THE NOSEY NEIGHBOR- June Gloom.

THE NOSEY NEIGHBOR, June 5, 2020

JUNE GLOOM, moody and mild weather, the infamous weather phenomenon that casts a very un-SoCal atmosphere overhead but marks one of the best times for walking. The conditions are conducive to plant growth as evidenced by my neighborhood walks.

Today was one of those days. No sun! It was misty and I took my photo walk at mid afternoon.

Walking is free. Henry greeted me at the gate. He doesn’t do early mornings so I have not seen him for days.

An early morning walk is definitely better. For me an early walk is better before my day gets busy and I forget. It gives me the feeling of more energy and the ambiance of the quiet of the day suits me better.

This day should be celebrated for its 70’s, degrees that is, although this is my year.

It should be celebrated for its quietness, and hazily beautiful moisture, and subtle beauty.

This month should be celebrated for it was the month, I became a mother. It should be celebrated because God wanted my son home.

Writing is free.

It seems we cannot escape what rocks us to our core. After all this, we are still being asked to stay at home and a myriad other restrictions.

If we have ever found ourselves between a rock and hard places, these times are it. The disparities appear unfair, uncertainty and turmoil surround me as I fight to keep in right mindedness.

I remember when we first moved into our home in North Hollywood, there was a restaurant on Sherman Way, called Sambos right up the street which soon closed in 1983. The chain soon found itself associated with the Story of Little Black Sambo and renamed, because of its racist connotations.

On the walls were paintings of the story of “Little Black Sambo.” Not to mention, the name Sambo’s itself (unintentionally or not) signaled to people of color that they were not welcome at the restaurant.

In the early 80’s, a best seller at the time, Golden books, we had that children’s book, I read it to my children.

The book has thematic similarities to Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, published in 1894.

It makes no sense grumbling about it as the forced changes hang over us. Sunday after Sunday, we worship physically alone in our homes.

The fear of growing cold has got me worried. I worry about becoming weak.

One of the devil’s greatest weapons is isolation. During this time of isolation, Satan whispers lies to us.

He whispers…No one will even notice if you...

—“You don’t need them anyway. You’ll be just fine on your own.”

Isolation can come from many things, one of which is sin in our lives.

‘Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more disastrous is this isolation. Sin wants to remain unknown. It shuns the light’” (Partners in Prayer, pg. 53, John Maxwell).

Wading through heavy cognitive thinking has dulled my mind.

Teary eyed, I recall a powerful classic illustration our pastor told years ago about the Lonely Ember on the danger of isolation.

The Lonely Ember

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going.

After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.

Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.

After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination.

As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail."

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.

Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday."

When we don’t read the Bible daily or meet with other believers, we can become like that one lone ember; we become cold and our relationship with God and others is diminished.

There is nothing more to say about today. I’m sticking to my walking.