Monday, January 22, 2024
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
A day in the life
My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
I had to decide this weekend whether to watch NFL playoff football games (Buffalo vs Baltimore, Green Bay vs San Francisco) or take cranberry fluff to a soup and game night with our Empty Nesters Sunday class. On Friday night eight of us got together for a monthly game night. I decided that was enough, and stayed home to watch football.
On Friday night we played a game Charlie and Tina put together. Partners made four teams, and we guessed what our partner would answer. For example,
- What is your favorite movie?
- How did you meet?
- On a day when no one else is in the house, what will you do?
- Who is the most competitive?
- What is your biggest pet peeve?
- Who apologizes first?
- What affectionate name or phrase do you have for her?
The best part was hearing each other’s stories. When we take turns, when one couple doesn’t dominate the conversation, when the stories have several sides so they are interesting to more than just the tellers, stories always are better than competitions. They were maybe even a little better than the crème brulee Margaret made for us (Charlie helped her caramelize the tops), and Tina’s peanut brittle.
We didn’t play Uno or Telestrations or Sorry. We didn’t play canasta, either. So many games, so little time. Driving home after a couple of hours we felt glad we went. We also felt happy to be going home, to cozy beds, to a long Friday night followed by a full Saturday.
It had been a full, good day. Miles and Jasper descended in the morning and put on their tool belts full of real tools. They began hammering and screwing in screws into our 4×4 pieces that are otherwise stored under the bed. Our neighbors across the way, who are here for several months to renovate the apartments, worked across the street from us, and the way the nine of them worked together seemed almost magical.
Our apartment has been renovated, but Jonathan (who is 6’8” tall and has a giant smile) knocked on our door early afternoon and brought in a cabinet for our bathroom which had not yet been installed. He popped it up in a few minutes. We couldn’t have been happier. He barely fit into our bathroom, but he got it done.
Earlier I picked up our Prius, which got banged up on I35 about a month ago. I ran over a giant piece of semi retread tire, and Ted, Jairo and Jessica among others at Caliber Collision put it together again. We drove it to Friday’s game night, first time in a couple of weeks. It’s funny, although the Chevy Malibu rental was quiet, faster, better brakes and more spacious in front, I felt so grateful to get back in the Prius, which we have driven for 140,000 miles. I knew where to put my phone. I knew where to put my water bottle. I drive that car a lot. And I felt like I was home. Tomorrow I will set off once more to Illinois, for weddings and counseling and family and friends.
I will set his hand upon the sea, his right hand upon the rivers.
One of the questions we got right was #3 (see above). Alone or not, I spend time every day reading, writing, listening and praying. Friday I spent time with two pastors, listening. Their stories will unfold gradually, and we will listen and pray together.
For me those four activities make a simple, effective rule of life. Unfinished business or emergencies shift them, but rarely are they displaced altogether. For me it’s a good way to live, one day at a time.
 (2 Samuel 5, Psalm 89, 2 Timothy 1, Mark 3)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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