Remembering the Purple Iris

Yesterday as I walked toward work under a dark sky, I looked ahead at the way I needed to go... I saw a staircase and sighed with weariness as I contemplated what I needed to walk towards and through in my day. The lowering clouds seemed to underline the weight I carried... I happened to be walking with a friend, a very dear friend, who noticed some deep purple irises planted by the way we were walking... she said, "Oh, I need to smell those!" her exuberance drew me along in its wake... I too smelled the iris and said "It smells like purple" because I had heard her say this of the smell of iris before. She smile and noted the ruffly edge of each petal and murmured "God is SO extravagant!" I smiled and as we parted I carried the memory of that iris with me... still had to walk up those stairs into the darkness of my day, nothing of the circumstances of what I had to carry would change... but I did carry the smell of purple with me as I walked....

God Alone Knows....

Well, I'm reading through Job now and it seems to me that there are 4 guys talking a lot about things they know nothing about... they appear to be trying to understand God and explain how we "ought" to live to make things "work"... it's pretty clear that they don't know what they are talking about... no clue as to what is really going on... I wonder what God wanted us to know about Him when He gave us this piece of writing... it seems clear to me that suffering is inexplicable in Job's story and somehow God shows us a man who continues to trust Him despite his personal suffering... and how that suffering is increased by his friends... wow... how do I do that? Where am I clueless as I talk to those in pain? What would be a better way to respond to their hurt?

Something like "I don't know why this is happening to you. I am so sorry." Perhaps that is it? I believe that God is good despite the circumstances, but is that helpful to hear when you are hurting?

Please lead me with Your Spirit and I walk through this day and come in contact with hurting people....