Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 12, 2023
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Two days in our life
If you trust in God, you too shall live. He has set before you fire and water: to whichever you choose, stretch out your hand. The eyes of God are on those who fear him; he understands man’s every deed.
It’s been a nice couple of days for us. Friday we played with Miles and Jasper in the morning. The did some digging in the mud, and we drove over to our apartment dumpsters to empty our recycling bags. The boys stuck their heads out the windows. They did not bark like dogs.
Or howl.
We made scrambled eggs and bacon for lunch. Miles broke the eggs into a glass and toasted (and buttered) English muffins. We made enough for Andi, when she came from her teacher’s meeting to pick them up in time for afternoon naps. We made cocktails, from watermelon juice and apple juice, and ate some bright red sweet watermelon.
When the boys left, we took naps too. Then we drove into town to a popular restaurant named Hank’s (not related to the one in Champaign, but just as fun) to meet our friends John and Pam.
When Pam called, reservations were only available at 4 and 9 pm on Friday. “I’ve always wanted to go to Hank’s,” she said. So she grabbed the reservation for 4 pm. “Eat a light lunch,” she told us. I guess scrambled eggs and bacon counts as light. Right?
At 4 pm Happy Hour was upon us, so we tried various things. A Negroni, frozen Paloma, smoked Old Fashioned, Spicy Margarita and an Iberian gin and tonic. Only the negroni lacked an adjective. Pass one around, and head into the next one. Some fried chicken and avocado toast, ginger-glazed flank steak skewers, sweet tomato bisque, mac and cheese, and artichoke dip with crème fraiche, sweet potato fries … we shared everything, surrounded by happy music and TGIF laughter, from people mostly a little less than half our age.
For today, I like the stillness and the cold,
and I’m not ready to be old.
I want to be present and alive,
engaged and growing, always knowing
that love overflows my life.
For today, I am still
and I feel loved
and that is enough.
And we were home before dark! How sweet is that? Plenty of time to relax, rest, write a bit … I like that kind of schedule. Let’s make reservations for 4 every time. Besides, John was getting up early to drive most of the way to Mexico to play golf with their son.
On Saturday we prepared two meals together, something we nearly never have time to do. I had a couple of appointments in between. Illinois won their basketball game against Rutgers, which I half didn’t expect them to pull off. We had ham and eggs, then later made liver and onions with bacon and potatoes and peas. We sat together and watched two episodes of The Chosen, hearts in our mouths, happy that Jesus kept his wits about him when all those around him were losing theirs. I read a couple more essays by Ursula K. Le Guin from No Time to Spare, which she wrote as she turned eighty.
Our neighbor Laura walked her dog Dublin several times, as she does every day. They make a fine couple. Dublin loves to bark at me and sniff my fist, but he has not yet let me actually touch him. He’s just a bubbly puppy still, although growing fast.
On sunny days like this without disturbance, I realize a bit more easily the deep down truth of what Jacques Ellul said about prayer:
Prayer is not a discourse. It is a form of life, the life with God. That is why it is not confined to the moment of verbal statement. The latter (verbalization) can only be the secondary expression of the relationship with God, an overflow from the encounter between the living God and the living person.
This “form of life” with God runs before and alongside us like a river, and it is right for us to jump in and swim. Or at least stick in our big toe, and then our foot, and then our other foot, slowly making up our mind and body to be God’s.
The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God. Give me discernment, that I may observe your law and keep it with all my heart.
(Sirach 15, Psalm 119, 1 Corinthians 2, Matthew 11, Matthew 5)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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