Build a Bridge and Cross It

"I unironically embrace the bashing of rural Americans," Kernion wrote in a now-deleted tweet. "They, as a group, are bad people who have made bad life decisions...and we should shame people who aren't pro-city."
--Jackson Kernion, Graduate Student Instructor at UC-Berkeley

The above tweet showed up in a post made by a rural friend of mine on Facebook. This was his posted response:

"I REJECT AND DENOUNCE this statement! As someone who advocates for one of the most rural parts of our country, I denounce this ignorant statement. This is why I am very sceptical of the "enlightened". I am so thankful for my rural heritage and those who have invested in me. They are some of the best people in the world. Salt of the earth!"
The following is my response which is a bit too long for the comment section.

Dwayne, I could not agree with you more. I too reject and denounce this statement and I agree with you that it is an ignorant statement. As a person who was raised primarily in rural communities in the Midwest, have lived part time in a rural community for the past 13 years and full time for the past 4 years, and have visited & spent time in numerous rural communities all around this country, I have the highest regard for people who live in our rural communities - their values, their ingenuity, their resilience, their determination, their hospitality, and their commitment to the values of our country.

And, as a person who lived in the city of Chicago for 30 years, I reject and denounce these same statements made by rural people about people in our cities. These same statements when made by rural people about city people are equally ignorant and I equally denounce them as ignorant. As a person who lived for 30 years in the city, raised my children in the city, and have visited and spent time in numerous cities and their neighborhoods all around the country, I have the highest regard for people who live in our cities - their values, their ingenuity, their resilience, their determination, their hospitality, and their commitment to the values of our country

I have been blessed with the opportunity to see and experience the amazing similarities between rural and urban people. Similarities that most of our political & faith leaders, regardless of their political and theological persuasions deny. Instead they focus on stereotypes and biases (as this professor did).

In my previous ministry role with the Christian Community Development Association, I found myself during that time (as an urban dweller) being the inside voice advocating for our rural communities and rural practitioners. Now as a rural dweller with an outside voice, I continue to advocate for our rural communities and rural leaders when I am in an urban environment. AND I now find myself advocating for our urban communities and urban leaders when I am in a rural environment.

I believe with all my being that if we could bridge the rural/urban divide by creating spaces for urban & rural to listen to one another and understand each other and their similarities, the “enlightened” on both sides of the divide would lose their power and we would discover a path forward out of this mess we find ourselves in.

Unfortunately the impediments to building this bridge and then crossing it are great and the desire to build this bridge and then cross it is minimal on each side.

So I stand in the middle crying out to any who will listen, “Build a bridge, cross it, listen, learn, understand, and embrace those you see as the ‘other’."

The Word of the Lord . . .
God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, tell her, ‘You’re a land that during the time I was angry with you got no rain, not so much as a spring shower. The leaders among you became desperate, like roaring, ravaging lions killing indiscriminately. They grabbed and looted, leaving widows in their wake.

“‘Your priests violated my law and desecrated my holy things. They can’t tell the difference between sacred and secular. They tell people there’s no difference between right and wrong. They’re contemptuous of my holy Sabbaths, profaning me by trying to pull me down to their level. Your politicians are like wolves prowling and killing and rapaciously taking whatever they want. Your preachers cover up for the politicians by pretending to have received visions and special revelations. They say, “This is what God, the Master, says . . .” when God hasn’t said so much as one word. Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice.’

“I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn’t have to destroy it. I couldn’t find anyone. Not one. So I’ll empty out my wrath on them, burn them to a crisp with my hot anger, serve them with the consequences of all they’ve done. Decree of God, the Master.”

Ezekiel 22.23-31 (The Message)

The Stare and The Stiffened Knee . . . Part I

The image appeared in my news feed. A young white teenager standing toe to toe with a Native American / Indigenous elder, staring directly into his eyes with the same smug smile I have seen time and time again during my 40 years of working with youth in multiple diverse contexts. I studied the picture, looking around at the people gathering around this young boy and saw his friends laughing, grinning, looking at each other with that look that says, “Check this out! Look what Nick is doing to this old man.”

I did not need to watch the video, watch, listen, or read CNN or any other news source, understand the context, listen to the commentary, or read what people were saying on any platform. There is an old idiom full of truth . . . “A picture is worth a thousand words.” And so I posted the following:

I am angry. I am disgusted. I am heart broken. Regardless of your politics

or spirituality, if you do not condemn these actions, YOU are part of the

problem. The actions of these boys are beyond disrespectful. All of you who

question and challenge me when I write about white privilege . . . You are

staring at it in this video! And the fact that there was not one single adult with

this group with the where with all and righteous indignation to step into this

group of boys and shut them down and demand that they humble themselves

and apologize is beyond pathetic!

This is NOT who we have become. THIS IS WHO WE ARE AND HAVE BEEN!

It is time to listen, admit, confess, lament, and humble ourselves.

Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison.

Responses have challenged and chastised saying I jumped to conclusions and didn’t take the time to know and understand the whole story. Others have demanded I retract my statement and apologize.

So I watched the full video. I read the other findings. I listened to the angry, foul & vulgar words of the African Hebrew Israelites. I watched the “school spirit chants”. I watched the interview with Elder Phillips. And I read Nick Sandmann’s statement.

And . . . I stand by my initial post with one addition. I now add heavy-hearted to what I feel.

I am angry, disgusted, broken hearted, and heavy-hearted because young white teenage boys only knew how to act and react in this inclusive environment the same way young white teenage boys, raised in exclusive white environments, have always reacted in our country. (Thus my statement: “This is not who we have become. This is who we are and have been.”)

I am angry, disgusted, broken hearted, and heavy-hearted because the adults (who are responsible for raising these young white teenage boys) are failing to educate and train them for interactions in inclusive environments and instead, are unwittingly or knowingly, teaching these boys to perpetuate the privileged and dominant culture that is at the root of why these African Americans and Indigenous Peoples groups were protesting in the first place.

I am angry, disgusted, broken hearted, and heavy-hearted because these young white teenage boys, empowered by their privilege and confidence in the superiority of their culture, took every action in their youthful repertoire – learned by careful observation of the adults in their culture – to respond to “attack” and re-establish their perceived loss of dominance instead of taking actions that would have brought knowledge, understanding and possibly developed community.

I am angry, disgusted, broken hearted, and heavy-hearted because of the combination of ignorance, naivete, and gall this young white teenager demonstrated by standing his ground and staring into the eyes of a Native American / Indigenous Elder with a smirk that every educator & coach can recognize a mile away and understand exactly what is happening. All while his friends surround them laughing, taking pictures, and nudging one another with that telltale “wink” that says, “Look what Nick is doing.” All extreme acts of disrespect and dishonor to any elder in any culture.

And after the past couple of days, I am angry, disgusted, broken hearted, and heavy-hearted because of the number of white people who are blinded by privilege and simply look past or don’t see the smirks and smug looks on the faces of these boys; who willingly disregard the disrespectful laughter and dishonoring stare into the Elder’s eyes; who refuse to ask, “Why were the four black men so angry?”; who are unable and unwilling to recognize the impact of the “spirit chant” upon this situation; and who stand with unbended knee – stiffened by privilege, ignorance, and membership in dominant culture – defending these white teenage boys instead of bending our knees and bowing our heads in humility, seeking to learn and gain Common Memory, working to build a new culture of community – the Beloved Community. 

I do not and never did condemn any of the people involved in this particular act in our Theater of Life. I do condemn the prideful and ignorant actions of these teenage boys. I do care about the actions and words of the other groups because I desire to learn why they are angry and why they are protesting. I care more about why my white dominant culture cannot bend our stiffened knees. And I stand by my initial statement. “If you do not condemn these actions, YOU are part of the problem. It is time to listen, admit, confess, lament, and humble ourselves. Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison.”

A Statement on Immigration and the Misuse of Scripture

Dear Senator _____ / Representative ______ ,

My name is Dave Clark. My address is 208. S. Brady, Attica, IN 47918. I am one of your constituents.

I am appalled, saddened and angered by the treatment of our undocumented neighbors at the border. This policy of separating minors and babies from parents and criminally charging the vulnerable is cruel and 100% unethical. And especially when this has to do with people seeking asylum here in the United States. We must do better. I feel complicit in the actions of my county, and I want no part in oppressive and unjust treatment or policies. Especially those actions that make the vulnerable even more at risk of trafficking, trauma, and harm.

If we do nothing, we will be on the wrong side of history, perpetuating a great evil, and out of touch with the cries of humanity.

“You can have secure and safe borders, Alleluia, for those who want to provide that. While still maintaining that grand American heritage of welcoming the immigrant and the refugee. That’s just part of America and I don’t want to see that spoiled.”

—Cardinal Timothy Dolan

https://www.facebook.com/CuomoPrimeTime/videos/2281087808793841/

The time is now for all decent people, regardless of political persuasion, to find the "better angels of our nature". Charles Dickens, from whom Lincoln borrowed this phrase, says it much more directly:

“The thoughts of worldly men are for ever regulated by a moral law of gravitation, which, like the physical one, holds them down to earth. The bright glory of day, and the silent wonders of a starlit night, appeal to their minds in vain. There are no signs in the sun, or in the moon, or in the stars, for their reading. They are like some wise men, who, learning to know each planet by its Latin name, have quite forgotten such small heavenly constellations as Charity, Forbearance, Universal Love, and Mercy, although they shine by night and day so brightly that the blind may see them; and who, looking upward at the spangled sky, see nothing there but the reflection of their own great wisdom and book-learning…

“It is curious to imagine these people of the world, busy in thought, turning their eyes towards the countless spheres that shine above us, and making them reflect the only images their minds contain…So do the shadows of our own desires stand between us and our better angels, and thus their brightness is eclipsed." 

Please do all within your power to end this policy of family separation and criminally charging these neighbors who may be undocumented. We live in a country of great abundance. We must learn to better share our resources, or we risk forever living in fear and isolation, with destructive and toxic actions that harm others and also ourselves.

In addition, as an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene, I am sickened by the proof texting of scripture that A.G. Sessions did with his quote of Romans 13. The actions by our government and the attempt to support said actions with the misuse of scripture is a pattern that has existed from the beginning days of our country. A.G. Sessions reached back to days of slavery and beyond, using a privileged and proof texting approach to scripture to support these immoral actions. It is past time to take a stand against systemic injustice and it is past time to stop the misuse of scripture as a scriptural support for these immoral acts and injustices.

I am asking you to do everything in your power to fix our broken immigration system, provide a pathway to citizenship for DACA students and adults, stop the separation of children from their parents at our borders, and call out politicians who misuse scripture to support immoral practices.

Sincerely and earnestly,

Dave

A Father's Day Reflection . . . "They should have come legally"

I find Father’s Day to be a day I think about my kids, my dreams and aspirations for them, and I reflect on how they are doing in life. As with any good father, I desire for my children to experience a life of fullness, a life of Shalom, a life where nothing is missing and nothing is broken. I examine my life and reflect on my successes and failures in providing an environment where they could flourish. I reflect on what I used to call blessing for the opportunities I was able to provide my children . . . what I now call privilege. And I think about all the fathers out there who do not have my same privileges, who are desperate to escape their oppression and provide for their children the opportunities that came so easy for me to provide.

Today I was reading some comments on Facebook about our government's current actions of taking children away from immigrant families who arrive at our border, families seeking asylum (or maybe just arriving at our border seeking a better life). I kept seeing the same familiar refrain, "They should have come legally."

This is my reflection on . . . “They should have come legally!!!

Ah . . . You must mean come legally like our white ancestors did and take the land away from the inhabitants by force.

You must mean come legally and take control of the land by either killing off the inhabitants or moving them to the most undesirable parts of the country - maybe call them reservations.

Oh, you mean come legally and Infect the inhabitants with your diseases. That will get rid of a large number of them and make it easier to take their land.

. . . and while you're busy inhabiting the land legally, why not take their children away from them and forcibly remove the inhabitants culture from their children by indoctrinating them with your religion and practices.  (Learn more)

Wait . . . take people's children away from them???

It seems it doesn't matter whether we - the white people - are taking a land, that doesn't belong to us, away from POC (Native Americans) OR, we - the white people - are doing everything we can to keep POC (in this case Latinos), who simply want a better life for their children the way our ancestors did, out of this land (that our ancestors stole). Regardless of the reason, it is OK for white people to separate families. It is OK to remove children from their parents or parents from their children (we'll save the impact of our mass incarceration policies for another writing). 

It simply does not matter the circumstances . . . WE WHITE FOLKS JUST LOVE TO TAKE CHILDREN AWAY FROM THEIR PARENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PARENTS ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR and we either want what they have or we are protecting what we got. 

And then, we have the unmitigated gall to use passages from the Bible to justify these actions!

Maybe it is time for us to remember what Jesus had to say about messing with the faith and innocence of a child: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea." that is of course unless the children are Native American, or Latino immigrants seeking asylum, or Muslim refugees, or . . .

Scattered across these United States of America tonight, there are 100's and 1000's of father's with an ache in their soul because their children have been taken from them simply because they wanted a better life for their children.

In various locations in these United States of America, there are children living in cages, taken from their fathers, simply because their fathers wanted a better life for their children.

These fathers are NO DIFFERENT THAN OUR WHITE FATHERS, and GRANDFATHERS, and GREAT GRANDFATHERS, and (let the ancestral tree continue). These children are NO DIFFERENT THAN OUR CHILDREN WERE OR ARE TODAY.

Heavenly Father, Forgive Us . . . 

May Your Kingdom come on earth, as it is in Heaven

Exponential Living: Fran Penrod and the Impact of One Life

The time had come. Paula and I had plans and needed someone to take care of our newborn, our firstborn (Nate). This would be the very first time he would be out of our site and care. (Maybe it was a date??? More likely an activity with our church youth group.) The big question: Who would we entrust with our baby, our firstborn?

Then we had our second kid, a little girl (Niki) and again it was time to leave her with someone for the first time. Who do we trust to take care of Niki? And then a few years later we moved to Chicago and needed someone to live with us, someone to help take care of Niki, now four years old, and Nate after he got out of school. Who could we trust to be with our kids almost more than we would be with them?

For a parent, one of the biggest decisions you make early on is who do we trust and who do we want hanging out and influencing our kids during the most impressionable time of their lives?

Although these decisions were of utmost importance with long lasting ramifications, they were easy decisions for Paula & I. Why? Because we were friends with Fran and Larry Penrod. It was like we were their kids and it was like their kids were our kids. We were privy to inside information. We knew how much Fran and Larry loved Jesus, loved each other and loved their kids. We had the inside scoop on how their kids loved and respected their parents.

So it was a no brainer! Who else would we have picked to watch our first born for the first time than Fran Penrod – this women full of grit and compassion, who lived every day with a twinkle of mischief in her eye. We absolutely knew no harm would come to our son. We knew he would be loved as much if not more than we loved him. And that twinkle of mischief in her eye . . . You had to know Fran to understand that you just didn’t take life to seriously!

And who better to be the first one to take care of Niki when we had to leave her for the first time than Fran’s daughter Karen. If you can’t get the matriarch, than you go with the firstborn of the matriarch – a “chip off the ole’ block”. 

And then came our move to Chicago and the need for someone to live with us, help us transition, and help us raise our kids, ages four and five. You guessed it! We headed straight to the Penrods and were gifted beyond measure to have Nona live with us in Chicago for a year – loving our kids as her own, giving them a solid rock to lean on during that big change, helping instill solid values in Nate and Niki, and teaching them through example a love for life & adventure with an attitude that never takes life more serious than we should, all learned from her amazing mother, Fran Penrod.

