Escapism or fingers into the earth?There are days world events are sucking the breath out of me.
Life is almost too hard to digest.
When the news headlines are carpet bombing my brain and mind 24/7.
Do you know what's really making me go mad?
The inevitable sport section following the world news.Earnest journalists keep talking about football and ice hockey with equal engagement and high voice as the reporters from Japan and Libya.
As if sport matters at all these days. It's all about money and drugs anyway.
It's then I put on my wellingtons to wade through snow and dirt in my garden.
Hidden, close to the wall, a few snowdrops are blooming.
I bend down carefully picking some to decorate our kitchen table, a TV free zone.
Serving chilled water from old wine bottles, lightening a candle and sucking in the sane smell of spring, I finally regain breath and a slight touch with my immediate reality.
Fingers into the dirt and Tiger Balm thereafter are my best therapy.
7 comments:
Dear Felisol
It is all a matter of perspective.
When one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers.
The way the Japanese people left homeless are battling pain, anxiety, fear, loss of loved ones and property, and an uncertain future, yet living as a community in the refugee shelters - sharing food, blankets, and whatever there is that can be shared... we have a lot to learn from them.
They see their situation from the right perspective. Nothing else matters - maintaining dignity while trying to survive... and hopefully move on again.
I understand your pain. We are all in it together - that is true for all who feel they are part of this global body.
Obviously not everyone feels the same way.
Love
Lidj
Dearest Felisol,
I so understand what you are saying. Every time I turn on the news, my heart is broken even more. So much pain and suffering and yet so much frivolity. How can they think it really matters who wins the championship when people have lost their lives, their livihood, their homes, their stability? Like you, I have escape, to withdraw and regroup so as not to become jaded and synical. It's somewhat the way I felt after my husband went home; life went on, people smiled and so did I but I just could no understand how everyone could go on as though nothing had changed when my whole world felt as though it were caving in on me. Facing that time taught me a wonderful lesson about the God I serve. No matter how hard the times I face or how heart broken I may be, He is still the same, He is still on the throne and is in control. There will come a day and a time when each one will face that time when their world is caving in. Then, and only then, will they understand what these precious people are facing. Until then, I must love them and pray for them and pray for them. I steal away into my private world with my Bible and lose myself in His Word. It's the only way I know to cope.
Many hugs........
Diane
Yes Felisol, these days TV brings calamities and tragedies right into our living rooms - not like the days whhen we only read about it in the papers , heard news reports from far away places dots on a map and saw the occasional black & white news reel when we went to the movies.
Now its in front of your face, crashing into your emotions and senses.
Its a burfen too great to bear.I feel sometimes.
No all your mind releasing activities are in order and good. We need diversions and relief.
Thge burdens of our lives and the world lay heavy upon us. When I rea d about wha t is hapening in my own neighbourhood , it tears my heart.
You know my state of Uttar Pradesh has the worst human rights violation cases in the whole of India - can you imagine what it does to a single handicaped Christian woman??? My Canadian visitors repeatedly told me that I was very brave and courageous. Its not me Felisol, its God.
I love the artistic display of your flowers - just refreshes my mind, the chilled water would be lovely in the growing heat here.
Wha t is the stone like thing next to it? It looks like a coconut to me.
I use Tiger Balm too. Tiger oil is also very soothing.
Be encouraged and blessed this weekend my dear sister
Felisol, I know what you mean. I feel so badly for the people of Japan. I watch the news and see the images that are so sad. I love the stories of people who are found after many days of uncertainty for their families. And yet ...life continues.
This side of heaven will have many more tragedies too. After all, life here is hard.
So we join together and pray. When one is down, we encourage them. I love what Lidj wrote in her comment. But there are times when I need to turn off the TV and go outside for a walk. It helps to see the spring flowers and feel the sun on my face.
Blessings and love,
Debbie
Hi Felisol,
Yes constant barrage of images at first shocked me...then intrigued me... then bored me... then became mere background noise. Whereas once I cared, now I just skip to the comics.
Desensitized, I feel I am on compassion overload.
John
Escapism is much needed .. and less TV news .. more prayer .. more holy music .. hymns .. more Sonshine to shed light to a corrupt and hurting world. Your little garden visit is a much needed respite from the heavy burden of being an observer of such horrific destruction .. both natural and man made. God's nature is predictable when the spring returns and brings new life. May His peace be with you.
Love much,
I must admit, Elise, I didn't turn the news on today at all. I reached my saturation point. I didn't miss it at all.
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