Saturday, August 27, 2011

Let Evening Come

Let Evening Come

Let the light of late afternoon
shine through chinks in the barn, moving
up the bales as the sun moves down.

Let the cricket take up chafing
as a woman takes up her needles
and her yarn. Let evening come.

Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned
in long grass. Let the stars appear
and the moon disclose her silver horn.

Let the fox go back to its sandy den.
Let the wind die down. Let the shed
go black inside. Let evening come.

To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop
in the oats, to air in the lung
let evening come.

Let it come, as it will, and don’t
be afraid. God does not leave us
comfortless, so let evening come.


BY JANE KENYON

Thursday, August 25, 2011

A tricky summer


I'm still here. When I wake in the early morning and the light from the windows is darker and darker, it feels like the summer is planing a hasty retreat. The night breezes from the window are cool too, so it is coming. Still it feels like not all summer things were accomplished.

Mostly it's been this cold/flu thing that Lauralea and I have been sharing. It tore a strip off our holidays, and we've just not been up to speed since then. 

A large piece of my energy this week has been about the death of one of our elderly people. The family, the funeral, arrangements, words, language, visits. It's been a big effort, again I suppose because we are running on half full. 

Evening meetings are starting to increase too, which is another sign of autumn coming. Getting the youth program up to speed, getting my Sunday School class of classy Junior Highs ready to go, and I'm working on a series for autumn that I want us to explore a bit on what whole life stewardship really means out here in the land of the big skies.

I'm kinda nervous too. That's a lot of things going on at a time when I have been discovering that I need to simplify things in life. To be able to do a few things well rather than 20 things so so. It is difficult to refuse opportunities especially when opportunities equals people. I am regularly overwhelmed by the needs presented by people and their hurting hearts. No I don't fix them, but I can walk alongside them and provide care, and love.

No I'm still here, struggling along towards eternity, hopefully in ways that encourage and challenge people.

Tomorrow is our big community VBS Fair where we welcome kids and then their parents for a day of bible lessons, crafts, snacks, bouncy castle, cotton candy, and BBQ supper. Then I've got to drive out to camp to get Micah. He's all done camp tomorrow. 

So I should get a bit ready for that yet.

Night.
From the field.




Wednesday, August 17, 2011

26 years ago today, Lauralea and I were married


For all my perfectionist tendencies, and all my eldest child efforts, she's taught me the most about grace.

And I am blessed to the core of my being.
Amazing indeed.

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
 My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine 


Neeeearrrrly back in the saddle.

Returning to work after vacation always reminds me of the first new days of school in Autumn. I've got my new shoes and trousers, my pencils are sharp and ready to go, and I have a fresh stack of paper.

I usually take the fresh opportunity to promise herself that I will indeed start taking proper time for lunch, and that yes, I will start eating breakfast. These Academic New Years resolutions usually last about a week, then I tend to fall back into old ways, just like the January 1 resoluters do.

I take time to set the autumn calendar and chart the course for Sundays, and other things I feel we need to look at during the year. It all feels fresh and hopeful, like a new desk in grade 4, or new binders for foolscap in high school.

This year I'm nearly there. I want to be there and I can feel its just around the corner. But I am surrounded here in my office with new and used tissue, a resilient cough, runny nose, and some remaining muscle pain. This flu is not going gently into that good night.

I promised herself that I would work until it got to be too much, then I'd have a bit of a nap, then get back at it.

I am excited about autumn here though. Hopefully we can see the second staff member position filled sometime soon and that will allow me to return to the things I really can be better at. The thought of that does energize me. Although the thought of the process of getting that staff person in place, is a bit of a chore.

The break allows me to step back and review and take stock and refocus and remember what it is about this gig that I like. So that's what it feels like right now.

And some of the people here are going through tough patches and I want to be available to help and pray and be present for them.


So here we go, starting on a new year here in the field. Wonder what this one will hold.

Stay tuned.


Monday, August 15, 2011

Notes from the edge (of my sickbed)

As I write this I am safely, warmly settled in bed with acetaminophen near by and kleenx, new and used, surrounding my head like a halo. Her own sick self is following behind me and we will settle in for a fifteen hour stretch of up and down, on and off sleep.

We drag ourselves out of bed around 1:30 pm because it's crazy to be in bed all day on your vacation. Then we check on each other, comparing symptoms, pains, meds used to date, etc. It seems like Lauralea is about a day ahead of me in this journey, symptomwise.

Which, by the way, is kinda fun having a sick buddy when you're sick.

Where was I, oh yes so we get up and schlep around, making some eggs and cereal to eat, and that's our big meal for the day.

We wash up and decide to watch a movie, whatever's on the TV because we fade in and out of conscious during it so you don't want something that needs a big commitment. Today it was Bruce Almighty, a very well written film, and that's not the cough medicine talking.

Then a nap is in order, and a sandwich, and before you know it, it's time to get ready for bed again. Shower, set out the meds for the night, you know the routine.

What a basket case we are, or should that be a set of basket cases...


Through the day we get txts from the kids who are all far away or they'd have to take care of us. :)

Micahs still at camp, Thomas is on his own in Calgary with a new job, Hillary is painting houses in Saskatoon, and Johanna & Nate are in BC mid move.


This is starting to ramble more than ever, probably due to the meds, so I should go to sleep. Tomorrow afternoon is gonna come early enough as it is.

Night.




Thursday, August 11, 2011

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Holidays Start Tomorrow

Yes they do.

Holidays that is.
Start, I mean.

Tomorrow starts our holidays and I am in well need of them by now.
Really tired tonight, should be in bed but I'm just getting some things done for the day, then I'm off.

Right now I'm just trying to make the internet work a bit to get some info I need downloaded.

But tomorrow, yep, holidays.

I think I shall try to sleep in a bit. Just a bit. Not enough to make Herself jealous mind you.

Then, perhaps listen to some Proms coming live from BBC Radio 3 and a cool drink. That would be nice.

Herself has a Doctor appointment tomorrow morning, so I shall be left to my own devices, at least initially.

But yes, two weeks of, not this.


Night.