My Lovely Dwelling Place

Peace   Peace is elusive at times. Our current times are not exactly peace promoting! I can confidently state what peace is not. Peace is not unemployment and uncertainty. Peace is not fear that seemingly healthy strangers will make you sick. Peace is not mixed signals from government and irresponsible media. Peace does have a few definitions – it can mean a treaty or truce between warring factions or a personal state of tranquility or quiet. Continuing in Colossians we find these wise words - Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful (3:15). The use of the word “ Let ” to start off this verse seems to tell me that we have control over the carrying out of this verse. It’s something we allow or choose to do. “ Peace of Christ ” is a particular peace. One that only Jesus provides. Through faith in Christ we have peace with God. Having paid the price for our sins and taking upon Himself the wrath of God,

No Fear - Love   The other day I visited the post office. It was a dark and stormy night. What do those statements have in common you say? Well, they could be the opening of a creepy novel. At least they can now in the lovely and weird world of COVID 19. My normally cheerful and chatty postal clerk has turned into a self-protective, fully masked, gloved, and rude germaphobe encased in plexiglass in a darkened post office with red crosses on the floor. Yikes! Stay home, save lives – unless you’re an essential employee – or are still looking for toilet paper, hand sanitizer, Lysol, and Clorox wipes. Now my default setting doesn’t tend toward fear – I lean toward anger – not much better. So, I was irritated by the behavior of my postal clerk – irritated by having to wait to get into the store and finding shelves still empty, irritated when folks swerve out of my way like I’m a card carrying plague bearer, irritated that parks and playgrounds are closed in case folks do

Privilege and Responsibility   Telling an introvert to shelter-in-place is not all that traumatizing. Especially an introvert who already homeschools her children, and for whom reading a book in the living room with her husband by her side is a hot date. I’m pretty sure I’ve talked – via phone or text – with more people in the last month than I did before we were sequestered in our homes. Between checking in on family members and friends, I’ve socialized more with a ban on activity than with what had been normal. Things are weird. Frankly, the amazing speed with which our government has been able to shut down churches, close businesses, and legislate the distribution of vast amounts of money scares me more than this disturbing virus. Not being a prophet of Biblical definition, I have no idea what’s going to happen next. Not that I really did before we descended into the world of COVID-19, but things were certainly more familiar in the world that was. Thankfully, who we ar