Like a deer

My cousin Amy found an antler today at the bottom of a dry creek bed that inspired her to recite Psalm 42 (or at least parts of it as found in a liturgical songbook): “Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you my God Why are you cast down, my soul, why groan within me? Hope in God; I will praise him still, Persevere, he said yes, you may be broken But you are whole!”

Her inspiration led me to meditate on the Psalm just a bit further. Thanks, Amy! You never know whose life you're going to enrich on any given day, do you?

In this broken world, we can be so shaken by the events, the words, and hurt that we feel every single day. Some of it is directed towards us, some of it is directed from us.

Ever since Adam and Eve took a bite out of the forbidden fruit we, as a human race, have had to live with the fact that we will never be perfect, that we will never live in a perfect world. It's very easy to look at the darkness and see what is lacking, but here's an encouraging thought—God is bigger than all of this, and he NEVER forsakes us!

More importantly, God wants to remind us that it's going to be all right because He is the one who is ultimately in charge. Jesus did not die on the cross for the perfect world; He died for a broken one.

May today be a reminder that no matter what the world dictates, the truth is Christ himself and not even death or the devil can touch you because Jesus paid the ultimate price for you. May you continue to live the truth that God loves you so much.

After I wrote this, I realized that tomorrow, November 1st, is special to me in so many ways:  First of all, it's a Friday.  The day that Christ chose to redeem us.  It's also the first Friday of the month, which is special in itself in Catholic Tradition.  It's All Saints Day, a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics and the day set aside by the Church to honor and remember those who have attained their Heavenly reward and who set an example for the rest of us.  And it's my brother Bob's birthday, who I pray with confidence is among those saints.

Turning "Pro"

I put the "PRO" in procrastination.  There--I said it.

"I don't want excuses. I want answers!” I really have a hard time differentiating between those choices. What is an “excuse” that is acceptable? I'll throw a couple of excuses out there to explain why I haven't posted in quite a while and let you decide whether to accept the excuse or not.

• I actually did write a couple of entries, but after proof-reading them I determined they weren't what I really wanted to say (at least not on a public website!).
  
  
• I was very sick for about 2 weeks and didn't do a darned thing in all that time.

• I've been extremely busy at work and I was just too tired in the evenings to attempt a meditation, much less a reflection.

• I've had other things on my mind—my brother's passing, my daughter's wedding, and how I was going to juggle my time around running a couple of centers at once. It used to be relatively easy, but as I get older, it's a bit tougher.

On this eve of Sarah's wedding, I was brought to tears listening to Tony speak at the rehearsal dinner. He's a very good man. I can tell he loves Sarah by the way he looks at her and more importantly, the way he treats her with respect.

He stood up and thanked all who were present—some, he said, who were long time friends, and those in the room (here he looked at Marilyn and I and his Mom) who have known them “from the beginning”. He got a good laugh at that one. He went on to say that he appreciated the love and support that we give him and Sarah through the ups and downs that define our lives. I was ready to bawl at that point of the speech, but I held back.

Then he looked a Sarah and she kind of nodded at him. He explained that he was going to attempt to put into words what Sarah had told him about her decision to finally say yes to his proposal. He went on to say that Sarah waited so long to get married because she wanted to find someone who could love her as much as her dad loves her mom. I blew it. No one else in the room saw it, but I was bawling my eyes out. What a terrific thing to say! Makes me think Marilyn and I did something right!

That's how I know this relationship will work. If Tony loves Sarah even half as much as I love my wife, they are in for a wonderful life for a long long time.

After all of the hullaballoo is over tomorrow, I want to get back to a regular posting regimen. I have a few things to talk about while October is still with us.