Encountering the Word

"‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’" - Jesus (John 8:31b-32)

Dear Friends in Christ -

My experience of reading the Scriptures today was as blah and grey as the weather outside. While I'm hearing Jesus say, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples . . .", I'm feeling less like a disciple and more like a squirrelly second-grader itching to go out to recess!

So what to do, what to do . . . ???

Well, what I needed today - and many days - was to read God's word and then to find a place to encounter truth "with skin on." Places I reliably find incarnation that helps me hear God's Word afresh:
The rhythm of poetry or the melody of song
A super-sqeezy hug from one of my kids
Touching nature - with my feet or my hands
Giving a kind word to someone in need

And . . . today . . . today, I encountered Goodness in a delicious little book, a book that's a rhymed blessing from a father to his daughter. Here's one of my favorite lines . . .

"[Keep her from]Dull days at fourty,
false friends at fifteen -
let her have brave days
and truth,
Let her go places
that we've never been,
trust and delight
in her youth."

All these things, I pray for you as well.
Faithfully,
Janet+

PS - The book is called "Blueberry Girl;" it was written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles Vess.