Until

Good morning, all. Today, where I live, the sun is shining! There are beautiful purple hyacinths already up in the soil around my patio. There are bright green shoots coming up in one of my pots on the patio, too. I can scarcely wait for the full riot of color that my patio will have when all of my plants bloom. If it has to be, I suppose that I will be tolerant of that behemoth of a caterpillar that visited my moon lilies last year. What can I say, a flower that large and that sweet smelling has to have some drawbacks, huh? That's okay. In life, we have to learn to take the bitter with the sweet, even including caterpillars. (I loathe them. If someone were to offer me a million dollars to let one walk on my hand and me watch it do so, I'm afraid that person would get to keep their million. Yuck! I think their purpose is to make me shriek. Ha ha ha seriously, if I see it before it surprises me, then I won't shriek, but I'll watch him, though! If he comes too close to me, these feet will be moving fast. Ha ha ha You may laugh, but if you were in my family, you would know how serious those words are.)

At any rate, we ought to run from sin the same way that I stay away from caterpillars, or at least try to shun it. Yep, we need to treat it just like that! If we do happen to get caught up in sin, then we know that we have an advocate with the Father. All we have to do is repent and ask for forgiveness. Right?

You know, I was talking to you about my moon lilies, well in the same way that they attract that caterpillar, we attrack the adversary. Sometimes the attack on us is so vicious that we reel under the assault. As Christians, we must be emitting a sweet smelling savor that the adversary just has to have, even though, it will not be as sweet if he gets his tentacles into us. Still, he likes trying. I like to say, like the old folks used to, that misery loves company. He knows where he is going at the end of time and he is trying to take as many with him as he can.

Recap. In this life, because of the adversary, it will get rough sometimes. Just you keep your hands in the faithful hands of the Lord, and he will make everything alright. Keep going; don't stop. Keep blooming and sending up that sweet smelling savor for the Lord. He will handle all else.

Anguish will be long gone

It will live someplace else

Because joy will have moved in

And found itself a new home.

Doing What I Can, While I Can,
Alma Jones

Aside - Is there any meaning under the obvious in this poem? Is Until a good title for this piece? Before you say, "No," I will tell you that yes it is. Now, can you figure out why that is a fitting title for this piece?