Insight

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Doc Arnett

We wait for moments
during days of light and shadow,
hoping for some clear touch
to reach through the muck
of cluttered thoughts,
longing for some shining,
freshening clarity.

We drive for miles
during days of rain and sleet,
hoping for some clear steering
that will speak of nearing
a distant destination
without some quick veering
into the ditch
or some greater disaster.

Sometimes,
during a quiet, private fasting,
unseen by others,
unknown even by our closest,
we gain a closeness
to him who has made us
and realize

that we were not made
for miles or moments
but for a life
that extends beyond life,
for existence that transcends living.

We were made for joy
that does not depend upon circumstance,
peace that does not rely upon reaction,
grace that is not based upon pleasure
and love that is not given by measure.

We were made
to reflect heaven’s own
perfect light.

H. Arnett
3/26/13

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Fashion Statement

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Doc Arnett

I think I know this man in the mirror,
a clearer image now
than a few minutes ago.

Having shaved the snow off my chin,
I can see it again,
though it is not the one I remembered.

Funny how seventeen years
can change things,
but I’m not laughing.

There are sags now,
creases turned into folds,
slumps of flesh

that used to hold fresh
to the shape of bone,
set to the prime of life.

I have gained a bit of wisdom,
I like to tell myself,
trying to see something positive

in this losing battle
of time and gravity,
this coming of age
in a world that despises age.

I cannot continue on life’s course
toward the grave
without some signs of the traveling,
but I don’t have to put them on display.

The last time I shaved my chin
was for my mother’s eightieth birthday;
she’s ninety-seven now.
Next time, we’ll both be dead.

H. Arnett
3/13/13

Posted in Aging, Christian Devotions, Christian Living, Death & Dying, Family, Humor, Metaphysical Reflection, Poetry, Relationships, Spiritual Contemplation | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Shower of Faith

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Doc Arnett

The rain that was forecast for Friday night did not show up until Saturday morning. When I first woke up, I looked out from our second-floor bedroom window at the black, flat roof over the mudroom. Dry as could be. A little later I checked again: just the pinpoint polka dot pattern of a sprinkle. When I walked out yet later to feed the horses, there was just a gentle shower, barely more than a sprinkle. But something happened inside me, something wonderful, something powerful. I believed that we would have a good rain.

“All day long, Lord, all day long,” I thought in full reverence, “Thank you for the wonderful rain that you have sent to us.”

This was not a parody of optimism, an expression that hoped the heart would actually believe what was being said. This was a gift of faith, a genuine believing that what was hoped for would be received. It was not a contrivance, an effort to persuade others; it was a confidence not based on predictions.

The prediction was for between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. Possibly up to half-an-inch if the rain continued Saturday night. By the time the rain ended Sunday morning we had nearly an inch-and-three-quarters. Good, slow, soaking rain.

The first thing we did Sunday morning at our worship service, before any announcements, before any preliminaries, was stand and give thanks to God for the first good, ground-soaking rain we’ve had in about nine months. He sends his rain upon the just and the unjust, his sun upon the righteous and the wicked. One of the differences between the groups is gratitude.

And that goes for more than rain, as well.

H. Arnett
3/11/13

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A Good Thawing

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Doc Arnett

The last, least sliver of a silver moon
in a cloudless sky
fades in the brightening light
of a red ball sunrise.

A slight frost fringes the shadows
on the grass past the edges
of the house and barn.

Thicker drifts of snow
still hold to their retreating edges
and within the shade of buildings
and branches
and the sides of slopes and ditches.

It takes a greater warmth
than slightly above freezing
to ease into these colder places
where fewer traces of sun
and warm breeze can reach.

There are such places
in our lives
and among those that we know
where it takes more
than some slight glowing
to bring the freshening thaw,
a release
for the pleasing season of growing.

