms with them,
tuck them in corners,
smile at them,
give them a nod
when passing by.
I do not add or detract from them,
for when I am
also only a memory,
I too wish to receive
that gentle smile,
and acknowledging nod,
until the time,
when the weapons are gone
and the harvest
is bountiful for all,
and God,
The Great Repository
of us all,
with a smile and a nod,
brings us to the new dawn.
Carola Diaz Shave,
May, 2013
Now some thoughts from Jerry from the past several months:
Life Isn’t Fair
Children seem to have a strong sense that life should be fair. When my children were young, I would hear loud complaints at what was perceived as parental unfairness. “That’s not fair!” My response, “That’s right, life is not fair”.
I tried to be fair, but Life doesn’t even seem to try to achieve fairness. “ This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. This is what God does.” Matt. 5:45 This does not seem like the God that is supposed to reward goodness and punish badness.
We call God’s goodness GRACE, a free gift, but some seem to get good gifts from God and others get coal in their stockings. I’ve got many “good gifts” from God that I have done nothing to deserve. My responsibility is to be thankful and to share and not be proud as if I have earned or deserved my blessings.
Two Women
Two women were in the drama of the birth of Jesus.
Elizabeth, who was too old to bear a child was pregnant.
A miracle of God. Her son would be John the Baptist
Mary, hardly old enough to be a mother and shockingly a virgin.
A miracle of God, she was expecting a Baby.
So Mary went to Aunt Elizabeth, who she knew would understand.
And Elizabeth on seeing Mary, knows of the miracle life within Mary.
In fact, the new life within her gave a kick and burst into a song of praise to God.
Then Mary sings in praise to God. Both these songs were remembered, told and retold and finally written by Luke. He was inspired to began his account of the good news about Jesus of Nazareth with their songs.
Mary was inspired to have an understanding of what God was doing through the baby that would be born to here. Her words like a tiny snapshot of God’s plan. It is like a movie trailer that gives a clue to what the movie will be about. She saw in her Spirit the world being turned right side up. God was beginning to fulfill God’s promises given through the prophets, promises of a world that would be changed. If what I understand is correct, God is changing he world and it begins with the birth, the life, the death and the resurrection of Jesus. Luke 1:46-45.
….more to come next week…
