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“Lord — Protect my family and me. Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will.” Barack Obama
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Tomorrow Bill and I will be attending the Carolina Christian School Reunion.
The buildings have been sold. No longer is Carolina Christian Ministries located on Charlotte’s Freedom Drive. But the memories will never die.
**
Carolina Memories,
Highly Condensed
We painted concrete walls
with barf-colored primer
then opened the doors
to let students in.
We bought biscuits from
BoJangles. Played Basketball.
We really did do
some English and math.
Shag carpet on the podium,
a bible on Dan’s head—
we cried until we laughed
and laughed ’til we cried.
And after certain butts
were stuck out a certain window
at the beach, we let the strumming
of guitars make way for grace.
**
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
**
And an Embellished memory.
**
The Pond At Carolina
I often think of the pond at Carolina.
And I’m trying to find it now.
So I follow the path. The path is hard to see.
I go by the church, the school,
in afternoon late in winter,
past the dark evergreens—deep in the woods—
where large icicles hang from a barn’s open door.
I walk in a field with a stiff-legged cow.
My arms in the air, I remember Bill’s picture:
The Setting Sun Coats Shimmering Cat-Tails.
The pond is golden, each bulrush heavy laden:
Yes, bracted spikelets host such perfect flowers.
first published in Domicile
When someone hurts us, offends us, ignores us, or rejects us, a deep inner protest emerges. It can be rage or depression, desire to take revenge or an impulse to harm ourselves. We can feel a deep urge to wound those who have wounded us or to withdraw in a suicidal mood of self-rejection. Although these extreme reactions might seem exceptional, they are never far away from our hearts. During the long nights we often find ourselves brooding about words and actions we might have used in response to what others have said or done to us.
It is precisely here that we have to dig deep into our spiritual resources and find the center within us, the center that lies beyond our need to hurt others or ourselves, where we are free to forgive and love.
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