Sunshine Sandy Splendiforously Shines: making sense of it all

Today the sun is shining, while last night the full moon lit up the blue ridges of the forest here on Holy Souls Mountain. We’re right on the edge of the storm, and only got a taste of it yesterday, about a tenth of an inch or so of rain. The artic cold front is smashing into the hurricane, and winning right here anyway. It’s cold! There are some gusts of wind that would measure out as having strong gale force, but no trees have fallen on the hermitage, so far. So, no problems at all.

• We pray for the many dozens who have lost their lives, and who are now in anguish with evacuations, loss of work and much worry. May they know that the Lord, though permitting such things, does not abandon us at all, ever.
• We call to mind what humanity would have been like in such conditions before the fall, with clarity of mind and tremendous cooperation of all with all, such that there would never be fear of such storms, only a marvelling at the power of our dear Lord’s creation.
• We rejoice in what we have become after having become friends with our Lord though still suffering the travails of this present life in our fallen condition, where we find ourselves unprepared for such events, but recognizing that this is not our home, which is instead to be found in heaven, but which we already belong to here by way of grace. Our Lord knows what it is to suffer, to take on the worst we can give out, death, but remaining innocent, and then having the right in justice to have mercy on us, bringing us into His friendship. Our Lord knows what it is to rejoice to bring us into that friendship. We rejoice with Him, even in and especially within the circumstances of the present moment.