H. Arnett
3/8/13

Posted in Christian Devotions, Christian Living, Family, Farming, Gardening, Metaphysical Reflection, Nature, Poetry, Relationships, Spiritual Contemplation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Little Effort

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Doc Arnett

Jesus once healed ten lepers, all of whom were so ecstatic they took off in a big celebration without so much as a thank you to Jesus. Only one of them took the time and trouble to go back and express his gratitude.

Yesterday, in a totally out of character experience, I found myself trying to be more like the one, and less like the nine.

About twice a year we get reports from universities in Kansas telling us what sort of grades our transfer students are earning at their institutions. Well, at least we trust that they’re earning those grades and not getting them through a lottery or some sort of academic benevolence program. Every now and then, one of more of us will actually read those reports.

One such person on our campus asked me some questions about the report. I made up answers for a couple of his questions but had to dig deeper for some others. The deeper digging required a phone call to the university from whence had come the report. I called their institutional research department, on the mistaken assumption that someone there originated the report. Nope, the nice lady answering the phone responded, and immediately transferred me to another possibility. Second possibility was also very nice but had no idea what I was talking about.

Third person had no idea, either, but he stayed on the phone with me, briefly placing me on hold while he found out exactly who prepared the report and then transferred me to that person. She very politely and helpfully explained that there was no way she could provide me with the additional information that I wanted. I was dissapointed but did not allow my disappointment to dissuade me from preparing a nice little letter describing in some detail how persistently that Nick had helped me out instead of just transferring me to the first person he could think of. Then, I found out who Nick’s supervisor is and sent that letter to her.

I got a very prompt and appreciative response from her, thanking me for taking the time to compliment her staff and assuring me that she would share my comments with them. With five minutes of effort on my part, I contributed significantly to a better day for five strangers.

If all of us who like to feel appreciated would deliberately spend a few minutes a day expressing it for others, there’d be a lot more appreciation in the world. And we might find out that showing appreciation feels at least as good as receiving it.

H. Arnett
3/7/13

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Of Coming Light

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Doc Arnett

Just above the dark spreading form
of the cottonwood tree,
a quarter moon bleeds through
the thin drifting clouds.

Splotches of snow seem to glow
in the slight light
of moon and morning.

Yesterday’s warming melted most
of the thin places
and we thought there would be rain,
but the night’s lowering cold
refroze the surface
of the lingering drifts.

My boots barely crunch the crust
as I make my way
toward hay and horses,
north wind at my back.

In this drought and chill
it is easy to think of lacks
and a longing for warm rains,
but there is still hay for the rack,
and I have good boots
and a heavy jacket.

And all that I need
of daily bread.

H. Arnett
3/5/13

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Winter Party

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Doc Arnett

With a big pile of branches at the bottom of the hill, six inches of snow on the ground, the temperature hovering around the freezing mark and no wind in the forecast, I thought Saturday evening would be the perfect time for a little family get together. So we called Christy to see if she and her family could come over for a bonfire and hot dog roast. After the initial response of wondering if her favorite step-dad had lost his mind, she and the boys decided it would be a fine idea. Her husband, Craig, wasn’t able to make it due to conflicts in scheduling, other obligations and having had to work late on Saturday.

But the others pulled up the drive just about the time I was headed down to start the fire. Perfect timing. Hunter, fourteen, and his slightly younger brother carried the big trashcan full of sawdust and wood scraps and I carried an old feedbag with more wood scraps and a handful of newspaper.

It took a little while for the fire to build up enough heat to overcome the snow canopy but it wasn’t long before the big pile of limbs and scraps was blazing away. The boys and I talked while I threw in handfuls of sawdust that flashed and sparked as the bits hit the flames.

An hour later, with the flames down and a big bed of glowing coals, we sat on old plastic buckets turned upside down and roasted our hot dogs. Cold pop and some Cheetos rounded out the meal pretty well and the smores made a mighty fine ending to a mighty fine evening.

