Days 27 and 28 as the Sabbatical ends

Day 28-1, August 29

The Stillspeaking devotion in our morning prayers began with "Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse" from1 Peter 3:8.  I was thinking about the timely connection to our country’s response to a chemical weapon attack in Syria.  But the devotion was not about that.  It was about violence against children, and the writer was meaning kids in our own communities who are sexually abused, suffer other physical abuse and emotional abuse.  When these kids grow up, we all deal with deep hidden moral injury.  The wars in the Middle East will end when they love their children more than they hate their enemies.

On this last full day away, I am finishing up the last sorting and filing that will make me, well not caught completely up, but in a position to catch up.

Kay has laid claim to a stick I found and used for my get-away-from-the-paperwork walk.  The walking stick gives support when crossing rocky streams, clears spider webs from the trail BEFORE contact, and gives some means of defense if there is a bear encounter. This stick is coming home for some improvements and as a sign of a new purpose for walking.

We are eating strategically to make the food in our larder be used up by the time of our departure.

DB reminds me that the first service to give to someone in Christian community is to listen them.  We preachers often think we have something to offer without taking the time to listen.  “I don’t know what to say,” is often to barrier to anyone visiting a fellow Christian who is suffering.  The best advice is do not say anything.  Just be present, listen, and cry together.  DB says the beginning of love is to learn to listen.

Day 28-0, August 30, 2013

This is pack up and go home day.  The sabbatical has been wonderful beyond simple description but we are ready to go home.  We pack boxes and bags and load everything into the car.  This is the biggest load yet.  There is some food left in the refrigerator that we offered to the housekeepers we have befriended.

As we drive out we give thanks to the founders of Christmount and places like it and prayers for the next person(s) will be in the sabbatical apartment tonight.  It stays booked up.

In South Carolina we stop to buy peaches.  Kay asked nicely.  I said yes, as long as we can find a place for them in the car.  She plans to “put them up” mostly in preserves with Splenda.

After lunch, we arrived at our planned stop in Greenville to visit Kay’s son, Bubba, his wife Sarah, and their young children, Abby, Kylie, Natalie and Riley.  We had the opportunity to surprise the girls at the school bus stop when they got home.  We all went out to eat at a Chinese buffet and then said our goodbyes. 

We finished the trek home in the darkness that is coming earlier.  We got back to Guyton at 10:30 pm and unloaded everything.  We found the essential meds before bed and slept in our own bed.  You know the feeling.  We will retrieve Rusty the dog tomorrow.