Back on Track

Wow -- it's spring!  Do you know how I know?  The nose knows, that's how.  Sinus trouble already.  From taking three deep breaths outside yesterday afternoon.  And I don't care, because I'm going to take some more deep breaths outside today.  Join me!

Here it is Tuesday and this blog IS for Tuesday, so everything makes sense again.  I didn't feel too well part of last week and the house has been all torn up because we've been painting.  You just don't realize how many things have to be moved and how the place can start looking like a pig sty in no time flat!

When I emptied out the hall closet, that had to be the worst.  It only took 15 minutes but the STUFF that was squeezed into it was positively amazing.  It takes up most of the spare bedroom.  So I got out a plastic garbage bag and started tossing.  It felt good.  But we'll still have more stuff in the closet than we should, so maybe I'll pare down again before the shelves go back in.

Father Kevin talked about heaven on Sunday.  He said that he hears a comment something like this quite often, "But it sounds so boring."  He assured us that heaven will not be boring.  He said that we will always be learning new things, doing new things, and doing so without pain, illness, suffering, sin and the other ills of life.  We will be in the presence of God; we will feel the unconditional love very directly, in a very personal way.  We will be with family members we knew and loved, and we will also meet family members who lived before we were ever born.

Especially, there will be a profound sense of peace.  As Father mentioned, those individuals who describe a near-death experience always talk about the peace.  No anxiety, no worries, no upsets.

Yesterday morning as I went to my son's house, I traveled down 55th Street as usual.  The signs said, "Road closed," but the workers weren't there yet.  Since I leave for Ella's school at around 7:50 a.m., it occurred to me that maybe they'd have the road closed by then.  I'm honestly not sure how to get to the school that well outside of 55th Street, and sure enough, I saw that the road was closed on our way to school.  Ella's was in the back seat, talking, asking me questions.  As we wound our way down some fairly unfamiliar streets, she says, "Be patient."  Pretty intuitive, huh?

I got here there; it wasn't pretty, but then there was trying to get home.  So you have to love cell phones sometimes!  I called my son and he directed me how to get back to their house and it's a much better way. 

Getting lost as I am out driving is one of the things I won't miss in heaven.  I hate being lost. 

When Eric and I went to Boston years ago and were walking here and there, we somehow got ourselves off of the Red Brick Road (Freedom Trail).  One minute we were fine; the next minute we were in some back alley and people were speaking in foreign languages, and then a huge black stretch limo pulled in.  Something wasn't kosher.  We finally found our way out of the maze but it was a little scary. 

Being lost.  People do the same thing as part of a bigger picture -- people get lost along the way, think they are on the right path because of self-deception and then all of the sudden they realize that things are not right. 

Our Lenten meditation for today is:

"Whoever wishes to be my follower must deny his very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in my steps." -Luke 9:23

Jesus, show us the way.