Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Abigail and Joshua the Brave
With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained.
My friend said, “I live in the moment, and that’s mostly a good thing. I can’t seem to hold a grudge, and I don’t worry about the future. Mostly.” He spends a lot of time helping his twenty-something son and girlfriend get to work, and he cooks for them at the end of the month, when their paychecks have run out.
“Your patience is growing, and so is the pile of good deed gold in heaven,” I joked. He knew I was joking. “I complain a lot,” he said. “But I don’t really mean it.”
And he doesn’t. He works hard, reads all the time, cares for his kids deeply and well, and isn’t too worried about what happens next. He’s a gardener and a wonderful cook. He mows my lawn when Marc can’t (which will be until next spring, after his hamstring surgery last week). He sits with me and we drink espresso, and talk about whatever comes to our minds.
In punishment the Lord sent among the people serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died.
On the other hand, when winter comes he lives hand-to-mouth, and that comes back to him when the nights get colder, as they are now in Illinois. “Without a job this winter, I can’t survive,” he said. Exaggerated maybe? But he has to do something to think about more than just today. Sometimes he feels the presence of those serpents.
I was blessed to spend time with two generous uncomplaining souls yesterday. Marc rarely lets a negative word escape his lips. When he does, they come in a thunderstorm, but then his calm returns and spreads over me as well.
Marc said, “I like to spend time together because both of us are low maintenance people.” Then he laughed, because at the moment he can do nearly nothing for himself. But his patience, positivity and enthusiasm is contagious. We ate three meals together yesterday, and the last one was at least five courses. So good. Such a gift. All in our own house. Thank you, Lord.
Remember that God is our rock and the Most High God, our redeemer. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
Marc and I have watched three episodes of The Chosen together on Amazon Prime. We watched Jesus applaud the children and their ability to recite the Shema (Hebrew for “hear”):
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and bind them on your foreheads. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
And then he taught them the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father …
Who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus made time to build a house and stable with its own carved horses for Abigail, the leader of the children. And he wrote her a note, “Abigail, I know you can read. You are a very special person. This is for you. I did not come only for the wealthy.”
Jesus emptied himself, coming in human likeness, and he humbled himself. Jesus became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Jesus had left that morning. Abigail felt sad, and then she began to play with her old doll and her new dollhouse. And then she remembered Jesus, and she was happy.
(Numbers 21, Psalm 78, Philippians 2, John 3)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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