The 1/64″ Scratch
Mike’s text message read: “I needed to know so I gutted the valve. Found the problem. 1/64” scratch in brass seal inside valve. To big for the new plungers to work.” My breath stopped in one of those you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me moments. His message continued: “We were hopeful that the less expensive fix would have worked.” Yes, Mike, so did I. About $950 worth. The backflow device for our church in Walnut had been leaking for a while, and it was growing worse to the point of continuous flow. I had replaced all the inside parts myself a couple of years earlier,…
Can Eternity Meet Earth?
Can eternity meet the earth? I’m on the Pacific coast, looking across a foggy horizon as frothing waves crash on stubbornly immovable rocks. A longer look finds seagulls, cormorants, pelicans, terns, lone herons, and an occasional sea lion. Kelp forests make a home for innumerable fish. On shore something like a miniature forest grows within the zone between high and low tides. Above it plants flourish as close as they dare to approach the water. The shoreline is a narrow ecosystem where land meets sea with a profusion of life. The ocean has always seemed to me like the heart…
Redemption in the Void
My mother passed away on August 1, 2018. In her decrepit state she was ready to go. That alone is a blessing when considering how many die a violent or untimely death. Yet even when death comes as an accepted release, everyone who’s experienced the death of a loved one knows how discomfiting it is when a person’s soul disappears from the face of the earth. For those of us left behind, loved ones continue to die in stages—the funeral and burial or cremation, dealing with their clothes, personal items, and furniture in their room, replaying memories, and finalizing business. We…
Piles of Stuff
As I move into a new life in Louisiana, I am amazed at the piles of things that have occupied my time, money, and energy. Some were expected, others were not. (The photo is not my stuff.) At times life can be like piles of stuff to do that keep us from doing what we’re called to do. Nothing new about that. And these things can range from distracting, to tiring, to overwhelming. We all have our own list that may include business, government, family, repairs, health, finances, requests, events, conflicts, infinity. When life seems hindered by all the stuff…
Grow Around It
I’m hiking along a mountain trail, and I come across this tree that one day long ago ran into a problem. As its roots probed down they confronted a boulder. The process might have gone something like this: ———- “We can’t grow into solid rock!” the roots yell. “We’re at a dead stop. Should we call it quits and just be a small tree?” —“No,” says the tree’s command center. “How big is the boulder?” “So big you can’t believe it. All we feel is rock.” —“Can’t you push it out of the way?” “No. It’ll probably push us…
