This past summer, in Washington State, we continued with the now annual smoke filled air brought to us from wild fires that prevailed all through July and August. In fact, our air quality rating registered five times higher than China’s. The smoke from our fires combined with smoke from Russia, Oregon, Canada, and California, as the jet stream blew where it would. Typically, I can see way beyond the local Catholic Church that offers a view of golden wheat and varying shades of green as the sun dances across the lawns, trees, and fields that give way to tree covered hills and mountains. Most notably, Baldy - a sheer cliff of Quartzite that towers over the east side of Chewelah was not visible. It was like where’s Waldo, but this was where is Baldy?
We could even smell the smoke inside the hospital, where I serve as a Chaplain. We saw our natural surroundings only a few times and waited longingly for the light. It was Advent like. The air is clear now and the brilliant colors of the leaves this fall seem to make up for the darkness of those months. The waiting was hard, but the gift of again seeing God’s beauty all around us made it worth the wait. And, Baldy is back!
How has your waiting been, during the inevitable times of darkness?
Linda Hunt OP
Spokane, WA
Comments
Post a Comment