Breaks of Sun

So today was much more cheery than yesterday.  I was carrying a lot of worry and anxiety….and it came to a head last night seeing pictures of people’s lives in devastation.  I went to bed, as I always do when the world is too much.  Of course it was 10pm.  I woke to sunshine and birdsong and gave thanks to God for that.  It was a lovely morning with coffee on the deck with my husband and we eased into our day, he with a run and I with a book.  When the kids got up we all headed to church where I was happily distracted by a 12 day old baby we had been waiting to be born.  Her mother is one of the darlings in the parish, and her grandmother, who does not at all look like a grandmother, was my girls religion teacher, a beautiful woman inside and out.  Mom named her daughter Olive.  Precious Miss Olive made all of us weak in the knees and I told her mom “thank you soo much for bringing her”.  I needed her.  She was a vision of goodness and promise.  While Egypt is erupting, Olive is gurgling and her little 6lb 4oz body is bringing light.We gathered our donations that we assembled last night and headed to Oneida where over 150 homes are still evacuated.  You could see destruction but what was more evident was the hope and help that was available.  Signs everywhere for free meals.  Some just cooking in the park, (adorable twenty somethings), others with signs to show people where to go.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner all provided for those who are displaced and those who are helping them.  We brought our things to the Knights of Columbus and were told that because a local church called The Rock had such a great operation, they were moving all donations over there to simplify.  So there we went and offered our donations and help but today they were set.  How heartening….enough people willing to help. All ages, various races and religions there to help their neighbor.  It was lovely. Tomorrow we may head to the Valley.On our way home we passed through another town that is cleaning out.  There the high school and Superintendent’s office was covered in water and sustained a lot of damage.  We witness both people trying to salvage items and people accepting their loss by dragging things to the curb.  We stopped to pick some peaked strawberries, not an easy year for our farmers.  And as we did, the sky opened up and poured down on us.  All I could think of was the people who were just trying to get their lives back together, this has been relentless.This song (Psalm) has been going through my head for the past several days.  Please continue prayers for sun and restoration. THANK YOU!