There are small raindrops falling tonight. Enough to dampen my hair but not to wet my clothing. No wind of any remark. I stole a glance towards the watertower on my way home from mom's believing that any respectable owl would not sit that high above the ground without benefit of cover to keep him dry. To my surprise Mr. Owl is perched in stark relief against the light fogginess of the night lit up by the reflection of the tower's red light. He is unabashedly in full view. One might even say highlighted against the sky for all to see if they thought of looking for an owl on top of the tower. I threw Mr. Owl a laugh letting him know I find him amusing tonight perched high in the air with a light rain coming down.
I contacted an old friend today. I met him on an airplane flight several years ago when I was coming home from a business trip. He and I talked of deep areas of our lives. His daughter has severe physical and, resultant, emotional and mental problems. He and his wife are bound to her 24 hours a day either in direct care or with the use of care providers who must stay with her every moment of the time they are in the home. This has been going on for a number of years now without much change, flickers of hope here and there but no real change. Certainly no significant change to their lives and their hurt and pain at their child's suffering has occurred. My friend is a man of faith and so deeply faithful to his daughter. So many prayers have gone up on his family's behalf. Watching a situation like this I tend to wonder where are the answers to the prayers. What do God's answers look like because I know He answers. I just can't see the answers. I pray that my friend does see the answers even if only as glimmers and pieces of hope and trust. The years are passing by and exhaustion has long become a way of life for his family. His daughter's condition is an accumulation of several illnesses. Each one is difficult and heartbreaking in its' own right. Pooled together they provoke a disability that is beyond my ability to absorb. Yet my friend is a gracious man and he loves God and he shares himself and his story as he travels. Maybe someone who hears his story gains hope and strength for their own struggles. Maybe that is God's answer for this present time. Love is a beautiful thing when it is sacrificial and offered freely without conditions. My friend loves this way. He has said that on a good day he finds sees that love in his daughter and is in awe.
I wish you peace if you are reading this post tonight. I wish you hope and joy. Life is so delicate and fragile. Be gentle with it.
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