Luxury and Intention

July 15, 2025
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Beloved:
          I’ve picked one tomato and have several more on the vine.  My new hydrangea bush is blooming as are the zinnias and cosmos.  My water bill is outrageous.  Which is to say summer is progressing nicely, if too sweatily for my liking.  For a few early evening minutes a day my entire driveway is in the shade, and being outside is actually pleasant.  I play with Birdy and talk to neighbors, fuss over my container garden and get the sprinklers going.  But soon enough the setting sun spends another hour scorching my front porch and driveway.  Then I retreat to my lawn chair in the garage next to a box fan and watch Birdy splash in her plastic pool.  Then it’s back inside for other diversions:  books or knitting, sewing or a jigsaw puzzle.
          The luxury of such a life is almost never lost on me.  Central air-conditioning ~ good heavens!  A comfortable home with a pantry and full fridge.  Books and tools and toys sorted, stacked and organized just waiting to be picked up and played with, by me, a person with time for interests and hobbies.  I could make a full-time job of just living in this house.
          How best to leverage all this privilege is what needles my faith most.  How to spend what I did not earn for the benefit of more people than just me?  How much security can I keep for myself when so many have so little?  I find it so incredibly easy to justify every impulsive inclination of my own heart and mind, and yet I am more than a little suspect of my own motivations, especially when I feel the need to justify those desires and inclinations.  Generosity managed by wisdom makes good sense to me, the idea of rooting generosity in a larger picture of sustaining community and myself.  It’s a constant exercise in being intentional, doing my best, forgiving myself and staying the course.  And believe me ~ I sound way better at it than I actually am.  Being intentional more than half the time is the hardest part of all, amen?
          Rain is predicted every day for the coming week.  A good soaking would do my yard and my water bill good.  Whatever the weather where you are, I pray you find yourselves enjoying this beautiful season.

~peace & prayers,
pastor annette