Monday, March 1, 2021                    (today’s lectionary)
If not love persevering
Let us, your people and the sheep of your pasture, give thanks to you forever, and through all generations let us declare your praise.
Chris and Melissa, Jack and Aly left last night for the rest of their spring break trip through the south. Aly read Miles a story and cuddled with him a little while, and he was supposed to be asleep, but just as they were leaving he came downstairs one more time and hugged everybody one last time. Aly gave him a goodbye gift, a special bottle of sweet-smelling hand disinfectant, and Miles beamed. I’m sure he slept with it, warming it in his hand.
And of course, everyone was a little sad. Chris shared a Wandavision thought about grief while we were having lunch outside the Cheesecake Factory, which is an eight minute walk from our house. “What is grief if not love persevering?” Be sad, say goodbye and keep on loving – that’s what we’re doing today.
Margaret pointed out that our visit thrived in spite of no running water at our house, humid rainy cloudy days, and the usual covid inconveniences. We used the simple resources at our disposal and counted them as blessings.
It took us next to no time to feel comfortable both bantering and sharing more deeply, despite the thousand miles that separate us most of the time. Each of our very different ten personalities had time and space to shine.
The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.
This sharing thing is not always easy. Generosity of spirit must be reciprocal, or even the most loving gestures fall flat. This weekend we rarely, if at all, got caught in passive or aggressive confusion. Our mutual assertiveness played itself out well.
Andi and Miles took some time to create a colorful cardboard sign: “WELCOME TO TEXAS!” They will find a place to store that sign for the next time.
Jesus said, “Be merciful, as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you – a good measure packed together, shaken down, and overflowing will be poured into your lap.
When Aly gave Miles his gift, Melissa told him, “Aly really loves her disinfectant. She must love you even more!” He held it tightly to his breast with both hands and couldn’t stop smiling.
Margaret and I will see our Sandel kids mid-March in Springfield for a couple of days. We all seem to be going back and forth at a pretty good pace, keeping up the contact, sharing the love, going with the flow of our Heavenly Father, doing what comes next and living as graciously as we can in the moments we are given.
(Daniel 9, Psalm 79, John 6, Luke 6)
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