Dear friends,
I think you will find this post a bit boring. But thankfully, it will be short too! I am very tired, and Stephen and I are about to sit with our 2 older kids and watch Back to the Future.
I love the concept of time travel. Wouldn't it be wonderful if in real life, we could go back in time and see things like Jesus being born, or the pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock, or the signing of the Declaration of Independence? What if we could stop the Hindenburg from taking off or the spark that started the Great Chicago Fire, or the planes that departed from Logan Airport on September 11, 2001? In our little lives, what if Stephen and Hannah had left the house 5 minutes later on November 8? Two of my favorite novels in the world involve time travel, both by author Connie Willis: To Say Nothing of the Dog (comedy), The Doomsday Book (drama). They are both magnificent, and yes, pure fiction.
Alas, time travel is fantasy. In the thick of reality there is only one direction in which to move - forward. The Great One plants us on this earth, and according to scripture "sets the exact times and places where we should live", and bids us take our place and press ahead on the pilgrim road. There may be twists and turns, but time, that mortal taskmaster, is ever pushing us in the forward direction. We can't go back. So instead of the option to change what was, He gives mercy and forgiveness for what has been, and strength and grace for whatever will be. This is my sweet hope.
Hats off today to the One and Only, who set the times of our lives in America the Beautiful, the land of the free and the home of the brave. He joyfully placed us in a nation soaked with the prayers of hundreds of years for truth, liberty and the rule of law. A place where justice, not power, would reign supreme. We have strayed from our lofty principals, but their rock solid foundation still lives in our hearts today. "If we humble ourselves, and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, He will hear from heaven and forgive our sins and heal our land." Happy Independence Day, dear friends!
Thanks to Judy the Good and Mark the Lion Hearted for some treasured time together. Those two folks fielded hundreds of phone calls, and worked harder that one-armed paper hangers (along with many others!) when we were in the thick of disaster. We'll never be able to adequately thank any of you. But we sure will try!
Can't wait for the loud bangs and booms of the fireworks. Might as well enjoy them tonite, because there is no rewind to this day. Ever. Live it.
Your friend on the pilgrim road,
Loriann
Sunday, July 4, 2010
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2 comments:
I love "To Say Nothing of the Dog". A friend recommended it to me when they saw me reading "3 Men in Boat, to say nothing of the dog." They are both good books. The latter reminded me of Wodehouse with the style of humor, and as for the former, I always like humorous sci-fish books, of which there are not many.... Anyway, I never rose to the challenge of recommending summer reading. i happened on some melodramatic/historical/witty/mystery stories by Elizabeth Peters. THey are the Amelia Peabody series, set in Egypt. Her other books I've tried I've not liked nearly as well. Anyway, Amelia is a strong-willed archeologist married to a strong-willed archeologist and they have a genius type kid and you learn a lot about that part of the world circa 1880-1920.
Thanks Mary Louise! You and I have always shared some of the same taste in books. Those Brits can write, can't they?
Loriann
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