Categories
Memoir

Loss

Loss. 

The memory comes back. Distinct. Clear. From 1972. One hot, humid afternoon in Kediri, Indonesia.

I’m just arriving at our home. After being away for high school a couple of months. In Jakarta.  

Standing outside. Reaching for the handle of the screen door. And suddenly a subconscious map surfaces.  One I never knew was there. 

A map of presence. Home and those who belong in it. 

Without warning, the realization of deep loss hits. Full force. There’s an empty space on that map. 

The place where my sister Ann has always been.

Grief. Tangible. 

Me with Momma and my new baby sister, Ann. Bangkok, Thailand. 1961.
Categories
Devotional

True sanctuary

The psalmist watches the wicked. And envy almost leads him astray. Almost.

Psalm 73 details what he sees. Chronicles his struggles with the why of their influence and power. Their wealth.

He wonders if the straight and narrow is worth the painful realities of his life. 

Sanctuary. Photo by Kathy Hillacre on Unsplash
Categories
Devotional Uncategorized

Sanctuary: Psalm 73

Oppression runs rampant in our world today. Trampling the poor. Persecuting the faithful. Trafficking the helpless. Destroying innocence. It’s splashed across screens here in America and on the other side of the world.

I’ve looked into the eyes of those caught in this evil. Devastated by it. I’ve heard their stories. I know those in the thick of trying to reach and rescue and rehabilitate and restore. It’s no simple task. No quick “glory story.” It’s hard and messy.

The gospel is the only answer. This I know with all my heart.

But some days it feels like darkness is winning.