Sunday, December 16, 2007

...when it rains, it pours...

it's a gray day...the clouds are gathering...
birds seek shelter in the gathering gloom...
they "know" the approaching storm...
their silence in the face of it,
a foreshadowing of it's fury....

the "worst " will hit us Tuesday,
the weather channel touts...
wind, rain, wind chills in the 30's...
the birds are not the only ones
who'll need to be sheltered from this one...

I will hopefully be warm and dry, as will my kitties...
sleeping in front of a roaring fire...
hopeful that all those who need shelter, will find it...
but not certain, for nothing here really is...

a tragic fire could leave you homeless...
we won't even mention the mortgage crisis...
so little here is "permanent", so much "fleeting"
so many just a paycheck away from disaster...

as we enjoy our temporal comforts, our plenty...
let us remember that there are many who have nothing...
or very little of the most basic needs met...
for many, a winter storm means that they will be cold and wet...
and a sleepless night, huddled in the chill...

we can look at a dear friend and say
"whatever I have is yours, if you need it..."
it's much harder to care
for the unwashed, addicted and broken people...
but Jesus cared and we should too...

so as we are enjoying the comforts we've acquired....
let's remember the ones who've fallen through the cracks...
when you hear the "bell ringers", dig deep....
clean out your pantry and take it to the Emergency Food Bank...
take some warm clothes to the Women and Children's Shelter...

you'll enjoy the coziness of the season more,
feeling as though you helped, even just a little bit.....
and Jesus will smile...
what a nice way to celebrate His birth...

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