There we all were, dancing around the yard, laughing at the little otters poking their heads up and looking at us; as curious about us silly humans as we were about them. That was yesterday. Today the neighbors were all gathered out at the edge watching a 4 foot alligator slowly, brazenly, swimming up the center of the canal. "Boooooo! Get away from here! We have otters. … We hope." Isn’t life like that? One day all is well; we are playing and planning and the next day an alligator raises his ugly head. This alligator called Covid 19 has taken livlihoods and lives. He has sapped Joy and Hope. My sweet great nephew Nathan is Valedictorian of his high school class. He played both offence and defense on the highschool football team. He lifts weights to bulk up as…. he’s always trying to overcome his "short genes". My sister, his mother and father all barely reach five and a half feet!!! Nathan, you are fine. Just hold your head up and you will be 6 feet tall!!!! Nathan’s grandmother, my sister, said he has to give a speech. I wrote some healthy Bible quotes and some words about Joy and Hope in Christ in his graduation card. It’s all about looking out at what’s happening, even looking at people being miserable…. and holding on to faith. Jesus said, unequivocably, LOVE. FORGIVE. Period. Not the end of the story of course, but, we must not let the atmosphere of our nation and the world that carries a lot of animosity (we hear the word, "hate", a lot too)… we must not let it get to us. Acts of the Apostles recounts that Paul and Silas were scorned, arrested, stripped (naked?), beaten with rods, and thrown into chains in prison. Guess what they did? "praying and singing hymns to God… all the prisoners listened… a severe earthquake shook the foundations of the jail and the doors sprung open." Out they came and the jailer was converted. The jailer bathed their wounds (said, "I’m sorry"?) and fed them… He came to Faith in God. What did the jailer do? He gave up his job probably and took on the yoke of Christ. Love and service. That, Nathan, is what we must do, no matter what is happening on the surface of the waters. No matter that storms rage. We must be praying and at peace in our hearts. I learned something this week about our heart. It’s a muscle protected by the breast plate, and behind it, behind all that protection, resides the amazing blood vessel the aorta. What an amazing structure. Our vital organs are physically protected, down deep. So, Nathan, let the down deep things open up and accept the Peace of the Lord. Don’t be infected by "what other people do." "In the presence of angels, sing the Lord’s praise and have faith." (Acts 16 and Psalm 138.) You are beautifully and wonderfully made dear nephew….. grab hold of faith and move forward. Do not let these (bad) things get to you. Shine and find others who shine. Be an otter, not an alligator! God bless us. Angels with us!
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