Given, Taken, Blessed

“…the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”[i]

Words attributed to Job after a series of world-changing losses

Words which popped into my head as I sat in my summer morning spot

in the distance a hazy western sky

in the foreground a Red Maple tree

that requires yearly trimming to stem its insistence

on overhanging porch and roof.

Prominent in my line of sight is the scar

of some previous year’s pruning

to eliminate a branch grown too close to my Adirondack perch

obscuring my view or the yard and road and growing woodlot beyond.

Two inches from the silver dollar sized scar

a branch lifts heavenward.

Three inches more and a tiny, tender, slender stem has sprouted

yielding three more stems smaller still

each with a five-lobed deep red leaf.

An ending and a beginning side by side--

a message received

at the end of a week marked by endings

and the celebration of beginnings,

in the counting of blessings

delivered through it all.

Standing beside a coffin

to speak words of appreciation to a widow and a daughter,

telling grandchildren of “good trouble” shared across the years

bearing witness to Resurrection’s promises--

an ending and beginning side by side.

Sitting after sunset

surrounded by friends enjoying a last (for now) evening

eating, drinking, and making merry

sharing stories filled with love and laugher, trial and triumph

Sadness and joy mix

as a moving van will separate my many miles.

New adventures await those who go and those who remain.

Endings and beginnings.

Blessed Friendships.

“Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

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[i] Job 1. 21