The other day, Bruce and I drove to the next county west of us, to pick up our quarter beef. I like to think that animal ate some of the hay grown on our field because we bought it from the young man who bales it. When we grill our steaks, or make soup, we can look out over our fields and see how that grass and clover, sunlight and rain, were converted into food we can eat.
I’ve not read all your pieces on substack but I want to say I just love your writing— it’s emotional, heavy, revealing and speaks to the soul.
I LOVE this newest entry— I love the insights. I relate entirely to many things you’re speaking about in here; I love the addition of the Hopkins poetry, I love it all. In particular, I very much relate to these words of yours: “Terrible injustices are threading through our culture. There is an authoritarian noose wrapped loosely around us. You might name those injustices differently than I would. But if you and I spoke our perspectives, we might break our friendship. Beside, I don’t have the capacity to repeat back the sources I’ve studied that have brought me to my conclusions.”
Keep writng, Katie. You ARE a healer in that way. The way of language.
Love Loren Hecht-- from NIU, though I no longer live in Illinois.
What a delightful surprise to hear your voice. How are you doing these days? What are you up to? What kind, encouraging words you're offering me. Thank you for your encouragement, especially on the healer part--the way of language. I'm coming back around to keeping most of my focus on that work. Love, Katie
I want to be healed and also be a healing presence.
I only have a few years left, at most a decade or two, but probably only a few years. Who but God knows that? Maybe I'll finally be like a hawk that flies free or sometimes a soaring eagle. Maybe I'll hang there tangled in the wires like I'm crucified, broken and unable to fly. Maybe even this will still be a witness. Who but God knows that too?
Oh Mark you can be healed, you are a healing presence. Why do you think you only have a few years rather than a decade. I too am feeling that time is getting short, so I hear you on that one. You're right, only God knows--flying free or tangled in wires, he draws near to us. Even now you're doing God's work and doing it well.
"Why do you think you only have a few years rather than a decade?" you ask. Well, for one thing, the Bible says that we get three score and ten, and I'm 66 and 1/2 years old now. Maybe, if we're strong enough, we get four score, the Bible goes on to say. Lots of people, if not most of them, don't think this stuff applies to them, or they just don't think about it at all. I have a lawyer friend who is a year or two older than me and has terminal cancer who was raised Roman Catholic but claims to be agnostic now who was stunned when I mentioned the "three score and ten" line from the Bible after a couple of other lawyer friends died suddenly at age 70. "THAT's in the Bible?" he gasped. "Yes," I said, "Did you think that you were gonna live THIS life forever?" Plus my work-related vicarious traumas have got me feeling that "my days are numbered," but that's a good thing because the Bible also counsels us to "number our days." The image of the "crucified hawk" haunts me. If that's me, that's OK too, because my Savior was once crucified . . . and He then rose from the dead. Did you ever find out what happened to that hawk. Did he die? It's OK if he did. Everything dies. What a beautiful death if that's how the hawk died, reminding us all of Jesus Christ crucified. Here's another haiku with another great song that describes what God is telling me these days! https://lousyhaiku.blog/2023/09/10/lousy-haiku-296/
I hear you. I too am aware that days are short. I don’t know what happened to the hawk. I assume he was dead when we passed by. Creation is groaning, waiting for the revealing of the sons of God.
Are you getting help for those vicarious traumas? Can you write them on paper and burn them as a giving to God? Or imagine sending them down the River? Or know that Jesus is standing between you and them?
I am getting help for my work-related vicarious trauma, Katie. Thank you for asking. I haven't yet tried these couple of things you've suggested. You've suggested them before, but I didn't get around to doing them then either. I do normal things, but I also try to get into nature which I find refreshing for my soul. Now that it's no longer hot as hell here in southwestern Arizona, that will be easier to do. I'm grateful for friends like you and Bruce who have never met me but yet pray for me and Karen. What I really long for is the day when there won't have to be things done to restore our souls. They'll just naturally and always be restored. Of course, we have to die to reach that day. But now we've come full circle in our discussion, haven't we? Oh crucified hawk! Just look what you've started!
Glad you are getting help and that you’ll get outside. Crying helps. I hear your longing for that day, though there seems to be some of that store restoring when he promised to lead us in green pastures beside still waters. And there is a feast on the other side of the valley of death. Glad I started this.
What a beautiful song and haiku. It's through our sin that we know Jesus because if we didn't sin we wouldn't need him. Woe is me said Isaiah in God's presence. We know this when he draws near. Hugs to you.
I'm finally reading the book you sent me, "The Slavery Of Death." I'm reading it very slowly to digest it fully. It's helping. I hope that I'm finally "free" before I die, as in "Free at last! FREE AT LAST! THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, I'M FREE AT LAST!"
Oh thank you so much. I’m so glad my posts are a comfort. There are a few Hopkins poems that I love like Windhover. “Glory be to God for dappled things, for skies of coupled color like a brindled cow.”
I Thessalonians 4: 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
I too love hawks and feel my soul leap as they soar
Here's the Zoom address for Chris Green's Bible class. (I'm putting it here in case others are interested.) There will be another one this Sunday at 7 edt, 6 central. Meeting ID: 830 4028 4479 Passcode: 789794.
Katie,
I’ve not read all your pieces on substack but I want to say I just love your writing— it’s emotional, heavy, revealing and speaks to the soul.
