The blue moon was a lantern in the morning sky, bringing ribbons of magenta and teal whipping behind it. The two evenings before it came, the heavens performed a stained-glass symphony rivaling a cathedral. It was some kind of lunar event that hadn't occurred in 150 years. I guess none of us will be here for the next one. The magnetic pull of the special moon and eclipse drew out the tides, the ribboned sky and coaxed grandbaby Caiden out a week early. Our son and his wife barely made it to the hospital as the moon crested and the baby arrived. We woke to a flurry of activity and new life. Uncles, aunts and cousins arrived as we all took turns visiting and ogling the sweet cheeks and the Norton sugar bowl in that dimpled chin.
Four-year-old sister Madelyn Rose had no idea yet that her singular world was about to be rocked. She had talked incessantly about the arrival of her baby brother for months, but the reality of that interruption had yet to be understood. She stared at him and refused to kiss him. As he was placed carefully into her arms, however, she began to sing to him, a song all her own that spoke about Caiden and Jesus and love. She began to peck him with little kisses and hold his tiny hand, marveling at the "raisin" fingers and the warm powdery smell of a new baby. We all got misty-eyed at the miracle that is life and love. There's labor, pain, blood and gore all throughout our days here on earth. But then there are those crystalline, unspeakably perfect moments that stop us in our tracks and cause us to see the divine. This was one of those.
Throughout the weekend, we enjoyed our growing family and grandkids, loud and messy, complicated and funny. After everyone left, we took a brief nap and decided to take in a movie. I didn't want to see another "guy" film so I went to a different movie than my husband and daughter, some Oscar-nominated chick flick. I have never done that. It was strange, to sit by myself in a theatre, to not have a loved one to whisper to about the intricacies of the movie. I was insulted by the treatment of God's Word and Christianity in this particular one, and by the assault on everything that is innocent. I felt invaded, polluted. I was sad that I had not stayed with my family. When we all got back to our vehicle, I was quiet, introspective, sorrowful. There are seeds of deceit that can take root in unsuspecting minds, unexplored and unstudied lies that can become patterns of thought. It is these that concern me for our society, for our young people. Bread and circuses are tantalizing and distracting, and much more easily obtained than the pursuit of truth.
In the grand circle of life, beginnings and endings, babies, moons and tides....I pray that we will put down our circuses, our phones, TVs and devices, and look deeper and think harder about all the things that truly matter.
I listen to the radio, wsb has some good stuff on it. I changed it to 106.9 what awful vulgar language. I Guess we can become accustomed to the filth given out. I will have good DVD,s and listen to the Spirit, what He has to say. We are not alone.
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