Tag Archives: jesus
The Peculiar Symmetry of Weeping and Rejoicing
My father passed away last year. It was a Friday, so, two days later I found myself gathering to worship in my local church. I sat near the rear of the sanctuary, the area usually occupied by families with young children. Thus I was surrounded with the sound of babies babbling joyfully, combining with the […]
I Worried
I Worried by Mary Oliver I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers flow in the right direction, will the earth turnas it was taught, and if not, how shallI correct it? Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,can I do better? Will I ever be able to sing, even the […]
Thank You for the Trees
Praying has always seemed strange to me. It’s this elusive, inexplicable thing that I know is necessary, and I feel it doing something when I do it, but I don’t understand why. There are plenty of reasons to do it, and often it’s instinctual anyway; whether it’s a whispered conversation in the dark, or a plea that […]
How Bad Can I Really Be?
We’re all pretty rehearsed in convincing ourselves that we are good. We self-justify, assuming our good deeds balance the scale against our wrongs. But when we look at the person of Jesus–the embodiment of perfection–we see how pathetically wanting our standard really is. When we step into his light all our ugliness that once hid in the shadows […]
Be Perfect?
There are days when I transform into a yelling mom. As my impatience and frustration grows I increase in decibels, often hypocritically so, as I am telling my sons to speak kindly to one another. My husband is patient in reminding me to take a step back, and speak calmly with a gentle tone. I […]
Oceans Never Fill 