Would your life be different if you picked God to write your biography?
$4.44
Among other activities in our church, I assist counting the Sunday collection every six weeks or so. This is not a leisurely task of scrutinizing or gossiping over contributions from givers. Rather, this is one of those chores that you do out of necessity- you count, you record, you deposit and you get on with the rest of Sunday. Frankly, it is unusual to give a second thought to who is giving or how much.
The plastic bag is what caught my attention. It was one of those sandwich size zip-lock types. It was opaque and wrinkled from repeated use for one purpose or another. The contents were an assortment of coins- pennies, nickels, dimes and one quarter. The contents of the bag totaled $4.44.
Several Sundays have come and gone since that day but I continue to wonder, No, not wonder but pray for the donor. The single quarter took me back a few years. My change jar was void of quarters during the period I lacked a washer and dryer. My quarters were deposited in the laundromat bank. The plastic bag communicated thoughtful convenience for the collection counters. And the sum of $4.44. Could the widow with two copper coins in Luke’s gospel be living in our parish, or is this a child being instructed in supporting the Church.
I wonder and then I recall the Letter to the Hebrews 13:2.
John Is Dead
I met John two yeas ago when I moved to the farm. We were members of the only Catholic Church in the area.
He can only be described as a powerful magnet that drew everyone to him when he entered a room. There was a drastic contrast between his brawny structure and gentle eyes. He was an 80-year old Marine who spoke with the pride of a recruit fresh out of boot camp. He respected the military and anyone who ever served- even a dog-face like me. He told fascinating stories of construction projects he supervised around the world. Once I asked his friend if these stories were true. The man said he has heard them for twenty years and the details never change. For this reason he accepted them as factual.
It is three days since John’s passing and I am thinking about the people we encounter in a lifetime. Most are nameless faces in a crowd. Some include an introduction but nothing more. Others are co-workers who we never truly know. The list narrows to acquaintances, family and finally a few friends if we are lucky.
The tragedy is when someone extends friendship and we do not recognize the offer. My relationship with John is one of missed opportunities on my part. Once John invited me over on a Friday afternoon for a Wild Turkey on his screened porch. I declined thinking I was too busy to drive the 20 miles to kick back and laugh at Life. A couple times I participated in his monthly penny-ante poker sessions. Although he invited me back several times, I seemed to have other priorities. John loved dogs and wanted me to bring my Cocker Spaniel around that he could see it. Whiskey Willie resists leaving the farm and loading him in the truck is a project. This was my excuse for not sharing the dog with John. For the past six months, health issues have kept John from attending church regularly. On Christmas morning I was talking to an Eucharistic Minister who was on his way to give Communion to John. I commented that I needed to stop and see him, but instead of driving two blocks to John’s home, I headed toward the farm. John was found dead on New Year’s Eve.
John, I apologize for my blindness.
Whiskey Willie with Ball & Stick
The Farm Foreman
Energy in a December Dusk
Obscure Bible Verse #3
Itches, like chili cook-off results, tend to be rash judgments.
Chilli Contest
- Annually my church has a Chilli Cooking Contest and tomorrow is the night.
- The competition is spirited and draws around twelve entrants. Parishioners pay five bucks to sample the concoctions. There are no restrictions on the dishes. This results in a wide variety of chilli ingredients from traditional ground beef to poultry and wild game. Supposedly, the judges do not know who submitted what. Oh by the way, a man has never won the contest.
- Not discouraged by the obvious statistical inequity, I am in again this year. My entrant is Camp Chilli. The recipe is on the Lodge Cast Iron Manufacturing site (www.lodgemfg.com). The combination of the recipe and my Lodge dutch oven hopefully will give me an edge.
- In the event I do not post the contest results, you can assume a woman won once more.
Obscure Bible Verse #2
This space conflicts with the orderly universe created by our God. With haste, clean up your room.
The Great-Niece
- Recently a birth announcement arrived from Connecticut. My nephew and his wife are new parents of daughter. The accompanying photograph confirms each of us arrive as beautiful human beings with hope and unlimited potential. By age 6 or 7, she will have more knowledge of the physical world than I have acquired in seven decades.
- Looking at Susan Christina Lilly’s picture triggers a few thoughts. As far as formal schooling goes, my parents had next to none. Typical for their generation, Mom and Dad educated themselves and were examples for their children and grandchildren. Maybe Dad’s collar was blue but his mind was pure gold. As a result, there are a few doctorate degrees on the family tree. I appreciate having relatives with advanced degrees; it offsets us non-achievers.
- Having lived in large cities, it is easy to compare our environments. Things move slowly here if at all. Although the interstate has an interchange a mile south of town, it killed local commerce. Except for a Walmart 15 miles away, you need to drive an hour or more to buy goods. While I consider it a blessing, it is likely difficult for our consumption-orientated society to accept. My great-niece probably has it all within walking distance.
- Unobstructed by lights, my sky is a canvas of stars, meteorites and vast emptiness. She will visit a planetarium. I live among deer, wild hogs, turkeys and other creatures. She will look into a wire cage. The best part of my community are the citizens. Local residents know how to fix things. There is no need to call a repairman. They know each other and transactions are arranged with a handshake. Best of all, they share. A friend keeps me supplied with fresh vegetables. I hope Suzy can experience a red potato that is so fresh that you rinse the skin off with water. That’s right; no peeler is necessary.
- Welcome to our planet, Suzy.
Deficit Spending
Last evening I had a long conversation with Whiskey Willie. I was explaining how it is in our national interest for politicians to spend 42 percent more than the Treasury takes in. The dog scratched his head and went to bed.