Quiet Week

As the title indicates, it has been a quiet week for us. Monday began long before the sun came up as we had to get Michael and Bekah to the airport for a 6:30 flight back to Boston. We had a good visit with them but I have no pictures to show from it. Even though they were here primarily for Michael to lead worship on Sunday morning, we watched the Georgia Bulldogs on television Saturday as they pulled out a last minute victory and then went to the Baltimore Ravens game Sunday after church where they beat the Cleveland Browns soundly.



September was a busy month, so when I wasn't working this week, Kit and I both took advantage of the newly arranged furniture to relax some and enjoy the beautiful fall weather with the windows open.



This is the view I have when lying on the love seat facing the window. Thanks Debbie and Janet for the great idea!



I had an interesting thing happen on Monday afternoon when I went to the bank for work. It's always an experience to go because it's located in the heart of downtown Baltimore. First I have to find a parking space and once I do, I have to walk to the bank. The distance varies from week to week depending on where I end up finding a place to park. As you can imagine, it has been a stressful ordeal for this suburbanite and often a pointed reminder of how different life is for me now.

On this particular day, I had left the bank and was waiting on the corner for the light to change so I could cross the street. As I stood there, what drew my attention was the clear blue sky overhead, the warm sun on my face, and the realization that it was a perfect fall afternoon. The cars were still rushing by, people of all walks of life were still surrounding me, and dirty streets were still under my feet. But it was the beauty of God's creation that caught my attention first. That's when I knew He's been at work in my heart and slowly giving me His eyes to see the city of Baltimore. The words of Charlie Hall's song, "Scenes" ran through my mind and never seemed more fitting:

Chill and cold and flakes of snow
Ice and sleet, and frost and cold
Each storm cloud and thunderbolt
Lifts my mind to You

Every work and every power
Every second of every hour
Fall of dew in sweet rain showers
Lifts my mind to You

The summer wind, fire and heat
Autumn leaves and blooms of spring
Ocean waves and mountain streams
Lifts my mind to you

I see you in every scene
I bet you are thinking about me
I have such a short memory
So you keep reminding me of you

As I lay me down to sleep
As I walk on city streets
As I laugh with friends and feast
It lifts my mind to you

As my children play and run
In the news with wars and guns
In the church where songs are sung
It lifts my mind to you

Deep inside the beggar's eyes
As for sweet love I fight
On the radio at night
It lifts my mind to you

I see you in every scene
I bet you are thinking about me
I have such a short memory
So you keep reminding me of you

Painting pictures of your love
You lift my mind up
Reminding me of you
My heart comes alive

I see you in every scene
I bet you are thinking about me
I have such a short memory
So you keep reminding me of you

My Father's eyes - that's something I've been thinking about a lot this week. I want to see my surroundings and the people in them as He does, but I realized that I don't remember often enough that when His eyes fall on me, He likes what He sees there too. Most of the time, I let others or my own thoughts determine whether how I'm seen is acceptable or not. Can I really see the world as He does if I don't believe that I'm just as cherished? I'm thinking probably not.

A quiet week? Yes...but not without much to think about, especially as the weather turned windy and gray as the week progressed. If I'm not careful, I will wish away the coming months mourning the fact that I don't live in the south for now. Michael challenged me to embrace what's here and make the best of it and so on Wednesday I bought my first rain boots as an adult. I'll let you decide if putting them on to walk along wet city streets will help bring a smile to my face.


I see you in every scene
I bet you are thinking about me
I have such a short memory
So you keep reminding me of you