I guess Jesus decided Fran had influenced enough people on this earth because she left us for heaven this past Saturday night. It isn’t just our family that is the recipient of Fran’s influence. There’s a thick book filled with these stories. Paula & I are just thankful that the Clark’s were one of the lucky ones to have our story in that book! And our blessing carried through right to the end.

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We chose to celebrate Christmas and our 40th Anniversary by going back to Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene where we met and got our start. (I’ll just mention here that Larry Penrod sang at our wedding! And Brian . . . if there was a 3rd kid in our family, you were on deck!) After church, who was waiting to greet us and give us a big hug with that mischievous smile? Yep, Fran Penrod. (I was surprised, and now I’m disappointed I didn’t get one last solid arm punch that she usually would throw my way.)

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It will never be the same when we go back to K3 First Nazarene now that Fran’s gone. It just won’t! That’s the difference maker Fran was. And the Clarks??? We owe a forever debt of gratitude to Fran Penrod for both her direct and indirect influence on our family. Thank you Fran! We love you! Thank you for being an instrument of the Shalom of Christ in our family and so many others. Now, you are living the eternal Shalom that awaits the faithful followers of Jesus Christ. And I know you are up to some type of mischief . . .

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The Horse and Sparrow Economic Theory: 

The Interplay Between the 2017 Tax Bill, Greed, and Spiritual Leadership

“There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity will leak through on those below.”

-William Jennings Bryan

“Mr. Hoover was an engineer. He knew that water trickles down. Put it uphill and let it go and it will reach the driest little spot. But he didn’t know that money trickled up. Give it to the people at the bottom and the people at the top will have it before night, anyhow. But it will at least have passed through the poor fellows hands.”

-Will Rogers

“’In the days of my youth,’ said John Kenneth Galbraith, ‘the trickle-down theory was called the horse and sparrow idea of economics: If you feed a horse enough oats, some of it will go through the horse and then fall on the road for the sparrow.’”

Here is a short list of the various terms/descriptions people have used to describe the basic economic theory behind our present proposed 2017 Tax Bill:

• Trickle Down Economics
• Supply Side Economics
• Laissez-Faire Capitalism
• Raw Capitalism
• Reaganomics
• Political Voodoo
• The Rich Pissing on the Poor
• The Horse and Sparrow Theory

Pope Francis actually addressed trickle-down economic theory in his Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium”:

"Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitable succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system."

Read Pope Francis’ words again: “This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system."

Pope Francis speaks truth because there is a foundational flaw in human beings that determines and assures the eventual failure of the trickle-down economic theory (or as I will refer to henceforth – the horse and sparrow theory). This foundational flaw is GREED. Left to our own devices without spiritual and moral challenge & accountability, humans are greedy.

Let’s examine some very simple teachings by the Carpenter from Nazareth found in Luke chapter 6 of the New Testament. Jesus says the following while teaching his disciples:

• "If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them."
• "Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back."
• "And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But . . . lend to them without expecting to get anything back."

Jesus tells the story of a Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke chapter 16. He paints a very clear picture of greed and the gap between the rich and the poor (sounds like Income Inequality to me) right at the beginning of the story:

    "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen

    and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named

    Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the

    rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores."

And then in Luke chapter 12, Jesus says, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." And then he proceeds to tell the story of the man who used his abundance of resources (money saved through tax cuts) to build bigger barns so he could store up his resources (Did someone say "buybacks"?) and "take life easy; eat drink and be merry." Jesus called this man a fool! And said his life would be taken from him.

And then this lowly Carpenter from Nazareth speaks these profound words:

     "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat:

     or about your body, what your will wear. For life is more than food,

     and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not

     sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.

     And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by

     worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do

     this very little think, why do you worry about the rest?"

     "Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet

     I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one

     of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is

     here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more

     will he clothe you--you of little faith! And do not set your heart on 

     what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world

     runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need 

     them. But seek his kingdom, and these thinks will be given to you 

     as well.

