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| Lake Pleasant Visitor Center (Photo credit: Al_HikesAZ) |
The morning opened more with eyes and taste buds on coffee, strawberry jelly on rye toast. There was also easy conversation with my husband before he took leave to prepare for a conference call
About that time his cell phone, left behind, rang. A rare time when I had to tell our daughter, who lives farther northeast, that I was a bit too groggy for much phone talk. Anyway, she had called her dad's phone, and we agreed we'd talk later.
I located her dad reading the newspaper on the open back deck. Reading the news outside is a good way to prepare for long phone calls. We both get that.
On my own again, I began to read in the Book of Common Prayer, prayers for the sick. I was thinking of special people. Then one prayer especially leaped out at me and I wanted to post it here.
So, up and going downstairs to unplug the laptop, I brought it upstairs to the comfy bed where I am working this a.m., books spread around. But first, I took a quick look at the day's news on my Android phone. That reminded me why I pay the least attention possible to "the news."
My thoughts went to the short story "The Visitor" that I'm still tweaking and editing. Using Kindle on the laptop, i visited Amazon.com to order a free Kindle version for laptop of Anton Pevlovich Chekhov's The Bishop and Other Stories, translated into English, of course.
In the title story I notice the author's ways of expressing dark and light, inner thoughts and feelings, observations of nature, life, work, the past, people. What stands out to me are the bishop's deep feelings about what he sees around him, and then, primarily, a growing picture of his isolation. Only a female child, one considered a little pest by others of the bishopric, treats the bishop like a normal person, speaks to him as one human to another, albeit of different ages and experiences. The bishop's sense of being alone comes through strongest as the story moves forward.
Are these observations what Chekhov intended his readers to notice most?
The day has begun a bit slowly, ploddingly, with odds and ends, my mind somewhat chasing rabbits of thoughts about life and writing. And worth it. A new day is always something to thank God for giving to us. We made it through the night. Many made it through in spite of fears.
The prayer I read for morning is in the Book of Common Prayer section called "Prayers for use by a Sick Person." I have no sickness that I know of, but maybe the bishop's story led me here, to this theme? I think many of us would find this prayer meaningful in sickness and in health. Here it is.
This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready,
Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit
still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am
to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me
the Spirit of Jesus.
Amen.
In the Morning
Book of Common Prayer/"Prayers for use by Sick Persons"
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