When I unwrap the holiday ornaments the stiff snowflakes pause a moment in my hand, fashioned, starched in precise geometry by my mother, who stitched frugal threads into transcendence. Once I presented her with a bedspread from my husband’s family not quite finished, a long-forgotten interruption. She studied the pattern, dyed the thread to match someone else’s story, not unlike her dutiful life as pastor’s … Continue reading Lace
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.” (2 Timothy 1:5) Her name was Cora. She was a Midwestern preacher’s wife in the early twentieth century. She raised five children with stern discipline and a strong faith. Yet she also performed her myriad household duties … Continue reading Just as Grandma Would Do
In honor of her canonization by the Roman Catholic Church, I am re-posting this because it includes the wisdom of Saint Theresa of Kolkata. Words matter. I realized this early on, so that when I was still in elementary school, if somebody asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was “a poet.” I can’t say I have actually developed … Continue reading Second Person Singular
Photo: Indielou Dougnon, right, is a director for The Luke Society in the Kayes region of Mali. He travels to villages and hamlets to do vaccinations and pre/post-natal care and evangelism, in addition to the urgent care conducted at his clinic in Aite. (This piece was originally written for the blog for The Luke Society.) The wonderful journal of Christian spirituality, Weavings, is discontinuing its … Continue reading Sustaining Compassion
Sometimes we wonder why there has to be pain. What is the point of discomfort or outright agony? Yet pain performs a function that is critical to life. It is a signal, telling us that something is wrong. Pain is like a gauge that warns us, tells us to take care of ourselves. Either you are not functioning properly, or there is a threat from … Continue reading Pain and Curiosity
Photo: A visit with my dear friend, Bibi Sangho, in Mali. It was days away from a much anticipated trip to Mali when I awoke to the news that there was a terrorist attack in Paris, where I had planned to spend three days enjoying time alone wandering the streets of the Marais district. The layover in Paris had to be canceled. Disappointing, but at … Continue reading Favor, and True Wealth
If she shows up at my office door, I don’t have to look at the calendar to know that we are nearing the end of the month. She needs money. I know what she needs it for. She needs cigarette money. I have actually given it to her in the past, initially surprised at my own lowered standards. But she suffers from mental illness, and … Continue reading Coming Up Empty
saint sinner seeker 