Irrelevant

What could you do differently?

I could soften. I could actually write something to put up on the proverbial void. I could do so many things differently.

As the dead of winter settles in and we are left with January rain and remnants of pine needles under our couches. A backlog of recycling from the holidays and diets to adhere to. The baby still wakes at night and the dog needs walking and the mail comes every day. Its a slog. I am tired.

However, there’s something I can do differently. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind I have always known that in order to be well, whole things we must choose joy. We must drink our tea and eat oranges with our children even when we butt heads. We must love our neighbors even when their dogs drive us nuts with their barking.

Imperfect as I am, I fail. I dont offer the orange slice, i get impatient with my infant for waking up for the third time, I raise my voice, stonewall, blame, seethe, cry. Humanity is immense with ways to fall short.

We are called to love despite all of it because that’s what God does for us. This is how we repay him for loving us, by loving others. Choosing joy. Choosing him.

Yours, unedited.

JJC