Day 222 Looking for the Great City and the Front Porch

Dear friends,

Under beautiful blue skies, under mercy great, under the shadow of the Almighty, we joy and grieve. Our souls are thirsty for the day of final redemption, when every wrong will be made right, all the crooked places straight, and the limited will become limitless. We are restless in these mortal frames, which carry within them eternal beings made to soar in freedom. The things that bite, the things that sour, the things that die, soon enough they will be laid to waste. The bible says we "inwardly groan", waiting for the redemption that surely will come. This is faith: "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The longing will be with us all our days, even the best ones. The longing for our true home, "a city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Stephen and I shared our tears tonite, and this was our extreme comfort and hope.

I'm thinking alot about front porches these days. Judy the Good and I took a long walk this morning around the pond (my legs actually hurt after!), and she gave me some good ideas about porches, what with her husband being a carpenter and all. Our stone stairs in the front of our house are falling apart, so something has to be done, and we are contemplating a little white porch where we can put out a couple of chairs and sit and drink tea and talk. Remember the beautiful front porch in "The Walton's". This will not be that. But I would love to have a cozy area to go to for a sit down with the Great One in the out of doors. I think heaven will be full of front porches, with rockers, and swings, and teapots. Most of all, there will be time. Time for relationship forever. The tyranny of the clock will be history.

My problem with anything of beauty is I'm no good at visualizing anything. A story maybe, but not something concrete. My Adirondack room was a picture in sweet Cathy Rose's head before it came to be. Fab Phyllis sees the lovely garment before she sews it. Sister Laurie figures out the ingredients and "tastes" the carrot cake before it's made. (The best carrot cake on planet earth). I am not gifted in that way. So I need help picturing my porch. If you come to my house, throw your ideas into the pot. I'm a simple minded gal, but I want a chair and a cup of tea. The rest is up for grabs. (Within reason and ordinary people's budget!)

Tomorrow is Father's day, and I will tell you a little about the best earthly dad I know then. He's got ugly legs, but a beautiful heart. He sheds his tears, but never loses heart. To all you fathers who are my cyber friends, may the Great One bless you in your high calling. In the end, relationships are what matter.

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann