Dog Days of Summer

Reading 1 1 Kgs 19:4-8
Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert,
until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it.
He prayed for death saying:
“This is enough, O LORD!
Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree,
but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat.
Elijah looked and there at his head was a hearth cake
and a jug of water.
After he ate and drank, he lay down again,
but the angel of the LORD came back a second time,
touched him, and ordered,
“Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!”
He got up, ate, and drank;
then strengthened by that food,
he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.

I am so grateful for this reading this morning. As always God is always sending the right words to speak to and comfort my heart.

I had woke up early and as I walked back from getting the newspaper, and going into the house—my lips murmured ---“I hate my life.” Immediately I am following that up with I am sorry God, but knew that He wanted me to be looking deeper into just exactly why I was unhappy. Well anyone our age can tell you, aging takes a toll on you. All day long due to not sleeping well after 4 am, (remember I work nights) I have battled listlessness and lack of motivation to do anything. I wanted to watch a movie called “Do you believe?” Bob is watching the races.

But earlier at Mass God sends His comforting words---Isaiah was not happy with his life either. It is okay, God was saying, “I understand. Now look at the rest of the words spoken here and see what you must do.

Sit up and eat of the food and water provided. Scripture, the Eucharist, prayer, music, and go and speak of your experience for as you know full well---the boat is crowded and others need to be comforted too.”

To find that joy and inner peace again—serve you the Lord or just rest in the Lord. Whatever you do, be in His Presence and not into the world. Isaiah drew away into the desert. I know I will too, for getting into the world---iieeiieieieieieiei—what a blalicky mess. (Blah and Icky combined, a new word, and I like it.)

So, instead of feeling guilty for not doing some creative painting, I will just let the Lord lead me to the music, to the videos to make me laugh or the direction to take to make a difference in someone’s life.

There are many opportunities to enjoy the desert as we continue our journey, in His footsteps, and Isaiah’s too.

It has already helped to speak these thoughts to you. Ah the dog days of August—maybe we are all languishing beneath the broom tree.

(Later, I find that there was a reason why I was not to be painting. A brown recluse spider had a web on my easel and was walking around there. Okay then, as usual God in His mysterious ways goes to great detail to protect us in our daily life. Ya never know what He is up to, do you?)