Shortcuts
We weren’t going anywhere. Stuck sitting in a Thursday morning traffic jam is not a fun thing when you have places to go and people to meet. That’s probably what prompted the white pickup truck behind me to finally pull off the road and begin making his way brashly through the closed-down construction of the […]
Holiness, Not Isolation
Why is it that when you look at people you’d say are “holy”, it often seems like the criteria for holiness is a surrender of joy? It’s as if they feel they can’t have any fun anymore, because they must focus all their thoughts and hearts on “things above” to the exclusion of anything down here below.
I’m sure it’s good-hearted, but…
Spillage
She was only trying to help. I smiled at the girl behind the counter at the cafe as she filled up my sun-colored mug with fresh, black coffee. Everything looked fine at first, the hot liquid steaming from the mug, delightful aroma filling the air, and she was quite generous with the portion. It looked […]
Try It
I have the cutest picture of my 10-month-old second cousin Garrett trying to eat a cardboard coaster. The thing I love about it is that he doesn’t worry about whether or not the coaster actually CAN be eaten, much less whether or not it SHOULD be. He just goes ahead and gives it a shot. […]
Reason's Machines
O my soul, beware the dark machines of human reason. They are so helpful when under our control, but if we let go our hand and attention they will soon switch places with us and we will be enslaved, our souls and spirits made prisoners to their iron gears. Reason is our tool; let it […]
Small Pleasures
The World Market food section is a lovely place for the senses. I am walking through a cornucopia of brightly colored packages of marzipan and imported biscotti, surrounded by the scent of exotic teas and coffees from other lands. All of a sudden, my senses dim and center on a single package, the other trinkets […]
Prayer for 10/08/10
Lord have mercy on me, a sinner. You call me first to abide IN You, not work FOR You. You teach me that service is an outflow, not an engine; a result, not a cause. Forgive me for looking at my life and the lives of others through the lenses of achievement rather than communion. […]
Praying WITH God
I am surrounded by water. A sky of cobalt is above me, rays of morning sun stream through the space between downtown high rises, and all around this concrete jetty are the black lapping waves of the Caloosahatchee River. A cool breeze nudges the tinkling wind chimes on the deck of a nearby boat as […]
Trembling
“Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” – Psalm 2:11 “Rejoice with trembling”? Doesn’t that seem like sort of an oxymoron? I mean think about it, how can you rejoice (def. “To feel joyful; be delighted”) with trembling (def. “To feel fear or anxiety”)? Actually, it’s pretty simple. Ever ridden a roller coaster? […]
