A Community of Hope

"It was the worst of times, and the best of times." The quote makes me wonder if this person was a Christian who had quantum leaped forward into 2020! Without question, this can be viewed as the worst of times as Covid-19 rages on cutting wide swathes through all the nations of the world.
Add joblessness , fear, depression,  and the  burden of chronic illnesses that have paled in the glare of this pandemic,  and we are apt to say it is the pits, the worst of times.
On the other hand, its the best of times as we discern the significance of all these occurrences taken as a whole. Jesus did not deny their presence in the world, even in his day. What he stressed was the escalation of trouble, calamity and distress are to be taken as positive markers for his return.
How should we respond? Let us be a community of hope. Acknowledge the brutality of the situations around us but don't let that be the end of the conversation.  Say what Jesus said; and let someone know better is just up ahead for those who follow Christ.
Then gently invite them to "taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed are those who trust in him."

Gratitude

This week I am sharing the compelling story of gratitude told by Acevedo Homestead on Pastors Vega 's page.

A female humpback whale had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth. This is her story of giving gratitude.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Faralon Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so badly off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her…. a very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, nudged them, and pushed gently, thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same. May you be so fortunate …To be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.
"For God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Breathe...

Weekly Word from the Wisdom Walk

How ironic that the words, "I can't breathe" continues to echo globally.
No, not politics. Here, let me show you:
I can't breathe tragically whispers from those on ventilators whose bodies have lost the ability to breathe for themselves;
It wheezes from those lying face down attached to a machine tasked with pushing air into occluded air spaces and not quite making it happen;
I can't breathe is a gasp from tired Frontline Workers meaning everyone who bravely suits up to bag groceries,  stock shelves, deliver mail, clean facilities, treat patients, and hold the hand of the dying;
I can't breathe is a tearful whisper on the phone of anxious family members who cannot be at the bedside of someone they love;
I can't breathe is the resigned sigh of a senior, struggling with crooked fingers, falling glasses and the fear of going without it, putting on a mask that just won't stay in place...
Its not a game; its not propaganda; its the reality if where we are.
Don't be the one to be careless or nonchalant or it-can't-happen-to-me
Why make "I can't breathe" the last words you ever say?
"Breath of heaven hold [us] together be forever near [us]; breath of heaven..."