Tuesday, March 16, 2021 (today’s lectionary)
The best miracles
God is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. So we do not fear, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.
Yesterday morning we were with Chris and family in Springfield. Before school, Aly practiced her presentation on Pearl Harbor. Aly is in third grade. She made a “french fry” holder and her notes are on separate “french fries.” One of the notes said, “The ships at Pearl Harbor have sunk, but you can still see them through the water.”
The angel brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east. There was just a trickle. The angel brought me out a thousand yards and it was ankle deep, further on it was knee deep, then up to my waist and at last I was in a river which I could not wade, because the waters were so high. “Do you see this, son of man?” Wherever this river flows the seas shall be made fresh, and every sort of living creature and fruit trees of every kind will grow.
Aly’s last note read, “Japan fought against the United States but, yea, yea! The United States won.” She cut straight to the chase. Guadalcanal, Midway, Wake Island, two nuclear bombs … we’ll talk about all of that another day. Let’s move on to life!
Every month fruit trees will be watered by the flow from the sanctuary, and their leaves will not fade nor their fruit fail. Their fruit will be food, and their leaves will be medicine.
A day before we were in Lincoln visiting with Mom. She’ll be 99 in June.
Jesus asked, “Do you want to be made well?”
The sick man prevaricated. The sick man procrastinated. The sick man made excuses. “Sir, I have no one …” As he always did, Jesus cut to the chase.
Rise, take up your mat, and walk. Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath.
The best miracles always take place during sabbath, right? We don’t get in God’s way, and God does what he does best: create. God has been creating life on 5,164 sabbaths since she was born in 1922.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Together we Facetime-watched Elim Judah Sandel, Christian and Adrienne’s nearly six month old young man, discovering his thumb. Adrienne said he no longer wants a pacifier, now that he has his thumb. Well, he sort-of has his thumb. Elim puts his fist in his mouth and moves it around until he finds it.
Adrienne hasn’t had more than four hours of sleep at a time since the little guy was born. She could use a sabbath miracle. Do the work, Lord. Create in us. Renew in us. Give us rest. Give Elim exactly what he needs.
(Ezekiel 47, Psalm 46, Psalm 51, John 5)
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