A Day Away

Those of you who know me well, know that I don't take many days "off". It seems I have to leave the nest to truly relax. Yesterday was one of those days for me. With my new Mad River Rabbit Canoe on top of the old Blazer, an old friend and a new one in the passenger seats, and a cooler with fried chicken and potato salad, we took off to have an adventure. Lake Arthur was our destination, and one of our few goals was to not tip the canoe!

It was a pleasant day, to say the least. Full of ourselves for being the independent ladies we set out to be, we managed to heave the canoe back on top of the vehicle, strap her down so she didn't move, and make our way back to Pittsburgh without incident. No serious philosophy to be spouted here or theological point~ just enjoyed the day and decided to share it with you. Thanks for coming and I hope you come again.

Tears of compassion

Often when I speak with folks about the work in Mozambique, someone will respond with overwhelm and suggest that we can't really make a difference in a place with such extreme poverty and extensive needs. Recently, I responded to one of those comments that what he was calling a "drop in the bucket" was actually a more like a tear in the ocean ~ A tear of compassion for those who have no justice in the world. When we shed that tear, God takes it and multiplies what we offer beyond our imagination. Life in the Kingdom of God is always unpredictable. From our perspective, the tear would be absorbed, diluted~ Instead of being diluted, our compassion spreads like yeast in dough and is used by God to ripple out through the sea of humanity. We rarely see what God does with our tears, but God is working out His purposes in the world and he invites us to be a part of His plan. No matter how small your offering or how ineffective your acts of love and compassion may seem~remember that in the Kingdom of God it will be multiplied and used by the mighty creator of the universe to bring mercy and grace to those in need.