Toys in My Hands

We have three temperatures that we monitor on our computer desktop: Dallas, TX; Grand Junction, Colorado; and Williston, North Dakota. #1 son moved to Colorado in the fall and is working for a company that shuttles him between Colorado and North Dakota every two weeks. Williston is about 20 minutes from Montana and 20 minutes from Canada and he said a lot of the landscape is like west Texas, which in my mind means there are not many hills or trees to block the arctic fronts from blowing across the plains. One of his goals was to move somewhere cooler than Texas, which he has, and I know he’s handling the temperatures much better than I would. He must think that the cold is all we ever ask him about, but it’s so foreign as I watch the weather and consider it a warming trend when Williston makes it into the 20s. I’m giddy for them! I sent all kinds of outerwear, down-filled ice scraper mittens, and thermals for his birthday and Christmas. I had to make a conscious effort to send something fun as well because all I could focus on was the difference in weather. He assures us that he is managing the climate quite well. The past few days we’ve had 70 degree weather that makes us invent errands to run outside in January. I would like to visit him in North Dakota, but I’ve made the stipulation that it has to be above 40 degrees for several weeks, so maybe July??? However I will be quite envious if he gets to see Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). What a gift that would be!

I remember frequently sitting on the doorstep of our home when the sun was blazing, the air on fire, grapes being trodden in a large house in the neighborhood, the world fragrant with must. Shutting my eyes contentedly, I used to hold out my palms and wait. God always came – as long as I remained a child. He never deceived me – He always came – a child just like myself, and deposited his toys in my hands: sun, moon, wind. “They’re gifts,” He said, “they’re gifts. Play with them. I have lots more.” I would open my eyes. God would vanish, but His toys would remain in my hands. – Nikos Kazantzakis autobiography, Report to Greco

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You lavish us with gifts and grace. Let us open our eyes to see the beauty around us and savor in its splendor. Let us appreciate those wonders around us: snowflakes and sunbeams, ice cream and hot tea, mountain slopes and coral reefs, blanketed white and waves azure, crackling fires and misting fans, dancing lights and sparkling stars. Let us remain as children in awe. Amen.