Wednesday

For eight years and three months I have sat down on Monday or Tuesday and written three paragraphs and a Bible verse (mostly). It’s a disciple for me, and I need a little fudge time to tweak or be guided in ideas and time to refigure the tech requirements of saving and sending on time. I couldn’t push my deadline this week. An unknown loomed beyond my control. What would happen Tuesday night that would negate any ahead of that time comments? Beyond any political commitment, I don’t have military connections, I am not an alien or an immigrant, and yet life as I knew it was counting on a ticking clock.

War was about to become personal. I lived thought WWII knowing deaths of families’ loved ones, yet nothing happened close at hand. David served at Ft. Lee for the Korean effort and our boys were never a draft age. On September 11, 2001, I was teaching a rising 5th grade in a new private school wing when the news came through of the bombing of the World Trade Center. We gathered children in the basement in case we needed safety and fielded calls from worried parents. How will this be resolved?

I was able to go to bed Tuesday night knowing with still unknown factors, the imminent crisis has breathing space. I’ll never really understand war and have to struggle at times to rise about the hate it can engender. “All we can do is pray,” is not an empty statement. In times ahead I have to choose to be a helper in any way I can and remember that for this morning, the word from God is usually a Bible verse or two, even if it means newspaper articles or tv reports.

Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land. Proverbs 25:25

Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
    and good news gives health to the bones. Proverbs 15:25