Saturday, December 11, 2021 (today’s lectionary)
Let’s go fly a kite, up to the highest height and send it soaring
As they were coming down the mountain the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He said, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come.
I’ve felt pretty good the last couple of days. We went to Trader Joe’s and bought a Panettone, “a rich Italian bread made with eggs, fruit and butter, which is typically eaten at Christmas.” Jasper and I sliced it and stirred up a sweet thick blend of eggs, cream, vanilla and milk to dip it in. I fried it in the same pan where we cooked our sausage, along with a bit of butter.
Beside fresh blackberries, we swizzled Funks Grove Maple Syrup over this magnificent French toast. A side bowl of applesauce and a lightly fried egg topped it off. We sat in our make believe Parisian sidewalk café and drank coffee and milk and were happy. A little later Miles came from his doctor’s appointment and said, among other things, “This is the BEST sausage in the World!”
Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths: All flesh shall see the salvation of God.
We were awakened from relatively sound naps by an apartment maintenance man, so we took Christmas presents from Miles for his parents and brother to the wrapping station in our apartment complex office. Such a friendly place our manager Susan has created up there, with cookies and fruit and cupcakes, and plenty of bows, paper and tape.
Miles and Jasper tried out the pool. It was 80 degrees in Austin today, but the pool was not. Still, after putting their hands in, they got their legs wet in the whirlpool. Not actually much warmer than the pool, but … no problem. They laughed and laughed. We got in the car and drove to Brushy Creek Lake Park, where there is a wide meadow beside a beautiful lake, perfect for flying kites.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Whose glory is equal to yours? You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses.
We had three kites, but none of them was ready to fly. Lesson to self: get the kites ready before we get to the park, where the wind is blowing and the kids are ready in seconds, not minutes, to run with them all and manage to mix all three kite strings into one. And in fact, my birthday kite from Marc came with two strings. Correction: four kite strings into one.
Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
But what a beautiful day it was to NOT fly a kite, just instead lie in the high green grass and look at the deep blue sky and sigh, “Ah!” as Miles did more than once. Margaret walked with them to the lake and back, while I did some preliminary untangling. I think that once all three kites and all their sticks and strings are spread out on our living room rug, all will become clear.
Today we will pretend to haute couture (in Saturday casual clothes) at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church and sing along with the Austin Chorus and Orchestra’s 31st performance of Handel’s Messiah. Margaret has sung along, with one chorus or another, time after time over the last fifty years. And I am happy to join her.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you and who falls asleep in your friendship.
(Sirach 48, Psalm 80, Luke 3, Matthew 17)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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