Perspective

In the earliest of hours this morning, I was awake and tossing and turning in bed.  I felt a wave of panic overhwelm me, thinking about covid and isolation and quarantine and the ever-threatened in-person learning vs. being shut down again and sent home.....I reached for God in prayer, like a child drowning in a pool.  I reached for God and said, Lord, take this fear and dispair and panic from me.  Remove it from my body and my mind and let me instead trust you...  Before the prayer was done I was sleeping again.  I woke up to the news of the latest racially-toned shooting, and the Ginsburg funeral, and the concern over the drought and worry for the farmers...and wondering which checks  I can write today vs. which ones have to wait for another paycheck.....

And then I drove down the road to bring something to Claire at the apartment.  And I noticed.  

I noticed that the trees are even more beautiful today than they were yesterday.  Overnight a deeper and richer shade of gold and red and orange spread across the massive trees in my neighborhood.  A cool autumn breeze blew around, as if to show off the beauty and grandeur of the colors and depth of richness and fullness on the branches.  We get a short season to enjoy these trees before the harsher winds blow and they are stripped bare for the winter in Iowa.  That's how it works.  I said another prayer.  Thank you, Father, for the beauty you give us in nature.  The colors of fall are so amazing and unique and perfectly complementary to everything you do in nature....the fields being harvested, the autumn moon, the pumpkins decorating the neighborhoods.  Thank you God.  Thank you for Fridays.  Thank you for the hope of weekend plans, the blessing of open church this week to gather and sing and pray and worship with my church family and be strengthened and nourished for another week in your kingdom, doing your work.  Thank you Father God.  

Thank you God for my work, that is such good work, and for the paycheck that I earn that allows me to provide for my family.  Thank you.  Thank you for healing.....thank you for medicine when we need it and rest when we can get it, and hot baths with epsom salts for those who don't feel well and healthy food to eat and clean water to drink and vitamins available everywhere.  Thank you.  

Wednesday I was feeling all the warm fuzzies of a gorgeous fall day.  I went to the local farmers market and bought local peppers and zuchini and broccolini and carrots and daicon radish and beets.  These are things I don't usually buy when I am getting groceries.  The variety of color and texture and hope and promise gave me so much joy.....then I stopped at a local farm that sells pumpkins and canned treats and I bought salsa and tomato soup and pickled beets for winter cuz noone makes them better than Pumpkins on Garfield does....and I chatted with the farmer awhile and it made me happy to support my local food farmers.  When I got home I had to look up some recipes to know what to do with all my fresh veggies, haha.  I tried sauteed beet greens.....I wouldn't say that was a do again....but the next day I roasted the fresh beets and made a warm salad that was to die for and I will make that one again!  I plan to do pasta and broccolini tonight I think.  I'll serve the radish and carrots raw this weekend...and use the peppers in all things stir-fried.  My favorite way to do zuchini right now is as a boat filled with sausage and tomato and cheese, then baked in the oven....so that's coming soon, too.  the littles?  who cares what they want.  I've got plenty of spaghettios and kraft mac and cheese and bread and peanutbutter.  they won't starve.  The foodies in the house are going to celebrate and enjoy all the good things we can in this hard season.  

So there you have it, two sides of the very same coin.  Two versions of the same days, the same things to see and hear and smell and taste and touch.  Both matter.  Perspective is everything.