April Fool's joke.
But in defiance I proclaim,
"April 1st Hope!"
I wish the pandemic were an
April Fool's joke. But in defiance I proclaim, "April 1st Hope!"
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I set my alarm clock so I could
Jump out of bed early and shop with The other old people at the store. For once, my age was an asset. The shelves weren't totally stocked, But toilet paper was available as were Vegetables and meat. I filled my small cart. I studied the faces of those keeping Their distance from me. Some were intense, worried. But when I smiled, a number of the Folks smiled back. I asked a few of the shoppers if they Were "okay." They all answered, "Yes," and Asked how I was doing as well. I thanked a worker who was Stocking jugs of water. When I checked out, the cashier was Trying to be positive even though her Husband and kids were home while She had to work. Instead of saying good bye I pointed my Finger upwards and said, "Be hopeful!" Believers have a reason for hope even When the circumstances around us Seem hopeless. "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord," (Psalm 31:24) Her husband has been gone for
Three months, and today was a Really hard one. "I've been crying all morning," she Told me on the phone. "Shouldn't I be better by now? Even God seems far away." I listened to her lament and turned my Brain back five years. "I felt the same way," I told the widow. "Your feelings are normal. If your body had been broken in an Accident, your recovery would be long And arduous. Grief is similar. Sorrow crushes your soul, and you can't Speed up the healing process. There are no short cuts. You must push through your pain." But I told her it would get better. I'm proof of that. And even though God seems to be Hiding right now, He's not. One day my friend will look back and See that He was the One who gave her The strength to keep going. In Bible study we were discussing the
Plight of a mom and dad whose only Child had been killed in a car accident by An impaired driver. One woman, a close friend of theirs, Lamented their loss. "Their lives are totally destroyed." We tried to comprehend their anguish. But another gal added her thoughts, "Perhaps not destroyed, but built." I wrote her words in my notebook so I won't forget them. Perhaps one day the wounded pair will Be able to look back and see that God was Creating beauty from ashes. Perhaps. Isaiah 61:3 My notation in my diary is concise.
It couldn't capture the horror: "A DARK DAY 4 planes attacked America. The world trade center buildings were Demolished and the pentagon hit. Lots of fear. I'm so glad I'm a believer. God is in control." The days are still dark and fear abounds. But my words remain true. "I'm so glad I'm a believer. God is in control." I woke up with a foreboding spirit,
An angst I couldn't identify. I deliberately turned my thoughts to My Father's words scattered throughout Scripture: Dorothy, I know you. I formed you. I love you. I hear you. I'm near you. I'm in you. I saved you. I'm for you. I carry you. Comforted, I got up. And I recorded the list for another Morning when I need an extra bit of Hope to face the day. (A friend asked me to write a poem about those battling cancer. This is what I came up with.)
Cancer. It's insidious. The disease has invaded the lives of Those I love. I've joined them in their pain and I don't know who suffers more, the Ill one or the well one. I've observed my friends and family Face cancer head on. I've seen valor. I've seen stamina to withstand severe and Unpredictable treatments. I've seen gratitude for the blessings I often Overlook. I've seen a new appreciation for life. The cancer hasn't toppled them but has Seemed to make them stronger, Stout of heart and Stalwart in their faith. The overcomers are my heroes. They blaze the trail. They show me that if one day I become one of Them I can also face cancer with Courage and hope. On some days I feel out of sync, and
I'm not able to put my finger on The cause. I do what I know to do, Praise, Pray, Press on, But sometimes, despite all my Tactics the angst lingers even till Bedtime. But the next morning, Like this one, It's gone. The last time I saw my friend she was
Unrecognizable. Disease had ravaged her fragile frame. But now that she's safe in Jesus' arms I Can put aside that painful image and Picture Kathy as she is now, as she Was meant to be: Sound of mind and body and Soul, Vibrant, Radiant, Majestic and whole.
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Dorothy Kalb Hsu Seitzinger
Writing poetry has helped me process and express my sorrows and joys, my concerns and blessings. "Life is hard, but God is good!" Archives
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