When I think about it, I lead a fairly quiet life. I have plenty to do every day. I do not remember the last time I felt bored. My life is filled with ordinary tasks repeated often. Routines provide us with comfort. Favorite places and spaces feel like "home." A quiet life is a good thing.
"Give me a quiet life. One where I can hear the trees rustling in the wind, raindrops on the windows, pages of a book being turned, coffee being brewed, and the heartbeats of the ones I love."
Let us find joy and contentment in the ordinary. In a blink, things can change.
My heart aches for the families in the southeast part of our nation who are suffering from the effects and aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Nature can turn fierce and destroy lives. Homes, roads, bridges, and businesses can be gone in the blink of an eye. Lives can be lost just that quickly, too. The death toll is rising.
The stories where there is distress, but no rescue is available are the hardest to watch and hear. I thank God for the first responders, volunteers, and military men and women stepping up and stepping in to fill in the gaps. Sometimes, waiting is the only option. Sometimes, there is no easy answer or quick fix.
Today's gratitude is not meant to be flippant or dismissive in light of the devastation and suffering happening a day's drive away. It is exactly the opposite. In light of how quickly life can change, I want to be sure to pause and recognize the simple beauty in our ordinary days.
We can pray for those in the thick of the rescues and recovery. We can pray for the families of the missing or known dead. We can pray for the brokenhearted to be comforted and for simple things like fresh water to be restored.
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." -James 1:27
Today, as we contemplate the blessing of a quiet life, look for places to reach out and help.
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