The first time I came up this way with Dena, she read Psalm 104 out loud as we drove through the mountains and it has become a tradition with us when we come up here. So this morning I read Psalm 104 to begin the day. Smoke on the mountain. Totally opposite of God's smoke on the mountains is the one long plume of smoke in the mountains. I always thought it meant that North Carolina had a new pope but alas it is the smoke from a chimney at the paper mill in Canton...I always saw the one plume in the mornings at the Inn.
On a totally different subject, why don't the concordances in the back of Bibles ever have the word I am looking for? And you know it is one of those words that totally make the verse but you want to reference the address of the verse and the concordances don't help one bit. Bible studies can be that way too especially if you are going through a book in the Bible. The verses you and many others look forward to studying as well, get a light touch.
Bill, one of my landlords for the month, stopped by yesterday. He brought the DVD Heaven is Real and thought I might enjoy seeing it. I read the book right after my mom passed away. I am saving it for this weekend to watch. His wife had knee replacement surgery on Wednesday and possibly will get to come home today. He gave me some good advice about one of the homes I wanted to look at next week. I keep forgetting that up here with a water well you don't want anything nearby to contaminate the water.
I knew I had been hearing the chirp of a baby mockingbird and I got to see him yesterday out in the yard and among the trees. From my observations at home with mockingbirds at our feeder, mockingbird parents love with tough love.
I am thinking of a conversation I had with a friend. We talked about all kinds of interesting, at least to us, things that are going on in our lives and also a bit about what we hope will happen in our lives. Right now my immediate surface hope is to find a home here in the area. While we wait and pray about finding the right place for livability for me, a beautiful view and a place that is comfortable when friends come to visit I try to be patient with the whole process. Of course there are those deeper things that I have to trust God with that are truly waiting kind of things. It is planting a seed and leaving it alone while "much good happens in the space where nothing is happening." Christa Wells, singer/songwriter. Along in that planting time, there should also be giving done in the midst of a wait. It keeps our eyes off us for a moment and keeps us from being so self absorbed. And just like waiting, giving is an open hand, not clenched fists and letting the seeds drop into the ground. I learned a long time ago when you give a gift, that's it. You did your part and even though you might not like what someone plans to do with your gift, it is no longer yours to give direction or opinion on usuage. The gift is out of your possession and it belongs to someone else. Years ago I gave someone a beautiful leather journal and my thoughts were just that, to be used for journaling but the person told me they were going to use it for work, to keep tab on their appointments and sales calls...oh yes, I wanted to say, but that's not my intention for it...but you see, once I handed them the gift, I have no claim to it whatsoever. Years and years ago my father gave us some money only because he had given some money to my brother. A one time experience for us but I digress...what he wanted us to do with the money and what we did with the money caused a few disagreements. We had law school debt and wanted to get rid of it, so we took most of the money, invested it and when we sold the stock, we had a major portion of the debt paid down. That to me is truly a good thing, better than using it for shopping or fun or a vacation. While we had the stock, my father hinted that he would like a personal accounting for the gift of money he had given us....he didn't get one. I reminded him it was his gift to us....yep, that went over really well. It played a major decision in selling the stock. Oh yes, back to waiting...give to others while you wait. It doesn't have to be money...if you are in a position and you need money, give what you have to give, time, talent....and be much more happy and healthy while you wait. I like what Emily P Freeman says in her book a million little ways..."let the seeds drop into the ground, let them burrow down deep and do their secret work in the dark. Sacred shaping happens in the waiting." I would add to this sacred shaping happens in the giving while you're waiting.
I waited for the fog to clear and it is a beautiful sun-filled day. I must hit the roads with my list of houses. I will be trapsing on many of the back roads of WNC. I think it is going to be a good day.
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