Looking Back

I love the early morning after a good night's sleep. Some of my best memories are of the years we lived in Amarillo before air conditioning.

My bed was beside a window, which was always open at night during the summer. With the open window on the adjacent wall, I had a wonderful cross breeze. If you know Amarillo in the 40s and 50s, the wind always blew and the evenings cooled down. I'd awaken in the morning to the aroma of honeysuckle coming through those windows; the rustle of elm leaves in the trees and the robin's song.

Now I awaken to practically no sounds, but mornings are still sweet.

Tomorrow I have two tests. Today is clear liquids only. Yesterday was 8 glasses of water. I know the ulcer isn't gone and won't be until I can deal with life better. Or until some things in life change.

We can't go back, but I must say I long for those days when life was simple. No concerns that some criminal would come in through my open window. My parents had everything under control. The morning breeze cooled my room; the birds sang their songs and I had years and years ahead of me. Thoughts like this let me know I'm getting closer to the end of my life. Don't old people look back? Is it only the young who give no thought to yesterday but reach toward the tomorrows? If we only knew what tomorrow would bring. . .

Mornings do this to me.

Mornings and More

I love mornings. Retired mornings now. In the past, weekend mornings. Mornings when I wake up without an alarm clock going off, when I don't have anywhere to go. Quiet mornings when I can write. Fall is in the air, and I love fall here in the Desert Southwest. I loved mornings in Hawaii. Mornings in Tahoe, England, Italy. I just love mornings.

This morning I read in 2 Timothy. Paul is talking to Timothy about persecution. He tells him that "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived." I don't want to believe that. I want to believe the other words that tell me how powerful God is and how we overcome everything in Him. Later in that book, Paul says "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths."

The Political Conventions have been and are going on. We've been inundated with political speeches and ads, etc. for months now. (Or has it been years?) I find it hard to imagine how people can listen to one of the candidates and think he'd make a good President. It seems so clear that he's not what this country needs now or will ever need. I can't understand how people believe what he says. Is it because of itching ears? Or am I putting words that were written for another time into our lives today? Do they belong here? I get tired hearing all the rhetoric from the media gurus, many who twist the truth. "Reject the truth?" "Chase after myths." I find it hard to understand how people believe them, but do Paul's words apply?

One such person made the statement that the hurricane was God showing he's for one party and not the other. Since he was speaking about the "other" party I don't belong to being the beloved, and is well-known for his disbelief in God, people can see through it. But haven't we said the same things? Isn't God always on "our" side, and we see events, natural and otherwise, that prove He is? So, are these words from 2 Timothy any different? Do they apply to us today? It's a question I can't answer.
God is all powerful, and we are overcomers in Him. Of course, I don't want to have to be persecuted to overcome!

Anyway, I really love mornings.