First Tuesday in Lent

This photo was obviously not taken recently.... see the green leaves and red flowers?  This little prayer area is in the parking lot at my church.  Unfortunately, 2 years ago, a horrible hail storm came through and decimated that tree and most of the other shrubs.  Someone comes by in the winter and wraps the statue of the Blessed Virgin with scarves and other woolens - to keep her warm?  And I have seen an older man drive up on Saturday afternoons with a truckload of pots of flowers - he unloads them and places them about her.  It is very sweet.

My computer is acting up and just erased an entire paragraph.  Maybe I wasn't meant to complain to you about how late I stay at Biblical School on Monday night - and how difficult Tuesday morning is for me.    Or how I cannot possibly run 5 miles this morning, get to mass, and to work by 8 a.m.  Or how being on the board of my HOA cuts into my schedule tonight - I have to be at a meeting at 7 p.m.    This all feels overwhelming to me.

Of course, I could be running now instead of blogging.  And I can make the decision to go to Adoration at lunch time today (since I am going to EITHER mass or adoration every day for lent).  And then be able to do whatever I have to do this evening.

Looking at what is going on in Japan really puts my ridiculous problems into perspective.

On 9/11/01, my daughter called me as soon as she woke up and saw what was going on.... she thought I would make her feel better.  I did no such thing.  We were on the phone and watching the horror unfold on television together.  When the second tower fell, I cried and said "The whole world just changed."  I knew there would be war and that our charmed lives as Americans had ended.

As I watch the horror in Japan, I have the same feeling.  This is going to change everything.

And I think at this time, all I can do is pray.