Earlier this week I was at my desert hideaway for my monthly solitude retreat. As usual, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
There’s stuff from my journal that I don’t have the guts & do have the wisdom not to share, but here’s the Tuesday morning entry.
I just saw a ground-squirrel brawl in the birdbath feeder. They were rolling around over something, birdseed flying, then one of them goes flying out. It was hilarious. I love feeding these animals. Is there an analogy here – Bob (my cat) knows me & is not afraid of me. These guys still feed from my hand, but don’t know me. They enjoy the gifts but not the company. Hmmm
Numbers 13:30 Then Caleb quieted the people b/f Mo & said, “We should by all means go up & take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” YaKoL NoKaL La’aCH {infin absolute} It’s hard not to feel a little of his optimism in this moment. It’s morning. This is why I love mornings in some respect. They feel like hope, like possibility, like “maybe today.” It does seem like we are more vulnerable to temptation later in the day. I think Bonhoeffer is right (duh) about how neglecting You in the morning is the cause of a lot of our issues the rest of the day.
It is perfect weather here. The badlands are in stark relief as the time of day is right for vistas in that direction. There are very high wispy white clouds off to the northeast that make the crystal clear blue sky over my head look so wonderful. There is nothing like that blue color early in the day.
Everything is green (well for the DESERT) since all the rains. The ocotillos look starkly beautiful.
I love how just a short time of no email, no phone, no to-do list (all stuff for which I’m thankful) is so regenerative.
Heal my soul, my body. Restore my faith & my hope. Make the background color of my life “Caleb”; make it a shade of “by all means go up & take the land”. May it be a hue of “we surely will overcome it.”