Folks and families that like each other and are open to the unexpected can usually find a pretty good way to get together, even on a chilly night when the drive is packed with ice.

H. Arnett
3/4/13

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Reflections Beneath the Snow

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Doc Arnett

Out past the grass of the east lawn,
beyond the line of hardwoods along the fencerow,
across the ditch of vines and ivy,
a vacant patch of dirt lies beneath the snow.

I know its folds hold their hardened shape
beneath the covering white,
held, frozen and unyielding to the forming
of late fall furrowing.

Eventually, bright sun and a slight warming
will eat away the white;
gradually, the blotches of soil will show
in a slow thawing of the surface.

Some of the melting will soak into the fringes
of unfrozen dirt;
some of it will spill away,
repelled by the glaze of ice and freeze.

Until these hearts of ours
are set free from fear of pain,
we will gain nothing
of all the grace and goodness that comes our way.

May gentle hands
and sincere hearts
bring a soothing softening
to our souls.

H. Arnett
3/1/13

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Treacherous Times

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Doc Arnett

Sometimes it seems that conditions are just perfect. Beautiful day, sunny and warm, ideal temperature. Great job, fun people with whom to work, good pay. Wonderful family, lots of love, mutual respect. Sometime, conditions are just perfect. And, sometimes, they are just perfect for disaster.

Okay, disaster is a great exaggeration, unless, of course, it’s your noggin that just hit the frozen ground or your car that just slid into the ditch. Neither of those, exactly, happened to me yesterday, but it wasn’t for lack of opportunity. We had a wet snow, well packed in the driveway and the temperature was just a couple of degrees above freezing. So, on top of the packed snow, we had a micro-layer of melt. I suspect the coefficient of friction was somewhere in the realm of graphite powder on polished metal. In other words, it was slick.

As I was turning the four-wheel drive pickup truck around, it just started sliding sideways down the slope toward the east pasture. No big deal, just a few feet and then I hit snow that wasn’t packed and resumed progress toward my original destination. A bit later, while walking very slowly and deliberately down the drive toward the barn, my right foot slid right out from under me. Since I was already in a half-crouched position, I managed to catch myself with one hand into the snow. So, there was no thunking of the cranium, which is usually a good thing to not thunk.

I knew it was really slick, I was wearing good boots with good traction and walking carefully, but I still fell. On the way back, I chose to walk through the six inches of snow rather than on the driveway.

There are simply situations in life when being careful is not enough; we need to choose a safer route. Particularly when something more valuable than our body is at stake.

H. Arnett
2/28/13

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Professional Distinctions

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Doc Arnett

Throughout this entire winter season, none of the predicted snowfalls have matched the hype of the media or the forecast of the Weather Service. All last week, local chatter and wire service whooped and hollered about what a severe storm was going to hit northeast Kansas. The day of the storm, the indication was for a storm total of eleven-to-fifteen inches. We ended up with barely over four inches. That’s how it has been for the last several months; precipitation usually hitting below half of the prediction. Until yesterday.

Yesterday, we doubled up. Instead of one-to-three, we ended up with nearly six inches of snow. What happened was this: instead of passing on through, the front stalled out over us and began to spin in place. I don’t think that’s how the NWS states it but for our purposes here, that’s what happened. So we got more of it than expected. Another bonus, of sorts, it was a “wet” snow, so we’ll be getting a bit more moisture out of it. Probably the equivalent of a half-inch of rain.

I do not at all believe that the Weather Service’s sub-par performance thus far this season is due to incompetence, laziness or indifference. My suspicion is that the weather patterns of the past few decades on which prediction models are largely based have changed. Nearly every storm that has come our way has shifted east south of Kansas City, leaving us outside the core of precipitation.

Patterns change, seasons shift, forces are altered. And, too, we should keep in mind that meteorologists make predictions, not prophecies. I suspect that many of today’s self-appointed prophets are more like Al Roker than Elijah.

H. Arnett
2/27/13

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