Being a woman

You are my hope, O Lord Jahweh; my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of You.

These words which I am reading from Psalm 71 for my devotions answer the prayer that preceded my reading just moments ago, acknowledging that God has blessed me all through my life, repenting of whatever wickedness doubts the Presence, the Relationship that I don't sense.

I thought about my own beautiful and godly mother who gave birth to not only me but eight brothers and sisters. I dreamt of her last night, quite vividly. Now I can imagine her childbirth travail at Hinsdale Hospital and Sanitarium back in 1953. I was as part of my mother as my children have been of me. I thought about what it must have been like to be her. I think about my own children who are growing and leaving and even cleaving. And only my daughters may someday know what a sacred honor it is to give birth and to nurture souls.

What a privilege it is to be a woman!

Midnight Owl

Just finished under an hour's work putting some of the desk in order, entering and filing receipts, making new piles. I think I'll quit now before I iron while listening to Glenn Beck. I can hear more birds outside this afternoon. September is wearing on. The birds are coming back down here, or maybe the ones that live here are more chatty now that it is not quite so long a hot day. Hearing the bird calls reminded me of laying awake last night trying to sleep and being charmed by an owl. And owl! Very close and very regular in his Whoo-whoo-whoo-ing. Don't know why I don't sleep well these days, because I am very tired. Maybe it is hormone imbalance that I can fix eventually. But for now I am thankful for a comfortable bed, and for the darkness of the night, and for thoughts of God's diverse creation, and for getting my mind on to things like owls and God's creativity, and off of things like the corruption of our society. Speaking of which, time to go iron. May God give me grace to choose life, to choose gratitude, to choose productivity and creativity even while I am praying for our country and writing to my congressmen. And may He bring repentance and revival to the whole world.