Category: suffering

  • a poem for a glorious night

    a poem for a glorious night

    The moon’s face says it all:”Oh gosh,”as it looks down on us.It tries to look away but can’t.”Everything’s fine,” counters Sun.”In fact, everything is grand.And whatever isn’t will beon another turning.Just look at it – all glorying around!”I stare into Sun with closed lids.To my mind rush all of the dear onesfor whom tonight cannot…

  • waiting: if only I knew how long

    waiting: if only I knew how long

    I’ve learned to love to wait. Waiting is one of those things I know I’m not naturally very good at, and really didn’t want to learn, either. Cynically, perhaps, I have learned that often the dreamy anticipation of a thing brings more pleasure than the actual realization of the thing. More optimistically, I know that…

  • the salvation of loss

    the salvation of loss

    I’ve heard a few stories of loss this week. No deaths or anything that would make the church bulletin prayer list, really — just more of your everyday, behind-the-scenes, run-of-the-mill kinds of loss. Loss of friendships. Loss of psychological bearings in a new season of life. Loss of inheritance. Loss of what were sunny expectations…

  • Soul Practice: Walking through Difficult Things

    Soul Practice: Walking through Difficult Things

    I’ve run up against something difficult today, and I’ve had to preach to my heart again the sermon about what to do with difficult things. Anyway, I thought maybe it could help a few of you, in case you, too, have run up against something difficult recently, and so here she is. Dearly beloved: It…

  • Experimenting with the Difficult Things in Life

    Experimenting with the Difficult Things in Life

    I’ve decided to try a bit of an experiment in my life right now. I don’t know how it’s going to turn out, and I’m sure a lot of people already do this, but maybe you don’t so maybe it’s worth sharing. It comes from an observation I’ve made about myself lately: I mostly resist…