The Prayer of Moses

When I was a young woman, my view of life was based on what I’d heard from older folks. I thought that it consisted of good times and bad times, but the good times always outweighed the bad. My vague concept was that sickness and grief were merely interludes in the play of life. I was unprepared for consistent and chronic struggles.

It now seems to me that life is characterized by struggle. My recent prayer has been: "Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us."

This morning I looked for the source of that scripture and found it in Psalm 90, the prayer of Moses: “Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble” (v. 15, NIV).

Psalm 90 is also the source of my prayer when I wake in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (vv. 1-2).

And I realized that those words had been lilting through my mind for the last week, since Dave and I participated in a choir practice for an upcoming music festival. When the weather confined us to our home yesterday afternoon, we sat at the piano and practiced the festival songs, singing again those words from Psalm 90.

That same Psalm contains other sections that have often been my prayer, such as “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (v. 12). And, “…establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands” (v. 17).

I need to remind myself that my recent prayer from verse 15 is preceded by these words: “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (v. 14).

Yes, the days of this life can rightfully be considered an affliction, but the love of God that never fails enables us to sing for joy and be glad through all of them.

When I was young, I found Psalm 90 depressing and thought that Moses must have been a bit down when he wrote it. But I no longer think it’s depressing; now I think it’s realistic.

Winter Wonderland

This morning I walked around outside, taking pictures of the sun coming up in the winter wonderland created by this weekend's ice and snow storm.

New Sites

I've added a few websites to my creatively-named "websites" section. Check them out!

LOTR fans will find the artwork of Jerry Vander Stelt particularly interesting.

My Amazing Grandma

This is my amazing grandmother, who will be 102 in April, beating me soundly yet again in a game of Scrabble.

Pity the Poor Junco

A junco who visits our deck to pick up seed that falls from the hanging feeders has a broken wing feather. It sticks out at on odd angle, as if stuck in a permanent salute.

It doesn't seem to interfere with his ability to fly; however, I can only imagine the havoc it must play when he tries to hop among close branches.

God's in His Heaven...

...all's right with the world.

My DSL connection, which went down Monday morning, has been restored.

Cold Greenhouse

This morning, while I was simmering in the creative juices of what I've long called the "cozy cocoon" of my early morning bed, a poem began to come to me. I went into my office and wrote this:

In a Cold Greenhouse


Gray filters through

dirt-encrusted glass panes;

dead, withered plants hang

from basket gallows.

Stumbling along a path

littered with filthy, empty pots,

faltering foot kicks one

and it belches rodent bones.

And every broken table

is covered by moldy pots;

putrid with diseased, rotting seeds.


I know it's a singularly depressing poem, but I was actually in a very upbeat mood when--and after--I wrote it. I am reminded of Dorothy Sayers who once said that she wrote her most depressing scenes when she was happiest.

I believe that may be true of more authors. Perhaps an author doesn't dare to explore sad or frightening things during an emotionally fragile time, but has the confidence to tackle such scenes when emotionally strong.

I would love to hear readers' responses to "In a Cold Greenhouse" and what they think it might be about.