More Sadness

Today I received more sad news. I learned that one of my regular readers' daughters lost her baby at 24 weeks.

Please pray for this family. I don't want to step into sharing their story, so will make my comments here brief. But I would like to reach out and have us all extend love, care and uplifting prayer to them.

They had gone for an ultrasound and discovered complications which were unexpected and ominous; today when they returned the heartbeat was no more, and induction and delivery were ahead.

This is tragic. And my heart aches.

Share love and joy always as you have opportunity. Live a life as fully without regrets as possible, and always fortify yourself with the knowledge that you love and pursue truth and justice passionately.

Peace.

Jags of Sadness

The past twenty four hours I have been really up and down. I miss my dad a lot. I am in a city where there is so much he would enjoy and where we could really have fun together.

But there are reminders of life's fragility all around, especially in the faces of homelessness that abound in this city. There are many.

Some are young. Some old. Some have animals. I have stopped to talk to a pair with a dog, Buddy, a couple of times. I shared some food with them, and they were truly appreciative. The first time I stopped, there was a third guy with them. We spoke about God and love, and one of them pulled out a Bible and started talking about how he had been to a Bible Study the night before and left feeling a little better, a little more hopeful.

As we were sharing some thoughts a woman walking up the street started to scream at them, calling them ignorant and demanding they get out of her neighborhood. It just made me feel so sad. How human beings can treat each other so badly. But I shouldn't be surprised. I have witnessed it and in fact am living through a situation right now that is the height of selfish greed.
We agreed that this woman knew not of what she spoke, and shared more about Jesus and his love for all.

I imagine it is a bit easier perhaps being alone and on the street with the unconditional love of a dog. I asked about feeding Buddy and they said that they have a ten pound bag of food in their backpack for him and he eats first. I believed them.

Then there are other homeless who reek of alcohol. Does God love them any less? Or are begging for spare change while unable to stand up straight. Or who are huddled under the eave of a building. Or are muttering to themselves, or are like the woman that Nicole and I stopped to talk to who was pushing her two cats around in a stroller and was pretty batty. In fact the more we spoke to her, the more we realized just how out of touch she was.

But don't we really all want the same thing? Connection. Love. Touch. A home. A place to call our own...and it reminds me how quickly we assume we know other's stories and make snap judgments about them. And how those judgments often dissuade us from engaging in meaningful ways with others, because of how uncomfortable it might be for us. But yet, chances are it would be huge for the other person.

I have been thinking about this a lot with the loss of my dad. There are lots of people who haven't acknowledged the loss. They don't know what to say, or don't want to bring it up. But like any loss, (miscarriage, divorce...)it isn't reminding the person of anything they aren't immersed in anyway.

In fact, I think just the opposite is true, that it demonstrates caring. And I for one, appreciate that.

Go let someone know you care.

Peace.

The Great Emergence

I didn't get much sleep last night. About four hours. Part of it was getting up at three to get ready to come to Memphis where I am participating in an event called, The Great Emergence. Phyllis Tickle is leading the event about the Emergent Church. I am here to learn, listen and worship.

Yesterday was also a difficult day in my writing life. I spoke with my team at AMG about the cover and title of the Bible Study, and prevailed with a couple of minor tweaks. The title will be UnDoing Church: Discovering Faith and the Not Your Mother's Bible Study will be the segueway (in prominent letters) on the back to what the book is all about: Being, not going to church. They are also working on new cover art that I will get to review. I am so happy and relieved about this.

But then I learned that my publisher for my pregnancy book had grave concerns about some of my blog posts and learned late this evening that they withdrew my contract. I know no details about how that conversation went, just that I am deeply grieved that it happened. I am sad, but will search for what the message for me is in this. In a few days I guess I will be more ready to reflect on this.

Peace.