These Days We Dance

On Friday, a tomato from the garden rolled off the cutting board but stopped short with a wobble against the side of the bowl.  Emmaus leaned his head on his folded arms, as he watched it from his barstool perch.  I cranked up the volume of my favorite song, ignoring the meandering salad preparations, clasped his hands and we twirled across the kitchen for a few stanzas.  The smile that enveloped his face invited the late afternoon sun to shine a little brighter through the window.  Suddenly he stopped, drew his hands over his eyes, and spoke the muffled words, "This is so sad!"  I knelt beside him, placed my hands on his and peered into his face, asking why.  "Because someday you'll die, and I'll remember this happy time and I'll be so sad, that's why my eyes are all wet now."
I held him and said, "Someday isn't today, so you don't have to be sad...for now we can be so happy and dance together!"

Morning of first day home from Ethiopia, October 3rd, five years ago 

This analytical, brilliant mind understands more painful things than I could imagine at the age of seven, but I also know that the joys since his years in the orphanage have been many!   And each joy, each sorrow and each prayer is held in the heart of God, for all eternity.  In God's economy nothing is wasted.  In these earthbound lives, we live in the balance of moments, trusting God on the mountain peaks and with us in the valleys.

These fragile bodies made of dust are designed to dance on these dirt floors.  Under packed soil, seeds sprout, roots deepen and family trees become forests.  In sorrow and suffering, through tears of sadness and joy, when all is well or when we grieve, we raise our hands in the hope of eternity.  We love well, while there is still time, hands clasping and reaching through compassion in action, those who've forgotten life's melody of love.  How is this possible you ask, in this dark world?

Jesus...Beloved, He is the answer.  In Him, by Him, through Him, songs formed from the depth of His sacrifice reverberate throughout time and creation.  Until the day we die, when our souls are released to twirl into eternity, we needn't fear.  We dance to the song we're given.  It is what Love does...and love, not death, is the most powerful force on earth!

photo of Malachi by Uncle Edward