FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.  "When it is evening, you say, "It will be fair weather; for the sky is red." And in the morning, "It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening." You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."  (Matthew 16:2-3).

So today is the first Sunday of Lent.  Hydro-One-knockout-force-winds are forecast today. 

Sunrise struggled this morning.  Then it strengthened behind a bank of grey clouds.  Grey clouds made the horizon look like a bank of ashes.  I thought again of the poem in my last blog, Radical Ashes.

Lord help me accept the red skies in morning, and red skies at night.  

Help me accept all the warnings and delights of the days You have planned for me. 

Help me be more accepting of crazy humankind (including me).  

Help me fight for kindness inside me, no matter what is happening outside in the world around me.  

Help me empty my old ashes and you take them away.  

Help me walk this whole Lenten journey with you; my Lord, my God, my saviour, my Friend. 

Help me. help you, carry your cross this Lent.

Sunrise is now breaking through the clouds.  I hear a single Canada goose honking.  Now more birds starting to chirp.  God's creation is waking up on this side of the world.  

God bless the people on the other side of the world in Ukranine .and the people in Russia; their citizens, medics, children, visitors, religious, animals too.  God bless all those I care about.  And all people, of all faiths, as Christians enter this first week of Lent.  Lord have mercy.

I think that's all I have for today.  Except for a favourite verse of mine from the Gospel of John.  It's a fitting one because those Hydro-One-knockout-force-wind-gusts are REALLY picking up outside now.

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going."   (John 3:8)

Amen


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