Tuesday, August 16, 2022
 All the time in the world
           (click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Everyone who has given up (houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands) for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.
When I listen carefully to the words of Jesus, speaking to his disciples about their future after death, I rejoice in our inheritance. Our death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54).
These words are not mere metaphors, but they also do not manifest completely in my mixed up, selfish-now, spirit-filled-then life. I must be satisfied with some poetry and some peace, in the midst of sometimes so much pain.
On the Day I Die by Clarence Heller
Oh loving God, let the day I die be familiar.
Let me recall at least one dear memory.
Let me be present with at least one person who loves me.
Let me feel you with me, Sweet Jesus, my friend.
Let me surrender all to you,
as I have begged to do so many times before.
Let me live my last breath in the moment.
Let me rejoice in your love
and in the life that surrounds me.
Let me notice something beautiful that day.
And let my last words
(and my words every day until that day)
Be … “Thank you, my love, for everything.”
This poem, written before death, is filled with peace of the moment and hope for peace in the future. Jacques Philippe talks about the peace of the Holy Spirit:
This peace sometimes dwells only in the very deepest part of the soul, while questions and worries remain at the human and psychological level. But it is there and it is recognizable. (In the School of the Holy Spirit, p. 52)
Yesterday was Miles’ first day in Austin Classical School’s kindergarten. Today will be his first home schooling day with his mom. At chapel yesterday we sang “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” The principal talked about thankfulness and perseverance “to the point of shedding blood.” He meant sticking with the hard things in each kid’s life, which will be different for each of the 250 kids listening. “You can do it!”
“You can do it!” That’s what we are telling Jasper too. We’ll be with him on Mondays and Wednesdays, like last year, while Miles is in kindergarten and Andi is teaching art. Margaret made an ovenfull of French toast and bacon, and I made a fried egg for each of us. Jasper, you can do it! He carefully poured syrup on his toast and his egg. He added a little strawberry jam on the top of his egg.
He did take a bite or two of the sweet egg. His face looked surprised. I can’t say he ate that egg “to the point of shedding blood.”
Jasper and Miles are beginning their lives. Andi and Aki are encouraging them, protecting them and spurring them on. We watch, and we pray, and we play and play. We have more time than we’ve ever had, even if we tire pretty quickly.
It’s fascinating to watch these clocks tick … beginning, middle, end. We will do this as long as we can.
(Ezekiel 28, Deuteronomy 32, 2 Corinthians 8, Matthew 19)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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