Passing through, don’t you know
We’re just passing through?
This journey of life, so full of strife —
We’re just passing through.
It’s all just a dream, or so it seems —
Sometimes a nightmare of terrors,
Or at it’s best — a comedy of errors.
The saints and sinners,
The losers, the winners.
The rich and famous,
The poor and infamous.
The weak, the strong,
The hopeful, the wrong.
All loved by God,
All beautiful in His eyes —
No time to compromise
His love for you.
Well, our older cat may be in her last days, so this poem came to mind.
It’s really more about people, but maybe it’s all connected.
——————————————————————
A meditation on death …
‐‐—‐———————-
The light shines for awhile,
And then it palls.
Remember the light
When darkness falls.
Remember the good,
Remember the best,
Hold on in your heart,
To memory best.
Think not of the end,
For it really begins
A new door to freedom,
A new door within.
Many good times
Of laughter and love.
All multiplied
In heav’n above.
Bury me by the river,
Though I hope to be heaven-bound.
If there are rivers in heaven,
They’ll be peaceful, and broad, and sound.
The water brings deep refreshment,
Its lapping, a spirit of calm.
When the saints go down to the river,
There will be a glorious song.
Oh, bury me by the river,
And I’ll think of you in my new home,
And pray for your peace and protection,
As through life’s trials you roam.
For some weeks (even years, off and on), I had been burdened, even depressed, about two people close to me who seemed unconcerned about going to heaven, knowing and loving Jesus, and really are agnostic or atheist. I wondered if they had not come to faith through some fault in my own witness or character. I tried hard to show them love, and hopefully through my love, and the genuine love of other Christians, they might see their need for Jesus. At times when I got more explicit and asked about having a personal relationship with Jesus, it didn’t go as I’d hoped.
Then one day while pondering all this, this Scripture popped into my head: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12, NLT).” Suddenly I saw it all in a new way. This is not a battle between myself and others, but it’s a battle against evil forces that have influenced others negatively or even destructively. I even fight these battles within myself at times.
So, once again Scripture has set me free of a burden that I wasn’t meant to bear, at least the burden of blaming myself. Yes, I will pray and try to act on promptings from the Holy Spirit to share Jesus, but the outcome is not up to me.
Sweat drools down my face,
Salty taste on my tongue.
With peppermint bug spray,
So far no bugs have stung.
Some crops do well;
Others are a bust.
Bugs get to many;
At least they don’t have rust.
Sometimes all sweaty,
My clothes a bit wet.
I sure need a shower,
But no time for that yet.
Build up the compost,
Water if soil is dry,
Pull all those weeds up;
At least I have to try.
Do a bit of harvesting;
That’s the satisfyin’ part.
All the work I’ve put in —
It’s warming to the heart.
As soon as I come in,
Take a shower right away.
Don’t want those chiggers and skeeters,
To start their itchy way.
Ah, now time for a cool drink,
Chug that water down.
Have a seat in the parlor,
A smile replaces frown.
No, I’ve never been arrested, but …
It almost happened — twice.
I was attending a wedding in Oakland, California, and needed a place to stay that night. My sister and her husband offered their house in nearby Alameda, and they happened to be away that night. I arrived at the house and was supposed to enter on my own. She and her husband had neglected to tell me that there was an alarm system installed in the house, but they HAD provided a key. So, I innocently unlocked the door, and soon heard the automatic alarm go off.
My first thought was to call them. I had no idea how to turn the alarm off. I could not get ahold of them, so tried some of their friends. The friends may have told me how to do it, but by that time, the police had been alerted. I’m pretty sure I had it off by the time a police car parked nearby.
I noticed him park, and he very slowly and cautiously came toward the house. I had the front door open and spoke through the screen door and may even have opened it. I don’t think he had a gun drawn, but looked ready to if necessary. It took me awhile to explain that it was my sister’s house and I was staying for the night, but my sister hadn’t told me about the alarm system. He was very suspicious in the beginning, but after about fifteen or twenty minutes, I guess he believed me. I seem to recall giving him both my sister’s and their friends’ phone numbers. I assume he called them to check my story. Phew!
The second incident occurred on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Through a prayer group, I had connected with a student Bible Study there, though I was not a student. On this occasion, it happened to be a recess between quarters.
The Bible Study leader or facilitator was a (graduate?) student there. He always unlocked or had access to the Old Union building (number 29 on the current campus map). Being between quarters, we couldn’t get in at the usual door, but we found a back door. As we climbed the stairs to the meeting room, I heard some computer beeping that I didn’t recall hearing on other occasions there. The building seemed empty but for us.
We got to the meeting room and opened our Bibles on the table as we sat around it, and began the study. After five or ten minutes, we thought we heard voices, which grew louder. Pretty soon, we heard, even louder, “Put your hands up and stand still; no talking.” We were startled and puzzled, but after a short pause, realized that we had better cooperate.
As I recall, there were two of the campus police. They were dead serious. They took each person’s name, address, phone, and driver’s license number (if we could remember it while we standing with our hands up). We explained that we had a Bible Study there every week, and surely they could see the open Bibles on the table.
The problem for them seemed to be that since it was quarter break, we should not be there. They asked us to leave, which we did. That was the end of that.
So, besides a few traffic tickets, these have been my experiences of “a brush with the law.” Or does an IRS audit count? (The audit found no problem.) Pretty fortunate, I’d say.
An hour or more into the sale;
One customer so far.
Trying not to look at my cell phone,
But instead enjoy the neighborhood.
I’m in a lovely patch of shade
On this hot and humid day.
A light breeze blows, and it’s quiet,
But for the birds and the remaining cicadas.
