by Barbara Devereaux

“There is a quiet humility about the earth in the winter months, as animals and people retreat inside to do their deep work.”  Madisyn Taylor

 

Just when we thought we were going to enjoy a mild winter, Mother Nature did a one-eighty and polar vortexes slipped over the Midwest sending us into a deep-freeze.  People and animals suffered from the severe cold, but I was heartened to see how many people worked to make sure brothers, sisters, and animals survived.  

 A friend of mine took in an assortment of stray cats into his house.  They didn’t get along with each other and he spent several days trying to be a feline peacemaker – not easy!  People in South Bend donated time and food to shelters.  School bus drivers drove around offering rides to those who appeared to be in need of them.  South Bend Animal Control rounded up pets left outside. 

Goodness is all around us and, as we all know, the worst of times will bring out the best in people.  Lent is just around the corner and we will be exploring how many among us have come though the worst of times to emerge into grace-filled sunlight.  “Blessed Hunger, Holy Feast” invites us into the deep work of winter stillness that precedes the miracle of spring.

 

Note: This originally appeared in the February 2019 Kernels monthly newsletter.