7QT: Eating Well, Wearing Gray, Reading the Bible

One
Binghamton made national news!…for it’s terrible health care. Actually, this was a huge surprise to me. I saw the headline at the beginning of the week and didn’t bother with it. But then I kept seeing it so I looked and there we are, number one in the nation for the worst place to get sick. Somehow, I don’t agree. First of all, numbers are weird and incomprehensible and who knows how it is that they are measuring one thing against another. On no scientific basis at all, I quibble. Second of all, I know some people in health care here and not only are they lovely people, They Would Never Just Let You Die. Actually, some of my favorite things about this terrible place are my pediatrician, my dentist, my OB doctor, and all my friends in health care. So, you know what, I’m not buying it. If you get sick here, call me. I’ll hook you up.

Two
I outdid myself again this week in the matter of Luncheon. Monday is usually a catch all day, A Delicious Catchall Day, but the rest of the week unfolded in an alliterative dream. Tandoori Tuesday, Oaxaca Wednesday, Juevos on Jueves, today will be Fried Fish Friday, followed by the Usual, Soon to Rot Saturday (that wasn’t my appellation. I have children. It’s not my fault). Oaxaca Wednesday wasn’t exactly authentic. I was just tired of Taco Tuesday and so moved it to Wednesday. I started trying to make some sort of chili thing which involved me slinging ground beef into a pan while trying to cut onion and explain math to a child. Matt came in, observed the chaos in horror and stepped in to make something so delicious…that is too plain a word to describe luncheon that day. Thursday was Eggs in Purgatory (oh my word, what a golden, fiery dream) for me and Matt and fried eggs and biscuits for the children. I suppose at some point we will reach a place of not being able to tie the sound of the food to the sound of the day, but I really hope that place is no where near by.

Three
I read an article a few months ago (can’t possibly find it again, sorry!) about a woman who thought, gosh, men get to wear the same thing every day, I’m totally going to do that too. And so she did. Only she was like six feet tall and really really beautiful and rich, and so the uniform she developed for herself was amazing and of course she would just wear it every day. I was looking out over the sun touched southern warmth this summer and thought, I’m going to wear red, All Winter. I’m going to wear red every day. I’m not going to have to think about it, I’m just going to open my cupboards and put on all the red. When we got home from our holiday I began studiously to look for red, everywhere, and discovered that the gods of fashion decided that this season would be gray, and poncho blankets that you wear. Even the thrift stores totally disappointed me. In a fit of rage I went out and bought the gray. I’ll show you, I said, as I paid down my money. Gray trousers. Gray sweater. Gray purse. And every day, I get up, and put on all the gray, and know that that is the order of things. Winter is coming, and there’s nothing you can do about it but wear the color that it is. Also, I’m knitting myself a gray scarf.

Four
After complaining about having no bible reading plan I didn’t go and look for one, I just started back in Genesis. This morning I listened to the long section about Joseph and his brothers. Matt, in bible study a week ago, drew out the contrast between Judah and Joseph. Judah’s sons are put to death by God. He, Judah, doesn’t keep his promises, doesn’t exercise self control, is impulsive and quick to judge, even when he himself has greatly sinned. Whereas Joseph has to live with his own hopes and expectations being put to death by God, but who endures, who is faithful and good and filled with self control. The moment when his brothers come and stand before him, not recognizing who he is, is such a full and emotionally devastating picture. It seems like he is not only battling grief but also bitterness. He probably had played the moment over in his head before, but then when confronted with it, comes undone. And yet Judah is the thread of promise. His great evil is chosen over Joseph’s goodness. For the good among us, this probably seems incomprehensible. But if you are a terrible person, like me, and have sinned greatly, and hurt many, this choice is such an incredible grace. Jesus takes the place of Judah. He takes the place of the most vile. If Judah, if Israel had been good, there would have been no need for his substituting work.

Five
The line, “you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good,” rang in my ears this morning also, recalling to me something else Matt said, long ago in a sermon. We were in Mark’s Olivet discourse and for some reason Matt was talking about the great throng in heaven, beyond number, gathered around the great throne, praising God. How does this square, he asked, with Jesus himself being rejected by practically everybody. There aren’t very many who chose Jesus. His is the narrow way, the way of the cross. Every time you think you’ve gathered a crowd, something happens to show you that the crowd isn’t substantial, isn’t enduring, that really there are only a handful who want to know Jesus for himself. Whence cometh the throng gathered around the throne beyond number then? Well, the world, the US in particular, is slaughtering babies hand over fist, fast as the buck can be made. The desire, the intent, is pure, selfish lust. It is the conspiring together to hurt and destroy and then to pretend, for years and years and years and years, that nothing even happened. Jacob sits in grief. Joseph absorbs terrible suffering. Women everywhere sit, broken and destroyed by the lies and the killing. Some of them feel it. Others push it down and hashtag their anger. But none of them, none of us, are strong enough to force evil into eternity. All those babies are gathered straight there, around the throne of God, restored, made whole, praising him. We can do our worst, but we can’t win. We can mean it for evil, but God overcomes our evil with his very self.

Six
Marigold drew a picture. She’s not much for drawing so I was pretty impressed.

Seven
I have to arise and make the kids do stuff, probably, and muscle myself through the day. Go check out some better and more interesting takes! And have a lovely weekend if that’s what your heart desires.