The language of flowers are known only by God
He whispers, the sun kisses each petal
obeying His wishes, sharing
their fragrance with all passing by!

An analogy of a child seeking a better land

FIRST PART

Am I a child of innocent ways, traveling to a promised land I cannot see?
Things are confusing to me! Why this place here on earth is such a frightful place.
I wonder why You don’t stop the suffering of the people on earth. Sometimes I get
angry, but then that is scary, I know You know it is there and the world is in Your
hands. Still it is hard to understand.
Some people think You are mean and sometimes I do too. Could that be because I
have a picture in my head that isn’t really You? I would like to see Your face, to
see what You look like, but when I look to the left and then to the right and
behind, You are not there. Do You sometimes hide? Well, I guess it is up to me to
climb to Your lofty throne in the sky. I’m not sure I can do it alone, many times I have
tried. There is a stairway I see at the foot of a mountain reaching to the sky, I will
give that a try. It looks pretty slippery, and I’m not sure of my steps. You have
promised You won’t let me stumble, no, nor the earth crumble beneath my feet.
My clothes are tattered and torn and my shoes are worn. My feet burn and this
stone in my shoe really hurts, no matter where I turn. I really want to look my
best when I meet You in Heaven. I am almost there, but not quite, I have a little
bit more to go before I can rest. It is starting to get hot, I really need that shade
You have promised. It seems to get hotter and hotter and in this land there is
no water. Oh I wish I could talk to You, maybe You would understand. Every step
I take, I am sure this is the way, but You seem further and further away. With
trembling knees and arms that are weak, I can barely speak. And all there is, is silence!

Well God, I didn’t make it. I had hoped I would, but when I came close, all I could see
was consuming flames of fire and devouring smoke. In my despair, the stairs I had hoped
would get me there are gone. I’ll just go back one more time before I turn around. But
wait! I see a small thread of hope, a weaving of cloth in the distance. A silhouette of a
Man who tells a story!

“The desert is forsaken and the days are grueling, for this multitude of people, as they
leave a land of bondage. I once dwelt a long time ago with my people, in a desert of
mountainous sand. My presence was felt and they knew I cared. Take My hand, we’ll go
to that land – one that has a lesson for mothers and fathers and children like you.”
“Oh, there is a little child behind, can we invite her to come along too? And just
a minute, I must take shoes and clothes for my travels.” “No child, don’t worry,
clothes and shoes will be provided.” The way they travel shows clearly the right way to
go, and the child is excited!

From a poem written several years ago

With your plumage of striking white
and black tipped wings
On your returning flight to your beloved land
Seeking your nest, left for the rest of last years fledglings
Your descent finds a crushing glance
of winds of war and violent rage
of air filled with silt and smoke
Tempted to spiral higher to a distant land, spared
of this crushing load!
Could you stay and linger just one day
bringing harmony
to the families of the beloved Ukraine?

A white stork is Ukrainians’ favorite bird, arriving in
late March. As tradition has it, symbolizing harmony and family
welfare

Two weeks now into a war that is causing atrocities and fear for those
fleeing their country, and spreading panic around the world.
Our heartfelt prayers are continually ascending!
* * * * *

Before this event, we seemed to have gone about our lives,
engaged in everyday frustrations, and now the reflections
seem so mundane. We are reminded of the Great Wisdom
of long ago –

“What profit has a man from all his labor, in which
he toils under the sun? One generation passes away
and another generation comes…the sun rises and
the sun goes down…the wind goes toward the south
and turns around to the north, the wind continuously
whirling about…all the rivers run into the sea, yet
the sea is not full…
I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom
concerning all that is done under heaven…
I have seen all the works that are done under the
sun, and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the
wind”

Quote from the Book of Ecclesiastes
‘The Preacher’

The winds of earth pass us by
for all mankind
tears well up inside
spilling across the sky
Where do they come from?
Where do they go?
All this darkness
All this sadness
All this madness
And no place to go!

Your flower of peace is pressed to the ground, trodden under foot by
humanity’s boot
Through the winter’s cruel plight
your seed is preserved
no matter how bruised and abused you have been
So sweetly sleep until once more you bloom
and with a smile of love you will have forgiven

The sunflower is Ukraine’s
symbol of peace.

The sun, moon and stars are all in agreement, shining their
light on a broken world
when one land is covered in suffering and darkness, their light
shines brighter!

Prayers are continually ascending for our Ukrainian People

It seemed the easier way to go, the path was smooth and the
stones were few, the mountains and valleys viewed from afar. But
then the path became crooked, the mountains closer, the valleys deeper.
The wounded steps sharper, knocking on
doors with no answers!

The stone in my shoe is small
hardly noticeable at all
How it got there no one knew
Over time it grew and broke in two
I hadn’t a clue what to do
I even tried wax and glue
Maybe if I got a new pair of
shoes that would do, but
the smooth stone became sharper causing pain
walking on uneven terrain
* * * *
There is One who knows our steps

“He will go before ‘us’ and make the
crooked places straight…
the rough places smooth”

Five days into a war that has gripped the attention
of the world, and still there is a lack of words to express
the heartfelt prayers and thoughts, as a greedy nation
has descended, invading a people of a peaceful land.
Only humble words can be offered, as we pray for rest
and peace, for this war to cease!

Where can we go, where You have not been there
before?
Have we escaped from the One who traces our
journey
where can we escape from the presence of our
enemies?
“If we dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea”
and are cast into the depths of waters, if
our breath is taken from us, and the ropes of
death encompass us, even there the cords of
love bind us
“If we descend into the depths of hell”… we are
not left there. His eye is set upon us. If we
trudge into the “Valley of Sheol” descending
into the pit of fire with those who have gone to
sleep before us, though we must join the
dust of a crypt saved for us, He is by our side
“For where can we escape from His Spirit?”
“If we say surly darkness will steal over us
for darkness is no longer darkness for Him
and night is as luminous as day!”
For as surly as the sun rises in the eastern sky,
the Son of God will appear, and all suffering
and war will forever disappear!

(“)Quotes are from The Book of Psalm 139

“Let every sunrise adorn your mind with the power
of hope, let it paint your life with the colors of the morning sky!“

Debasish Mridha

On a fruitful hill the Gardner fences a plot, gathering stones
planting the choicest of vines.
The finest grapes of rose and purple clustered among
splashes of green leaves and branches, weaving through
shadows and sun!

The song of the Beloved touches his vineyard, his pleasant
plants reaping a harvest in the autumn, yielding fruits of sweetness.
A wine press is built to press the fruit, and a strong tower is placed in the midst
that his watchmen may watch for thieves and robbers, and the
people run into and are safe.

Hiring a gatekeeper to protect his vines, the absent Gardner
leaves the country, traveling to a far off land. The gatekeeper’s child
fair skinned with bright blue eyes and blonde tousled hair, digs in
flower beds with songs of laughter. One night the gatekeeper
became imbibed, partaking of wine. Becoming mean, he
fell asleep. As he slept an enemy crept in, stealing his child who ran and hid.

A darkness covered the garden, the fruit withered and
died, the sweet smell of the tender grapes now tainted, became sour
wine. The Gardner returns questioning “Where is my gatekeeper
and his child?” But there is no reply. Sleeping through the night
the gatekeeper comes to his senses, with love and prayers
bidding his son’s return.
The child runs into the the tower of safety!
The vines now tended with love and care, bring about much more
fruit than before!