There is absolutely nothing in the teachings of the Carpenter from Nazareth that remotely compares to the horse and sparrow economic theory and yet some of the strongest support for this theory and for the 2017 Tax Bill comes from Evangelical Christians.

Surprising??? Not really. The disconnect between the teachings of Jesus Christ and the actions and beliefs of his present day followers in the USA is often as wide as the wealth gap in our country. People who call themselves Christian and support the horse and sparrow theory and support the politicians who are implementing this economic theory, thus supporting the creation of "Rich Men" and massive numbers of "Lazarus'", are living completely incongruent lives. And the majority of spiritual leaders remain silent.  Could it be because too many spiritual leaders are "playing the game" themselves?

A modern day story to end with . . . 

A group of young adults were giving the entirety of their time, talent, and treasure (and they had very little treasure to give) in service with an at-risk neighborhood on the west side of Chicago. Relationships were being built, dreams were birthing, and lives were beginning to change. A wealthy suburban church was helping make this happen with their financial support. Then one day the lead pastor of the suburban church informed us that the church could no longer afford to support these young adults and the work they were doing.

I challenged the lead pastor with the following: If every person on staff at your suburban church (and there were about 25 people on staff) would take a 5% pay cut, you could continue to fund these young adults and everything they are doing on the west side of Chicago. Paula & I were already giving close to 50% of our income so I thought 5% would be extremely doable for their staff and the impact on their individual lives would be negligible. Well . . . all I received back was a blank stare and you guessed it, my challenge was not accepted. A few months later we had an ending program with the community and our young adults ceased their work with the community and the church/center on the west side and went on with their lives elsewhere. And . . . within just a few years, the wealthy suburban church built an even "Bigger Barn".

"For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."

We need Kingdom people, followers of the Carpenter from Nazareth, to stop embracing failed and foolish economic theories and creatively devise a Kingdom economic theory. Right now, we are simply running with the pagans!

Whispers of Grace and Still Small Voices (In Memory of Earl Lauder)

Sometimes we have these gentle nudges that are so, so easy to ignore. I had one of those nudges about 4 weeks ago. I had a day off and was wondering what Paula and I could do? This nudge/small voice/whisper of grace ran through my head that I should go see my cousin Earl. We hadn’t seen Earl and Terri for almost a year.

Terri is my cousin. She married Earl. The Clark side of the family never used to see each other much but that had changed over the past decade. Earl had done quite a bit of work on The Sanctuary (our church/home/Bed and Breakfast) when we bought it. Earl and Terri adopted our Bernese Mountain Dog - Wesley - when we couldn’t keep him any longer. We had become family.

So . . . we went to see Earl and Terri. Von, who also goes by Pete and Rocky (don’t ask), and his wife came over along with my aunt who we had picked up and we all hung out and had pizza together.  After pizza, Earl took me out to his garage to show me his restored tractors and all the projects he was working on. He restores old tractors and golf carts with custom paint jobs. 

After a few hours, we took my aunt back home and headed back to our home. It had been one of those really good family days!

Fast forward a couple weeks to 11 days ago . . . Earl is rushed to the hospital where he ends up on a ventilator. His heart is only working at a 15% capacity. Earl never goes back home. Earl is gone. He dies 11 days after being taken to the hospital and just 4 weeks after we had pizza together and walked around his garage.

I sit here wondering what I would be feeling right now if I had shrugged off that gentle nudge, that still small voice, that whisper of grace. Anger? Guilt? Frustration? For sure . . . and much more.

Instead, I am thankful that The Spirit whispered a word of grace into my spirit that gave me one last meal with Earl; one last sharing of stories, laughter, and love; one last sweet memory. 

How many still small voices have I failed to hear? What will the next whisper and nudge be? And will I hear it and respond? Please Lord, don’t let me get to busy and too self-absorbed to feel the nudges and hear the whispers of your grace in my life.

(In memory of Earl Lauder)