So Very Blessed

September 30, 2015

It seems rather fitting that on the last day of September I finish the last big project of the summer. The entry room is not only tiled and enclosed; it's grouted too, and I am very much relieved to have that job behind me. I like tiling, but there is immense satisfaction in looking at the finished product. I have some trim to replace around the door where the water leaking in rotted what was there, but apart from staining the wood, that should only take a few hours. This afternoon, Linda discovered in the woodshed some extra tan flashing that we can use to enclose the brick molding on the door, so we are smiling tonight.

Before band practice today, Harry and I were talking with a couple of the other brass guys. One uses a walker to get around. Bill has had some pretty significant health issues over the years, but even he commented on how grateful he is for the health he enjoys. Larry, one of the trombonists talked about his older sister who was born with cerebral palsy, has never been able to speak more than a few words, but who at 86, tools around in her wheelchair, setting the table at the nursing home in which she resides, and communicating with people through her computer. She never misses church, to which Larry remarked, "If she can do it, I guess we don't have any excuse to miss just because we are a bit tired in the morning."

This evening I watched part of the evening news. They were reporting on the increased tension and danger posed by Russia's entry into the Syrian civil war. As they reported, they showed scenes of the wholesale destruction of cities which are just piles of rubble through which a few stalwart souls picked their way. The percentage of the population displaced and seeking safety in Europe is staggering. With human suffering on this scale, about what could we possibly have the right to complain? I am grateful tonight for the strength and ability to finish my tile job, for the health and resources enabling me to play in the band, for the peace and security we take for granted here in the USA, and for God's grace which has enabled me to see life in this way.