The Lord is my shepherd

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 18, 2021             (today’s lectionary)

 The Lord is my shepherd

I will gather my flock and bring them back to their own meadow, where they shall increase and multiply.

It took a few phone calls, but when we connected with Laura, the supervising nurse at Encompass, we were able to leave early, at 11:30, in time for a noontime party at our Evolve apartment with strawberry shortcake and whipped cream with Miles and Jasper, Andi and Aki.

Jasper held one end and Andi unrolled the other – a huge thirty-foot sign for Margaret, out of the hospital culture at last, at last walking slowly over the grass with her walker into her apartment, at last stepping through the door, at last, at last. WELCOME HOME! The sign the Tomitas made together said it all. We could have been singing.

Of course it was a busy day. Margaret went to sleep at 7:30 pm, happy for some uninterrupted-by-anyone sweet sleep in her own bed, piled high with pillows purple, blue and white. A courier brought us a week’s worth of refrigerated antibiotic doses, Ryan the nurse with Encompass Home Health came to do his initial workup and administer the first dose, I drove to Sam’s Club to pick up seven prescriptions and will go back tomorrow for another one, Margaret made oyster casserole with gluten-free crackers,  and we began opening some of the many things she ordered from her hospital beds.

Christ Jesus is our peace, and he came and preached his peace to those who were far off and peace to those who were near. Through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

But for us it was also a cozy quiet day. We sat on our loveseat and read the Austin paper. We watched Daytripper, a Texas travel show hosted by Chet Garner, a roving wild man who loves to eat, in this case eat hamburgers all over Texas. I put together Margaret’s evening meds. She took them. And not too long after that, she slept.

Jesus saw the vast crowd and his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. He began to teach them many things.

The world around us has been breathing in and breathing out for all these last six weeks, but without us, the way we were. Now, the way we are, we join again in the symphonies of breathing all around us. Life moves through us instead of around us, and life is beautiful.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he walks with me beside still waters,

He restores my soul, and leads me in paths of righteousness.

I might walk through the valley of the shadow of death

But I’ll fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod AND your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies,

You anoint my head with oil and my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

(Jeremiah 23, Psalm 23, Ephesians 2, John 10, Mark 6)

(posted at www.davesandel.net)

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