So pleasant to sit in the quiet,
Observing neighbors go by –
None of them interested in buying.
Two boys keep riding their bikes
Back and forth, back and forth.
A man walks by, across the street,
Looking at his cell phone.
Well, I might quit early,
Though I have some good things to sell,
Like vegetable plants and fresh garlic.
The second day of summer – so quiet.
—————————–
No, wait, a few more people drop by,
Some retired folks from a neighboring town.
Also a young man, and possibly his mother –
Real estate people who stage houses.
They didn’t buy anything, but so what?
I’m having a blast on this quiet day.
I love meeting people from various places.
Then, a few more show up and spend a few dollars.
As far as noise, don’t forget the lawn mowers –
They aren’t quiet, but part of the daily warm-weather ambiance.
I read a book when it’s really slow,
Or listen –the birds and cicadas keep chattering.
There must be a swim party down the street.
Cars park a few doors away; children in swimwear.
They won’t be buying anything here.
At last the hour comes, to end the sale.
Many items packed, to give away –
And some left out with a sign saying “FREE!”;
Some items taken with glee.
At dusk, some items still remain.
I slowly put it all away.
Only $4.50 in profit made,
But had a pleasant, quiet day.
The second day of summer.
Three boys ride bikes along the road,
Fishing poles bending as they go –
Nearby must be a fishing hole.
Three deer burst through the dense woods deep;
Their hooves ring loud along the street.
I wonder if they’re good to eat?
Three rabbits pranced among the clover,
A baby and two others, older;
And then they run for shelter, cover.
Three stars danced in the sky so bright –
Planets, or just meteorites?
They spread a fantasy of light.
Three Persons in eternity,
One Being in infinity,
One bond in perpetuity.
It’s almost four years now, since we moved from the south San Francisco Bay Area in California, to Ohio. It’s been a challenge, mostly emotionally, but I think well worth it. Some observations on the differences are noted below.
The biggest for me: WEATHER. While the Bay Area climate is quite mellow, a Mediterranean climate, here in Ohio the weather constantly changes. In the Bay Area I could garden almost all year. I could go for pleasant walks most of the year. I suppose in Ohio I can go for pleasant walks in the winter, but It’s more difficult with multiple layers of clothes, and sometimes ice.
CLOUDS: In Ohio, the clouds are amazing, almost every time they appear, which is often. Absolutely stunning at times.
CHIGGERS: In the Bay Area, I didn’t have to worry about almost-invisible chiggers (or maybe they are no-see-ums). I dread going out the backyard, where they seem very happy to congregate, in warmer weather. I have numerous methods to deal with them, including bug spray with peppermint, and showering immediately after a stint in the garden. Otherwise, it’s an itchy prospect.
CICADAS: Now these are midwest bugs I can deal with. You can see them, they don’t bite or cause an itch, and generally leave you alone. They appear in May and wind down in mid-June. Yes, they buzz all day, but I don’t mind it.
COST OF LIVING: Much cheaper in Ohio. I estimate that the house we have now would cost ten times as much in our old neighborhood.
FREEWAY ON-RAMPS: In California, a simple on-ramp (not merging into an off ramp) is marked at the left with dashed lines, which *disappear* at about the point when the combined width of the on-ramp and the lane to the left is about a lane-and-a-half wide. In Ohio, the dashed lines for simple on-ramps just continue until they contact the right edge of the road.
FRIENDLINESS / HELPFULNESS: People seem friendlier than in the Bay Area. It could be because we’re in a less densely populated place. Once (but this is nearby Kentucky), we were driving home at night and pulled over because I couldn’t find my cell phone. Almost immediately, a truck stopped behind us, and two men came up and asked if we needed help. I realize that something far less pleasant could have happened, but it was an encouraging experience.
FENCES: In our old Bay Area neighborhood, just about everyone had a six-foot tall fence around their back yard, some even taller. In our current neighborhood, we have a six-foot fence in the back, but there are only one or two other families around, one of which I know to be California transplants like us, who have something similar. Most people have no fencing, invisible dog fencing, what’s called a Kentucky board fence, or a split rail fence.
“UC”: Does not mean “University of California,” but “University of Cincinnati”.
clarakatalin 
Slight? Momentary?
“For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, NRSVCE)
Until a few years ago (and I’m 70 as I write this), whenever I heard or read this Bible verse, I thought, “Slight? Momentary? It doesn’t feel that way.” My own hardest personal cross might be chronic mild depression (dysthymia). It has never felt “momentary”. It is probably “slight” compared to major depression. But I also think of many who carry what look like quite heavy crosses: chronic physical problems, financial struggles, family breakdown, and emotional or mental health issues. They never looked “slight” or “momentary” to me.
Here is another translation of the verses. I am adding this and the next one just to give different shades of meaning, hopefully helping all to understand the verses. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, NIV)
And again: “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, NLT)
This immediately preceding translation might give the clearest or simplest meaning for us. And the two verses actually explain themselves, if we think about it.
It’s all about perspective, eternal perspective, that is. When I began to focus on eternity, which after all, is a lot longer than an earthly life, the quote started to make a lot of sense. Yes, I or others may be suffering now, but COMPARED TO the rewards, joy, and glory of eternity, what we’re going through is NOTHING. Yes, it doesn’t feel good if we focus on the current suffering, but if we focus on what awaits people of faith in heaven, it’s incomparable!
This is not to dismiss the very real pain that all of us go through, but to give hope that it won’t last forever. And, we probably should try to alleviate others’ suffering, if not our own. But I’ve found it very helpful to forget myself and focus on the glory to come, while always working to improve what can be improved in my little area of the world.
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