a prophetic voice-

If I had been the one creating the weather- which, of course, I am not- I would have created today...this absolutely, amazingly perfect day, with Carolina blue skies, temperatures in the seventies, a slight breeze, topped off by low, low humidity. I mean, who could possibly ask for anything more? Perfection... And then there was Sara...a precious woman who played the organ at my church for many, many, many years and is now in Hospice care due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Sara- with her indomitable spirit and acerbic wit. We shared a visit today... me doing most of the talking since her breath was short, even with the oxygen nasal cannula...talking and laughing- yes, we do a lot of that- about some of our favorite subjects: books, politics, the state of the world, and our shared irreverence when it comes to things religious. Now, as a pastor, I guess I'm not supposed to entertain such notions, nor to admit them publicly, but there it is. Sara and I, you...

Two perfect days, filled with nothing special- except…     getting up without an alarm clock…     eating meals on the screened porch…     every window in the house open, inviting in the cleansing breeze…     the continuous symphony of birdsong and wind chimes…     completing one book and beginning another…     the cleansing ritual of doing laundry…     a visit to Starbucks, another to Barnes & Noble…     wrapping birthday gifts for my best friend and two of the grands…     cooking wholesome, simple, delicious meals…     a phone conversation with a dear friend, the first in several years…    venturing to the new Whole Foods Market…    amazing, glorious weather with sunshine and blue skies...    and hours of silence, free of human voices, human sounds, except at a     ...