Reflection
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,
-Matthew 9:36-38
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”
We have a weekly Friday family Zoom call just before lunch, Chicago time. One Friday morning, my oldest niece, who sometimes attends, texted that she can’t make it today. She is taking two of her grandchildren out to the Chautauqua Audubon Nature Center near where they live. For a moment, I was jealous of remembering her mother, my older sister, taking us younger siblings horseback riding, to the movie theatre, and once I remember going to some big church in Chicago, which was sponsoring a special novena. Kids get to have all the fun! Why do old folks like my twin brother Dave and I have to stay home and do Zoom?
I’m being a bit facetious with my moaning above, but much of my life has been doing just what my niece is doing today, and truly, they were great times and a real education for me, and I hope for those I taught. I am a retired educator. While I still dabble in the field, I miss the trips, especially out to Mother Nature. Living in a 21st-century city, I can feel abandoned by Mother Nature, and I must remind myself that it is I who left, not Mother Nature. It is I who has locked myself up inside, away from life.
Thank you, God, for all the gifts you give me today and help me connect with all the beautiful gifts you present me each day. Help me realize that when I feel troubled or abandoned, you offer me connections to all your creation. Help me not hoard what I believe belongs only to me. Help me be one of the laborers you send out today.
