positioning moment

what position

do you assume

when

face to face

with a serpent

in your own garden

crack moment

I had a vision of a house.

Every time a crack appeared in the wall
I dashed out to repair it as quickly as possible
like most of us do
so that the inside of the house
was protected
and kept safe from the weather
and the storms.

and the Lord said to me

this is what your Christian life is like
whenever any cracks appear in the wall
that has been built up about you
over the years
by the world
and by yourself
you dash out
and fill in the cracks
so that no one is able to see what is inside

But I want the world to be able to see what is inside

I want to be able to come in
through the cracks into your life
and I am not going to fill them up either.

I am going to flow in and out of these cracks.

So when you see the cracks appear in your life
do not rush out and fill them in

Let Me come in.

David Mattches

breakfast moments

early this morning
80+ shepherds
ventured out of their individual pastures
to break bread together

worship together

pray together

be together

all these individual houses of prayer
became one house of prayer
inside a house of prayer

the most wonder-filled part
was that no one wore a name tag
and so
no one wore a title

no one dressed in the robes of leader

all wore the shoes of a servant

as the bread was broken
and shared
one with another
hearts opened

the hugs were tight
and genuine

we took a moment
and
touched one another

silent moments

only in silence
do the tongueless speak
tears
rooms
windows
the wind

only in true silence
do the rocks cry out
and the bread whispers
break me

only the silence
can hear songs
hidden in the dust
and bear the laughter
of the awakening land

cap moment

just who is this wildly imaginative God

who carefully designed a cap

for each acorn nut

ark moment

who decided to make a new cart

who is touching the ark

how often in the midst of a circumstance of life
in our nervousness
do we put our hand up
to steady the ark

wordless moments

yesterday was .............
yesterday

it was orchestrated that I would spend some time waiting
in a waiting room
a room designed for waiting

lots of waiting

soft colors on the walls
padded chairs
thick rug
piles of magazines - current ones at that
soft music - Perry Como would you believe!
nearby washrooms

the only thing missing
was a percolating coffee pot ............

this is not a room where you choose to wait
this is a room where you wait
after you have already waited
in other waiting rooms

and so
when looking around at the others who are waiting
there is the stark realization
that we are all somehow in the same boat
and no one seems to have a firm grip on the rudder

we are all sailing round and round
on the winds of emotion

I turned to the beautiful tender lady next to me
and simply asked if she wanted to talk

the floodgates opened
and she only needed to cry
to stop "being strong"
and let it out
while being held
in someone's arms


the night before
I had been called
and asked to visit with a family
during the afternoon

a lovely home
manicured lawns
spectacular gardens
even the doorbell had a charming song

inside though
there was palpable tangible fear
and grief
and guilt

and a lovely pain ridden fifteen year-old girl
her mom
her dad

for several months
this child had been complaining of a sore neck

weeks of visits to the chiropractor
had not provided relief

finally
they went to the family doctor
when it was discovered that cancer
had eaten into the neck bones

after further testing
it was learned
this was a secondary cancer
leaking from the kidney

and then they found more
and more

and the choice was offered
to surgically fuse the neck bones
and hopefully prevent paralysis

or
massive immediate chemotherapy
and radiation

if the surgery was undertaken
any other treatment
would have to be postponed until healing
of the fusion had taken place
and this might mean weeks and weeks and weeks
of letting the cancer spread even further

and so this dilemma

and most of their friends knew a little at least of what was going on
most of their church community knew
and yet

no one was visiting
simply because no one knew what to say

why do we think we must have answers
and if we have no answers
then we must stay away

I have been on the receiving end
but also have been on the guilty end of this scenario

however
yesterday afternoon
this broken family and I
sat together
and held hands

no words

no platitudes

no false hope

just touching one another

and then the tears came
and the loneliness was expressed

and we have agreed to stay together
to walk this through together
to cry together

and I am positive
there also will be times of laughing together
of rejoicing with one another

take a moment

touch someone

Tuesday moment

while preparing for an appointment this morning
praying my constant prayer

help me

I am struck
by the fact
that Jesus stepped out of his glory
to wrap himself
in my clay

remembering moment

a wonderful woman died early this morning
she was my friend
she remains my friend

she was and remains a friend to many

her best Friend called her home early today
she simply left the arms of her husband
and entered the arms of the One who called

she was quiet
loved to laugh
tenderly strong
wise
broken
whole
an overcomer

a worshiper
and lover
of her Lord

I will miss her deeply
I already miss her

many others will also miss her

in her own gentle way
she gave strength to many

we all are richer for knowing her

her life counted
she lived well
she died well

but there is a hole of lonely sadness in me
no more hugs
no more laughing together until we fall down
no more raising eyebrows at each other across the room

she was a beautiful gift

here for a moment
there for eternity

she was a good woman
and while mourning
I celebrate her life

identifying moment

too often
there is a moment
when we come to identify
with the clothes
used to cover
our nakedness

withdrawing moments

many times
Jesus withdrew from the crowds
so they would not be able to
force their agenda upon Him

how often
I wonder
does He withdraw Himself
from our churches today
for the very same reason

peace moment

this has been a stunning weekend .......
this ending of August
and beginning of September

one by one
motors stopped
boats disappeared

one by one
docks were pulled out of the water
like raising drawbridges
that enabled man to invade the water

one by one
cars were heard exiting
crushing dry leaves
that littered the road

as man left
ducks and loons returned

the water stilled
the air was thick with peace

during the night
hoots of the owls
competed with calls of the coyotes
and the whippoorwills

dawn brought the thirsting deer
back to the water's edge

turkeys trotting across the road
and through the fields

mink swimming unimpeded

conscious of the deepness of the quiet
this morning
while slipping the kayak into the lake

paddling along its edges
it was wonderful
to see the bare face of the shore again

only rarely was there smoke
rising from a chimney

my favorite time of year
swimsuits during the day
flannelet and wool socks at night

and the peace

the peace

the peace

in a few days
six of us
all women
will be spending four whole days
mostly in silence
in this silence

we have agreed
to only speak
between 7 and 10 each evening
while serving one another communion
and sharing a meal together

six women

will it be possible

I think so .............