Enjoy Your Time

June 22.  We’re having a typical Kansas thunderstorm right now (shortly after 9pm).  As I often do, I opened the garage door and looked out at the storm as it came in and blew rain down (or is it up) the street in front of our house.  Lightning from time to time, thunder following the lightning, and wind along with moderate to sometimes rather heavy rainfall.  There’s nothing really unusual about events such as this, unless one is in a drought, which technically we are, but we’ve had a lot of rain the past couple of weeks.

I had to wonder as I stood in the doorway why it was that I enjoyed looking at such things as rain and wind.  Why is it that I like to get as close to the door as I can without getting too wet?  Why is it that I think about things such as where the water originated (Gulf of Mexico, they say), or how much energy it takes to evaporate a gallon of water out of the Gulf, or why the neighbor chooses to go out to his dumpster five minutes after it starts raining, hiding under an umbrella, or why the other neighbor had to dress up and go out to roll up windows on his car in the drive in the rain instead of doing it before.

I don’t know why I think of such things.  Nor do I know why I seem to be so fascinated by the number of gallons that fall in an inch of rain over a 200 square mile area, or by how much energy is released as the drops condense in the atmosphere.  It must have something to do with the way brains are wired, or perhaps it may have something to do with environment or with how I was raised.  Maybe it has something to do with how I related to my mother, or what I think of guilt.  It could be that someone could interpret my responses to ink blots or assess the results of a psychological test to tell me why.

Or, it could be that I just enjoy watching weather events.  It could just be that I feel a closeness to the creation and the Creator when things like this happen.  It could be that I recognize that there is a Caretaker of all that I see and know, and all that I can’t see and don’t know.  It could be that it is a time of reflection, repose, and worship for me.  Maybe I get closer to God in times like this than at other times, and recognize His authority and love in a way that I cannot do in many other venues.

What is it that makes you feel close to God?  Where do you meet God?  When do you consider Him in His glory?  Is it at times like this?  Or is it some other time?  You may hate thunderstorms and weather, but love to read inspirational things.  You may like to be with others and relate to others, thereby becoming closer to God.  You might enjoy a time of quiet and meditation alone.  Or there may be some other way you reach God.

Whatever it is, do it regularly.  And often.  And enjoy your time with your Maker.

Close To You

Yesterday, I found “Close To You — Remembering The Carpenters” on YouTube.  For those of you of the younger generation who may not know, The Carpenters were a brother/sister group primarily in the 1970’s that had a unique voice and style.  They were not the normal rock band.  Rather, they sang songs that were easy to understand, easy to listen to, and resonated with multitudes of people across all boundaries of humanity.

The lead singer, Karen Carpenter, had an alto voice that is one of the most pure, melodious, and mellow of anyone I have ever in my life heard.  The song arrangements, done in large part by brother Richard, who also sang with Karen, are unique and immediately identifiable.

Listening to the songs again immediately transports me back to the 1970’s and a time long gone.  Listening to the songs again create in me a feeling of immense gratitude that I was part of their listening populace.  And listening to the songs again instills in me an almost constant sense of sadness and loss…that lump in my throat that just won’t go away because of a life and a talent taken at such an early age by such a demonic illness as anorexia.

Back in that day, we didn’t know, or want to know, much about anorexia.  The prevailing feeling was to tell them to just stop not eating.  To stop throwing up.  To be normal again.  We couldn’t understand the emotional and psychological things that were happening to create the physical manifestation of starving oneself intentionally.  We still don’t know that much about the illness, and it’s related maladies.  We’re doing better, but have a long way to go.

Karen Carpenter is one of just a chosen few who, it seemed, could sing just as easily and effortlessly as she talked.  Diana Ross was another.  Patsy Cline, Cass Elliott, and Billie Holiday were some others in that elite group.  Effortless.  Flawless.  Perfection.

There were female singers such as Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, and Kate Smith who sang wonderfully.  But listening to them, you got the feeling that they were working…they were expending effort in their songs.  That’s not a bad thing, but there’s something about listening to someone sing who appears to be doing so with the greatest of ease, breathing out melodies and harmonies as easily as one would say, “Good night,” that is just…well…different.

If you have a chance, go to YouTube and watch the video.  It’s at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvALCAHMEVk and has no commercials attached to it.  It’s produced by PBS.