while nobody was watching
Yesterday, on my way to work, I suddenly stopped on the slippery sidewalk to write down these words:
After yesterday's rain, everything froze last night, and who knows, maybe it even snowed a little while nobody was watching.
It had snowed, as I could see on the flowerbeds in the backyard. It had snowed, but mostly melted away and the wet had frozen again to start melting again as everyone went out of their cozy homes to get busy for the day. It is not warm outside in Jena these days, but still not cold enough for the rain to constantly turn into snow and stay.
It all happened again last night, and today the sky was grey, closing up and helping me in the decision to skip my lectures, sleep in, read a little (medical things, too), write again and listen to good music. Who knows, maybe I'll even get to sew again today, after I finished my psychiatry workload. It's been a relaxed day for me, and the words floating through my head were those I listened to again last night:
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
It's advent again, and before I know it, half of this wonderful time is over already. This year, we have all it takes for a good Advent as we like it: the advent wreath, two lit up stars (for those interested: one Herrenhuter Stern and one Annaberger Stern) hanging, a "Schwibbogen" and a "Räuchermännchen". Enough decoration for our taste. And we take time this year - time to sit down with candles (as of now - two) lit on the wreath, singing songs of Advent.
It's wonderful how Advent always succeeds November.
It's wonderful how love carries through.
And it's wonderful to anticipate Christ in this time of anticipation.
Christ, who comes, while nobody is watching. He is where we don't suspect him to be. With the poor, the lonely, the depressed, the outcast. In the stable. He comes to us, even though we don't deserve him. He comes to us because He loves.
This time of the liturgical year wants to make us more aware. But it's up to us to start listening, open our eyes and be attentive. And Christ will fill us and teach us to be patient, anticipating him.
And so last night it snowed again while nobody was watching.
After yesterday's rain, everything froze last night, and who knows, maybe it even snowed a little while nobody was watching.
It had snowed, as I could see on the flowerbeds in the backyard. It had snowed, but mostly melted away and the wet had frozen again to start melting again as everyone went out of their cozy homes to get busy for the day. It is not warm outside in Jena these days, but still not cold enough for the rain to constantly turn into snow and stay.
It all happened again last night, and today the sky was grey, closing up and helping me in the decision to skip my lectures, sleep in, read a little (medical things, too), write again and listen to good music. Who knows, maybe I'll even get to sew again today, after I finished my psychiatry workload. It's been a relaxed day for me, and the words floating through my head were those I listened to again last night:
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
It's advent again, and before I know it, half of this wonderful time is over already. This year, we have all it takes for a good Advent as we like it: the advent wreath, two lit up stars (for those interested: one Herrenhuter Stern and one Annaberger Stern) hanging, a "Schwibbogen" and a "Räuchermännchen". Enough decoration for our taste. And we take time this year - time to sit down with candles (as of now - two) lit on the wreath, singing songs of Advent.
It's wonderful how Advent always succeeds November.
It's wonderful how love carries through.
And it's wonderful to anticipate Christ in this time of anticipation.
Christ, who comes, while nobody is watching. He is where we don't suspect him to be. With the poor, the lonely, the depressed, the outcast. In the stable. He comes to us, even though we don't deserve him. He comes to us because He loves.
This time of the liturgical year wants to make us more aware. But it's up to us to start listening, open our eyes and be attentive. And Christ will fill us and teach us to be patient, anticipating him.
And so last night it snowed again while nobody was watching.