verse 28:12
But where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
Reflection: Some day I hope that I will come to understand all that seems confusing. It is easy at the moment to take in the the thought that bad things happen and it is a part of life and at some point it will be clear. Easy because at this period of time I am most fortunate. I haven’t lost a daughter like Ally’s Mom, I haven’t had my home crumble beneath me like those families in China, I haven’t had to wade through muck and broken furniture to try and find something I can salvage like the folks in the Midwest. I hope when my time of testing comes that my faith will be strong.
Prayer: A prayer of strength for Ally’s mom and all those who have lost children.
Job 27:3
As long as my breath is in me,
and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
Reflection: Job can sure be a challenge. At first no verse was rising to the surface. I told myself to go back and give it another try. Then I thought of Ally Palmisano. “As long as my breath is in me, and God is in my nostrils”. She wrote an eloquent letter about LP that I’m glad Mike shared on his blog. Her time here was short but she wove her being into many lives. I won’t forget the disbelief in Meredith’s eyes. How can someone so alive be suddenly gone? Reading Job has helped me to come to an understanding that some things will be past understanding. I can’t imagine never again hearing my daughters voice.
Prayer: A prayer for Ally’s Mom, who is also dealing with cancer.
Job 26:9
He covers the face of the moon, and spreads over it his cloud.
Reflection: This verse reminded me of Geoffrey talking about piloting the oil barges on the Connecticut River at night. The moonlight would help define the edges between the river and the shore. Cloudy nights were a greater challenge. The moon must have been even more important to sailors of those times. Now boats can use their searchlights, radar and other navigation tools. Makes me curious about the people who sailed then. If the night was cloudy you couldn’t use the stars to navigate. They had to have a more self sufficient frame of mind. No Coast Guard to radio for if they ran into trouble.
Prayer: A prayer for Mike and Rachel. They are on a journey now and I hope they have “clear sailing”.
Job 25:6
verse: how much less man, who is a maggot,
and the son of man, who is a worm!
Reflection: What a “delightful” personality. Unbelievable…. That Job should have to put up with these “friends”. It does make me think back on some of the “friends” I’ve had, they really didn’t have my best interests at heart either. Or, they thought they were “right” and didn’t really hear what I was saying. My mother once said that you count can on one hand the true friends that you will have. The thick and thin, 24/7 kind. I’m a bit confused, are they talking like this because they really believe they are helping Job or do they really just want to hear their own words? I’m looking forward to reading other peoples books about Job, but I’m holding off until I get through the entire book of Job with my own impressions.
prayer: Thank you for the true friends that I have in my life.
Job 24:8
Verse: They lie all night naked, without clothing, they have no covering in the cold.
Reflection:Now that is a misery reference point. It reminds me of a photo of several Bangladesh women huddled together with no protection from torrential rains. The brilliant colors of their clothing a sharp contrast to their situation. I often wonder about the photographers in these situations; how do they keep a “professional distance ” from the misery they witness? I understand that they must, otherwise they couldn’t continue. Their dreams must be intense.
Prayer: Thank you , Thank you, Thank you….. I have a warm, dry bed to sleep in.
Job 23:14
Verse: For he will complete what he appoints for me; and many such things are in his mind.
Reflection: So many of the people I know are going through intense changes. Leaving former ways and building new. This verse made think of the new Cinema Church.
Prayer: A prayer of calm, steadiness and laughter for all involved in building this new church.
Job 22 :16
verse: They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away.
Reflection: I know this isn’t what this verse is about but it’s what came to my mind when I read it. There was a photo in the New York Times several days ago. A city in China that had been hit by the quakes. There were no people in the photo. All the buildings around a school were standing with some cracks. In between two buildings was a school that had collapsed like a house of cards. To lose a child is a grief I can’t imagine but to come to the realization that they hadn’t needed to die, that someone had made a decision to use faulty materials when they build the school is beyond words.
Prayer: Thank you for this morning. I woke up, heard coffee being made, knew my loved ones were well.
