Day 25

Scripture: John 9:1-41; Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Ephesians 5:8-14

Scripture standout: Ephesians 5:8" 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

   “Wake up, sleeper,
   rise from the dead,
   and Christ will shine on you.”

Morning thoughts: this mornings Forward Day by Day devotional is great. It definitely fits the theme of this weekends getaway to New York. Sure all these wonderful plays and food and absolutely mahhhhvalous boutiques and department stores are amazing. But as we wewe running around the Resevoir at Central Park this morning, we reminded ourselves that there is the worlds best store open to us 24 hours a day, 7 hours a week filled with the most incredible inventory. And we can browse and try on and take home anything we want and need there anytime, any place. There's no layaway or bad credit or rude sales people to worry about. it's all for the taking...and sharing. Here's the meditation from today:
John 9:1-41. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.

Reading scripture, meditating on it, maybe even testing it, and then writing about it is beneficial to me. I hope it is equally helpful to you. The process is illuminating and sometimes, ironically, blinding again at the same time. From blindness to sight to a clarity that is blinding at times. What a trip.

One could see my life as a great life. Most of the time, I do—fantastic partner, wonderful parents, loving family, steady job, beautiful home, and two dogs and five cats that are absolutely the best on the planet. All this for a guy who literally had nothing, not even his physical freedom, twenty years ago.

And yet, that is not enough to enable me to see clearly. No more than prison bars could dull my spirit’s vision can the material comforts of modern life make it clear.

Sometimes I forget this and begin to think that things and situations can make me happy. I scratch my head, puzzled and upset at myself for walking around angry at nothing in particular and wondering where that hole in my gut comes from and what will make it go away.

And then I remember, and that itself is blinding. But maybe it’s the tears.