Carl DeLine

Eighth Day of Creation: An Evening Blessing, A Morning Blessing, A New Day…

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Reflections from posts and ongoing discussions on Facebook.

1. It is evening. Another Friday is passing in this part of the world. May God bless you, give you peace, may your families and homes be safe from the intrusions of evil and desperate acts. May you know the gentleness a good nights rest brings and may you be prepared to start another day sharing the love that our Lord fills you with. Amen.
An evening blessing, the first day.

Good morning. The night is over, a new invitation to be God’s people reaches out to us. An old song reminds me of how wonderful each day can become. For all my friends who struggle with something as minor as a head cold all the way to those who do not know if they will see tomorrow. Please enjoy: Cat Stevens “Morning Has Broken.” Morning has broken, like the first morning blackbird has spoken, like the first bird Praise for the singing, praise for… A morning blessing: A new day!

2. This evening as I take a moment to consider the discussions of the day I am moved because so many people shared so much pain. Then right in the middle of all this pain came funny moments. Not just moments to smile but moments to be blessed with a laughter that controls the very muscles of the face. I am so appreciative because Facebook has become such a gift. I have been careful to choose friends who have chosen to be a part of my life. I have lived more years with sarcoid then not living with it. Sarcoid has conditioned so many aspects of how I live. It also pushes me to work at being creative. It forces me to push my mind to clear thoughts each day and start fresh each day. I know there are moments when I don’t make sense. I know there are moments when I continue a conversation that people wonder where that comes from. Yet, you continue to stick around. Thank you. The blessing this evening is simple. May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make His face to shine upon you and as you dream may you awaken with the joy of the Lord and may that bring laughter. Amen. An evening blessing, the second day.

I overheard a conversation this morning. It went something like this. Just because you are up and awake doesn’t mean I have to get up. “Come on!” the voice said, “there are things to do, places to go, things to see.” “No. If you want to go, go alone” the second voice said. Then I realized no one else was in the room. It was my left eye simply saying, stay in bed, I do not want to open up. It was arguing, you don’t need to listen to every crazy thought that comes into your head. Listen to the rest of your body. Pain is the norm! The covers are warm! Give into it. The blessing for the day is simply. Light comes out of darkness, chaos clears through movement. Have a blessed day, take one step at a time, one breath at a time, allow your friends to laugh with you, and you to laugh with them. In the words of an old friend; “and may God bless you real good.” A morning blessing: A new day!

3. Where did the day go? It is evening already. What did I do? Was it that unimportant or was it so important that it was okay to just keep moving? Strange, there is this odd sensation of satisfaction. It is a gentle peacefulness that leaves no suspicion of not being accountable to the day. Yet, there is a strange accountability to experiencing healing by just being. Perhaps a little esoteric, perhaps a little off the wall but still a feel good moment capped by Haagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream and a chocolate chip cookie. Blessings and a good nights rest to you. Lord thank you. Amen. An evening blessing, the third day.

Morning had struck. Both eyes woke up at the same time. There was a strange presence. A question looms. Is this the beginning of the week or the end of the week? Is this a time for reflecting on the past or a time to look forward to what is coming?

The sarcoidosis in me is a cause to always be reflective, what actually happened in the past week that added meaning and joy to my life? I think of all the young people over the years who had been the castaways of life, of how I felt privileged to be a part of their lives. I think of how this has not been one week but years.

Then I look forward, understanding fully, knowing this alien creature known simply as sarcoidosis looms like a cat waiting for prey, awaiting that moment to strike, waiting to take the joy out of life. Looking to the future reminds me that the cat often forgets, the warmth of the morning sun causes the cat to doze off and the mouse runs away.

Then for me I know this is the beginning of the week. It is a time to seize the moment, a time to seek the warmth of each moment, to look forward to when the evil of the day loses its power and life can be grasped. I think of the exhilaration as momentum, a time to move ahead looking with both eyes to see what the future gives, never ignoring the evil that exists, but fulling knowing the joy that each moment grasped gives. It is a time to look forward!

May this be a day of quiet reflection. May this be a day of joyous response. May the tension between them give you a greater appreciation for the life that is yours. May God bless you and may this be a day of discovery. Amen. A morning blessing: A new day!

4. It has been a day. It was time to move, just like when the runner who lined up and the race was about to begin. The gun went off. Each runner appeared anxious to win the race. It was not a long race but one runner seemed especially intent. That runner took off with lightening speed, then without any perceived interference the runner just dropped. For a moment he lay there as he used every ounce of energy to stand up and continue that race. Then, slowly he pulled himself up, putting one foot in front of the other. The race was eventually over. This contestant stopped at the finish line and wondered what had happened.

