John 9:1-2 As [Jesus] walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Did you listen to Old South’s service this morning? Nancy Taylor, talking about blindness, pointed out that part of what’s been happening to her is that she can no longer “see” tomorrow. I’d not thought of it that way, but she’s right, and right for each of us.
We all knew what we were going to be doing. Whether it was working at the Thrift Shop or putting on the Wednesday breakfast, meeting our friends for coffee, or packing up in Florida to come home. We had dates on our calendars, plans for visits, appointments for haircuts or even to get the dog grooms.
And now we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. As Nancy said, what’s now happening is destroying the illusion that we know and can control tomorrow. That’s tough.
But, you know there’s something good in there, too. Because the feeling that we had the future under control always was an illusion, and sometimes we got upset when things didn’t go the way we thought they would. Today, we’ve been snapped back to experiencing that whatever happens, we can deal with it. That’s a different kind of seeing, and better for us in the long run.
It’s better for us because it focuses us on what we really can see, can control. We can see how to live, we can control how we do things, how we treat one another. And if our doctor’s appointment is cancelled, which we couldn’t have anticipated, we are still able to be good, kind, generous, welcoming ambassadors of the Christian way. That’s what’s really important.
Let’s keep our eyes on what really matters. Stay inside, wash your hands often, don’t squirrel away toilet paper (smile), show love to your neighbors.
And, speaking of neighbors, I spoke with Donald Hall this morning. He’s still at Tobey, and still seriously ill, but well enough to say that the food isn’t all that great. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.
Today’s song is by Alison Kraus and the Cox family: “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”. Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GKNbmYOAow
Until tomorrow, blessings
Pastor Virginia
To Believe is to Care. . . To Care is to Do 