In the thick of things. It is not always the best place to be. Nor is it the best place to watch someone you love be...
In the thick of small town political drama.
In the thick of singleness.
In the thick of infertility issues.
In the thick of health issues.
In the thick of running a business in a struggling over-regulated economy.
It isn't a pretty sight sometimes - most times.
It leaves me wondering what more can I do? The best thing I can do is pray and yet this simplistic action feels like the hardest thing. It would be so much more satisfying to write a letter to the editor. However, stirring the pot isn't always the best course of action either - for so many reasons.
So I must find myself deep in the thick of prayer because I know this is the best course of action if I am to offer any help or comfort to those who are caught in the thick of something messy or painful or disappointing.
One of my favorite scenes from the iconic John Cameron movie "Titantic" is the last scene when Rose is finally reunited with Jack and she is welcomed "home" by all those vibrant characters who didn't survive the icy waters. All those men, women and children who didn't get to lead full lives like we see Rose did by the pictures she had displayed by her bed. She lived a full life for them -her heart went on.
You can watch it here:
Maybe its a romanticized version of stepping from the life we now know into the eternal life beyond us. I do like to think that when people pass on they are greeted by all those that went before. I don't know if there is any theological validity to it but when my brother passed away 15 years ago it was comforting to me to think perhaps he was welcomed home by our great grandparents. When my grandpop passed away this summer I was comforted thinking of all the people who might be waiting to welcome him home - like my brother and grandpop's parents, and Rudy, "Wacko", Fred, and Uncle Don and the men he fought with in WWII and all the ones he has said goodbye to over the years.
On February 3rd and 4th, two of my grandpop's very good friends passed away. I couldn't help but think that these 2 veterans were greeted by my Pop as they answered the final call. Perhaps it was a Titanic greeting with a room full of friends, relatives and comrades. Comrades who are glad that they lived such full and good lives.
Then, of course instead of Jack being at the top of the staircase - its Jesus...
I had heard about Unbroken from my friend MaryAnn she told me at one point she was number 95 on the waiting list for this book at her library! I didn't have to wait that long.
This book was a page turner for me. I felt like I was with Louie Zamperini (the subject in the book) when he was running, floating on a raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and a P.O.W. in Japan. Not a pretty time for him but he survived against all odds because God's hand was on him protecting him and saving him for the life that was planned for him. It was such a great book because of his life of overcoming odds and also an excellent look into World War II and the horrors our grandfathers lived through or died from. It was such a different look at the war compared to A Pictorial History of the World War 1I Years by Edward Jablonski. This is because Unbroken is about a real guy, someone my grandpop might have come across or served with. Whereas the pictorial history was very general, with astounding statistics and mind numbing fatality numbers. Unbroken put names and faces with those staggering numbers. Louis Zamperini has his own book Devil at my Heels which I have added to my list of books to read. I am curious to see the difference in style.
I heard about this book the day President Obama snubbed Gov. Jan Brewer on the tarmac. I heard her book went through the roof on Amazon.com that week. I picked mine up at the library.
If you want to watch some of aftershocks of their run in watch this video:
As is often the case, there is always more to the story than the media gives you. No one wants to be considered a racist. Except maybe real racists -they don't care who knows. This book chronicles Gov. Brewer attempt to pass a law that helps enforce existing U.S. Immigration laws that aren't being enforced by the Federal Government. Time and again Gov. Brewer reiterated that she is not a racist, she believes in the rule of law. We have laws that should be enforced for the safety of all; for the fairness of all. By the Obama Administration's inaction to enforce the laws on the books it would seem they don't care so much about the danger of drugs cartels, gangs, smugglers and the financial drain on the people of Arizona dealing with an influx of crime and people in need of services & education. In fact, the President sued the Governor to keep the law from going into effect.
It is funny, the term "illegal alien" seems to have lost its affect. It is means someone is breaking our laws. As a result, people who are breaking our laws are also taking government services from legitimate citizens both those natural born and those who lawfully went through the naturalization process.
Lawlessness is costing taxpayers millions & billions of dollars, which I knew going into the book. I kind of thought this book would be a little bit like "preaching to the choir" however, I really learned a great deal about the issues and how there is more to this than meets the eye. It is definitely a good read especially if you are on the fence about immigration or want to be able to refute arguments posed to you about immigration -around the water cooler.
I admit I have found myself grumbling when at the store and I see someone who is "probably" an illegal alien using a SNAP card or WIC payments and I look in my wallet and know I couldn't get everything I wanted to today. I know I need to guard my heart so my frustration stays on the lawlessness and not the person in front of me.