I LOVE this newest entry— I love the insights. I relate entirely to many things you’re speaking about in here; I love the addition of the Hopkins poetry, I love it all. In particular, I very much relate to these words of yours: “Terrible injustices are threading through our culture. There is an authoritarian noose wrapped loosely around us. You might name those injustices differently than I would. But if you and I spoke our perspectives, we might break our friendship. Beside, I don’t have the capacity to repeat back the sources I’ve studied that have brought me to my conclusions.”
Keep writng, Katie. You ARE a healer in that way. The way of language.
Love Loren Hecht-- from NIU, though I no longer live in Illinois.
Loren,
What a delightful surprise to hear your voice. How are you doing these days? What are you up to? What kind, encouraging words you're offering me. Thank you for your encouragement, especially on the healer part--the way of language. I'm coming back around to keeping most of my focus on that work. Love, Katie
Hi Katie! Thanks for responding to my message. Boy, you have A TRUE GIFT. I hope you focus on your writing work. It heals us all. Love you too! Loren
Thank you for your encouragement. I will try. Remember me in your prayers for that?
I surely will, Katie!
I want to be healed and also be a healing presence.
I only have a few years left, at most a decade or two, but probably only a few years. Who but God knows that? Maybe I'll finally be like a hawk that flies free or sometimes a soaring eagle. Maybe I'll hang there tangled in the wires like I'm crucified, broken and unable to fly. Maybe even this will still be a witness. Who but God knows that too?
Oh Mark you can be healed, you are a healing presence. Why do you think you only have a few years rather than a decade. I too am feeling that time is getting short, so I hear you on that one. You're right, only God knows--flying free or tangled in wires, he draws near to us. Even now you're doing God's work and doing it well.
"Why do you think you only have a few years rather than a decade?" you ask. Well, for one thing, the Bible says that we get three score and ten, and I'm 66 and 1/2 years old now. Maybe, if we're strong enough, we get four score, the Bible goes on to say. Lots of people, if not most of them, don't think this stuff applies to them, or they just don't think about it at all. I have a lawyer friend who is a year or two older than me and has terminal cancer who was raised Roman Catholic but claims to be agnostic now who was stunned when I mentioned the "three score and ten" line from the Bible after a couple of other lawyer friends died suddenly at age 70. "THAT's in the Bible?" he gasped. "Yes," I said, "Did you think that you were gonna live THIS life forever?" Plus my work-related vicarious traumas have got me feeling that "my days are numbered," but that's a good thing because the Bible also counsels us to "number our days." The image of the "crucified hawk" haunts me. If that's me, that's OK too, because my Savior was once crucified . . . and He then rose from the dead. Did you ever find out what happened to that hawk. Did he die? It's OK if he did. Everything dies. What a beautiful death if that's how the hawk died, reminding us all of Jesus Christ crucified. Here's another haiku with another great song that describes what God is telling me these days! https://lousyhaiku.blog/2023/09/10/lousy-haiku-296/
I hear you. I too am aware that days are short. I don’t know what happened to the hawk. I assume he was dead when we passed by. Creation is groaning, waiting for the revealing of the sons of God.
Are you getting help for those vicarious traumas? Can you write them on paper and burn them as a giving to God? Or imagine sending them down the River? Or know that Jesus is standing between you and them?
I am getting help for my work-related vicarious trauma, Katie. Thank you for asking. I haven't yet tried these couple of things you've suggested. You've suggested them before, but I didn't get around to doing them then either. I do normal things, but I also try to get into nature which I find refreshing for my soul. Now that it's no longer hot as hell here in southwestern Arizona, that will be easier to do. I'm grateful for friends like you and Bruce who have never met me but yet pray for me and Karen. What I really long for is the day when there won't have to be things done to restore our souls. They'll just naturally and always be restored. Of course, we have to die to reach that day. But now we've come full circle in our discussion, haven't we? Oh crucified hawk! Just look what you've started!
Glad you are getting help and that you’ll get outside. Crying helps. I hear your longing for that day, though there seems to be some of that store restoring when he promised to lead us in green pastures beside still waters. And there is a feast on the other side of the valley of death. Glad I started this.
Your post just inspired this haiku in me. https://lousyhaiku.blog/2023/09/18/lousy-haiku-307/
What a beautiful song and haiku. It's through our sin that we know Jesus because if we didn't sin we wouldn't need him. Woe is me said Isaiah in God's presence. We know this when he draws near. Hugs to you.
I'm finally reading the book you sent me, "The Slavery Of Death." I'm reading it very slowly to digest it fully. It's helping. I hope that I'm finally "free" before I die, as in "Free at last! FREE AT LAST! THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, I'M FREE AT LAST!"
Katie, your posts comfort me. Your writing is so grounded and sturdy. “The Windhover” is my favorite poem.
Oh thank you so much. I’m so glad my posts are a comfort. There are a few Hopkins poems that I love like Windhover. “Glory be to God for dappled things, for skies of coupled color like a brindled cow.”
“Pied Beauty”, I think that’s called. Another favorite 😍
One of mine too.
I Thessalonians 4: 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
I too love hawks and feel my soul leap as they soar
Thank you for sharing these hopeful words and reading this.
I love this, Katie! Thanks for it!
Thank you so much for reading this. I'm glad it spoke to you.
Katie - Thanks. I needed this today - we can be healed and healing presences
Merri
Here's the Zoom address for Chris Green's Bible class. (I'm putting it here in case others are interested.) There will be another one this Sunday at 7 edt, 6 central. Meeting ID: 830 4028 4479 Passcode: 789794.
I’m so glad this helped. I just messaged Chris Green and will get back. I want to make sure I get it right.
Thank you so much for your paid subscription too.