Tuesday, July 7, 2009

To Offer a Belt

I've had writer's block for awhile. It seems whenever I think I have something good to write, I can't figure out how to write it, so it goes unwritten. Have you ever felt like you have some great story bottled inside but the words just will not flow?? There's been a cork in the bottle of my brain for quite a long time now. Please... someone quick! Throw me a corkscrew!
OK, enough with trying to be funny... and my attempt at humor is probably failing miserably anyway. I just wanted to write something to say that I am still here...that I still want to do something with this blog, if only I would open my eyes and my mind to all the inspiration around me.... and just, well... write!
I could write about many things, and maybe that's the problem... I can't decide which thing to write about! Back around Memorial Day, I was going to title a blog "Memorials" and was ready to write about how we ended up going to a birthday party for my niece and to a memorial service in the same jam-packed day of opposite emotions. I was going to write also about my father-in-law's experience after singing at a Memorial Day weekend event at a local Civil War site. He was still dressed the part and happened to have on a rope for a belt. He stopped at WaWa for coffee afterwards on that rainy afternoon. A young black man approached him, uttering something my poor father-in-law's ears just couldn't pick up. So, he left the WaWa and was going towards his car when the young man approached him again, outside the store. So, after asking pardon for not hearing properly, he asked again what the young man was asking. "Would you like to have my belt?" came the reply, which was clear as a bell this time.
Shocked at such kindness, my father-in-law thanked the young man profusely and explained that he was just in a costume. He assured him that he was quite happy to know that there are still good people in the world. The incident gave him much hope. It affected us the same way when he retold the story later. I have so many deep reflections on that incident but can't quite seem to do it justice with my poor words here. That Memorial Day weekend we also ended up at the annual luminaries event in which thousands of Civial War soldiers at the Union Cemetary are honored. So many things to reflect upon! Then, I had something I wanted to write about the Miss America pagaent ;-/ hmmm...maybe later! ;-)
I suppose it all comes down to life and death. Celebrating births and deaths and the "dash" in between... and all the good we have the opportunity of doing during the dash.
Let's begin now, even if up until now we've had sins of omission in not doing what good we could have done.
Let's keep going, taking up our cross every day, sincerely seeking the Lord's will in every situation He puts before us and allows us to experience. Let us together keep striving for our eternal goal, whatever thorns may come...
so that, with St. Paul, we can say at our dying breath, "I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith..." (2Tm 4) Amen.

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