daily life as life goes on . . .

Winter is usually a hibernation time.  Bears love it – of course, they are asleep, so maybe their recollection of the season is somewhat minimal! Our house renovation had a bit of a lull over winter as well.  Gradual work was done and those who haven’t visited us in a while will find distinct changes.  But to say all our renovations are completed would be a little past the white lie stage!! Yesterday we continued on.  The weather was nice enough we were even able to use a table saw outside (versus other tools that have been used inside with the subsequent requirement of dust floating around the house!). When I say “we”, I mean that I helped out.  My wife is the primary agent in this renovation, I am the secondary assistant. We put in some cabinets and are awaiting a plumber to come next week to complete some hook-ups for sinks, toilet and shower.  Then . . .

A season is often both a matter of chronology and of sensitivity. We have labelled child development and adult development as transitions in life.  We have labelled the later years as senior moments.  Within each season of life, there are predictable phases. Then there are those times within a season that intensity increases. For youth, suicide is often a way of dealing with the depth of emotions that most youth experience as a matter of normal life.  In the middle years, tensions in family and work situations increase heart failure.  As the senior years emerge, the body deteriorates – quite rapidly with the stress of the loss of mobility and loved ones. Perhaps, like our community, you have been experiencing a dying season this year.  Exacerbated by a downturn in the economy and an uncertain political climate, each death seems to expand into a global catastrophe. Shrink that globe back into your living room, your back yard, into small groups, and large groups enjoying each other.   Give each person a reason to find hope in this life and for the next life.   

We have our church annual meeting tonight.  The tradition is that everyone brings a pie.  Most are store bought nowadays. Mine is only half “store bought” – the pie shells are Tenderflake – the only lard based shell that certain of my family would approve of.  The apples were just waiting in the fridge to be used.  And the recipe comes from a friend’s mother’s cookbook! Take a look!

I’m reading through the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah in the Old Testament.  Both are quite literary – in other words, they seemed to know their way around words.  Both are quite pointed – in other words, they don’t spare your feelings. After a number of chapters, I began to wonder how well we would do with these well spoken blunt words. I think we would feel bullied. Putting the thoughts in a sentence or two, God says – “You are satisfied with who you think you are, but you are wrong.  Get over it and get back to me.” Now, I think we are in the midst of a bullying extravaganza.  Our culture has rightly taken on the place of protector for those who are oppressed.  Isaiah and Jeremiah would have agreed wholeheartedly. Where Isaiah and Jeremiah disagreed was when the society decided to move away from principles and laws that were “under God.”  And to call those principles and laws righteous and good.  Reversing holiness – I guess that might be a apt description. Isaiah and Jeremiah point out these discrepancies, and show the consequences of this action. So, God becomes the bully! How strange.