PERFECT DAY
This was one of those perfect days that come in Spring. After Kay left for school, I walked through the park. The weather was exactly right. About 40 degrees, sunny with just enough breeze to invigorate. God and I had a wonderful discussion about joy and peace. Not surprisingly, he agreed with most of my ideas.
When I got home, I dragged the dahlias out of the cellar and planted them in the back garden, cleaned up some furniture, made a gigantic cup of Decafe coffee and sat by the waterfall. As long as I remained motionless, the birds came for their baths without seeming to mind my intrusion.
Later in the day, Bob Shields and I walked Chenango Street looking for places we could put trees. We found a surprising number of locations and everyone we spoke to seemed amenable to the idea.
By five, Kay was home and we had our first wine tasting by the stream. I started a charcoal fire, ( I must have been a pyromaniac in a past life) and we had our first BarbyQ of the season. Of course this included eating on the porch. After supper, we sat on the porch and planned out the lesson for Church on Sunday and for the Zoo on Saturday. Shortly I will retire to bed and start a new book in the Sharing Knife series, something I have fondly awaited for a year.

Forgiveness – Pre
Sometime ago, it was suggested to me that instead of giving up candy or some other surface “suffering” for Lent, it might be wiser to study, discuss and meditate on a single virtue for 48 days. For a lot a reasons, I picked forgiveness.
I read books, talked to experts, gave deep thought to the topic and each time, just when I thought I fully understood it, something would happen to make me rethink and go deeper. Finally, just before Easter, I felt I had some real understanding. I wrote a blog, ready to share it with the world. It all sounded pretty good, then the massacre at the Civic Association occurred and all those bright hopeful words seemed trite and silly. They weren’t and they aren’t and they have not lost their truth, and they will appear here soon, but I missed the most important truth of all. Forgiveness takes time and it cannot be hurried. No matter how simple or how profound the injury was, healing cannot be rushed. No outside person gets to tell you when or how you forgive the cause of the injury.
I am proud that the City of Binghamton has reached a level where forgiving the killer is at least discussed. Certainly his family should be treated with compassion even now. But there is a time for everything and there are no shortcuts- no matter how many tulips get planted, no matter how many ministers get to feel good about themselves. All that any of us can do is ask God to soften hearts so that forgiveness can one day take place.