In some ways I feel like that runner. I was ready for a day of discovery. Minutes into the day everything stopped. Each event seemed like a drag. There was no cohesion to what might be discovered. As the day went on little things began to break in. Moments of familiarity brought meaning. By the end of the day there was joy. Satisfaction was discovered. Joy was experienced by simply admitting that I did not have to win the race. I had done my best to finish the race.

The blessing simply is; rest in peace, know the presence of God as you have experienced strength for the day and hope for tomorrow. Amen. An evening blessing, the fourth day.

It is morning. My body is rested but my mind is exhausted. Somewhere in the middle of the night a decision was made. How often there have been times when I wanted to talk things through with someone. Each time I started the discussion it seemed to stop as fast as it started. Then in the night time the conversation happens. Sometimes there are dreams. Sometimes there are just one liners, single thoughts that leave a matter of fact conclusions. These thoughts cannot be argued, they are to be dealt with. I am reminded that today is a new day. I can only act upon what I know is true. This is the day the Lord made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Amen. A morning blessing: A new day!

5. This is day five out of eight days of morning and evening reflection. I am beginning to see specific patterns as I travel through each day. Patterns that do not reflect the past so much as becoming a pattern that will lead to something new.

Lord, give definition to the change that is happening. Though we walk through the valley’s of life, though we live in the shadow’s of death, may we discover the ways of light and dwell safely in this path. Amen. An evening blessing, the fifth day.

The morning. A time to rise and shine!
Wait, it is still dark outside,
The alarm hasn’t gone off,
The bed is still nice and warm,
I don’t smell breakfast being made.
Stay in bed, it is still the middle of the night!

Lord bless us with the understanding
To rest when it is time to rest and
To work when it is time to work.

May we understand that everything has
It’s season. Amen.
A morning blessing: A new day!

6. An evening prayer.
Lord help me to know what to take seriously,
And what to treat lightly,
Help me to simply know what were aversions,
Help me to know my presence had meaning, had significance.

Lord bless us,
May we together experience a fullness
That ultimately overflows,
That is beneficial
To those you have entrusted to us;
Friends, family, neighbors, people we work with,
Those we share time with. Amen
An evening blessing, the sixth day.

Morning sounds are often inviting.
A percolator?
The sound of something getting hot,
the sound of something getting ready.

What a strange sound to wake up to.
Yet that is the sound that woke me this morning.

The events of the last few days,
the thoughts I have been reflecting on
cause me to understand that all aspects of an idea must be thought through.
Cause and effect needs to be given time to perk.

May God bless you as you take the time to think through
the events of the last few days.
May God bless you as you take the time percolate those ideas
that will become the foundation of your tomorrow.
A morning blessing: A new day!

7. There was evening, the seventh day.
A friend died, a person I only knew through
these pages and the words of those who knew her.
Today was a quiet day of sorting,
doing bill pay and catching up, getting ready for tax time.
There are certain things that have become constants in life.
The proverbial death and taxes. Here I add one more.

Chaos.

Images from military to baseball,
from cats to dogs,
from vehicles to puppets,
from physical cares to emotional cares,
from food for the body to food for the soul.

In all ways there seems to be multiple starting points.
There seems to be an unfettered flow of story lines.
There also seems to be an underlying trust among friends.
I don’t really know how relevant these words are
but I do know that because you have words I know that I am not alone in the darkness, in the chaos. I have someone in the morning and the evening.

Bless us Oh Lord, may we not be afraid to be there for each other
as you are for us.

Mississippi Children’s Choir – His Eye Is On The Sparrow

An evening blessing, the seventh day.

The Eighth Day

The sound of the rain, the coolness of the morning,
the anticipation of what might be.

There is a blank feeling,
is this rest or is it exhaustion?

What will the day bring?

Lord I pray for your presence today,
may you be seen in the quiet moments,
may you give strength in times of activity.
This is the day the Lord has made,
we can rest and know that there is a purpose
greater than ourselves
yet small enough to include each of us.
Amen.

Today sums up the 7 days of reflection.
As I have read your posts, your input into my life
It has been immensely revealing to me.
There are so many thoughts and experiences
that could not be written. In these words I tried to present imagery
in a way that would cause you a moment of reflection on both my words
and your own experiences.

I spent time in prayer for each of you my friends.
As I read your stories, your thoughts, your experiences.
At times I was brought to laughter, at times to deep thought,
other times to tears.
Some of you I have known for only a very short time.
Some of you I have known for almost sixty years.
One of you I have known before we were even born.
Some of you are family, some of you are closer then family.
With all of you I share a sense of humanity.
With some of you I share a common illness, with some I share a common faith.

The Eighth day is a day of reflection.
It is a time for you to read, to ponder, to laugh, to cry
and to write your own thoughts
fully knowing that night and day are often blurred.
Today I simply ask God to hold you close
that you will know a sense of security, hope and love.
May God bless your new day.