Wednesday, May 07, 2014

This Beautiful Broken World



A walk over the weekend took us by the naturalized front garden on Lily Street. Currently blooming among ever lengthening grasses are native Camas Lilies. The tubers of these plants were a staple food for the First Nations People who once lived here. There are also white Camas Lilies, but those are poisonous. Only the blue ones are safe to eat, thus, harvesting must take place when the plant is in bloom.
 

Nana pushed the stroller, but Little Miss S preferred to walk. We kept her overnight while her parents enjoyed an anniversary getaway. All went well although after her bath she wanted to "go downstairs, see Mommy." At nearly 2 she hasn't spent much time away from her parents.
 

How beautiful the bluebells are in the woods, here framed in front of a mossy tree. The world is so full of beauty, yet brokenness is everywhere.

Girls are captured and held as trade goods in Nigeria. A Nigerian student at our local university spoke on the radio this afternoon, expressing sorrow not only for these girls, but for all who live in that country under fear of such things happening.

Dear friends of ours lost their beloved 27-year-old daughter to cancer this week. The next day, their older daughter gave birth to a lovely baby girl. How does one come to grips with such onslaughts of sorrow and joy? Faith gives hope for the future, but the anguish of loss now must still be born.


Buttercups bloom in my lawn. I am drawn back into the past to my grandparents' small farm in the Fraser Valley where, in the summer, I gathered fistfuls of these sunny flowers, wanting to bring their brightness indoors. They soon wilted and lay limp in the glass my grandmother provided.

Life goes on in the midst of brokenness, and it is beautiful. Finding the beauty and letting it seep into my soul while acknowledging the pain of the world seems paradoxical. Yet, I believe that one day, all things will be made right, and so, I'll ache and weep with those who weep and still look for beauty in each day.

19 comments:

  1. Such sorrows in this world...all those girls kidnapped...it is hard to fathom such evil. Your friends saying goodbye to a precious daughter and the very next saying hello to a grandchild...I know that God does not leave us comfortless. Have said a prayer, which somehow makes me feel better, as if it was some small thing I could do. We have been praying for a miracle for those girls. One mother said that their rescue depended on the government, and while I am sure that governments will help, I know better than to believe that such things are accomplished without God.

    That's a mighty sweet photo of grandfather and granddaughter...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the photo of your little one walking with grandpa. Very sweet. Joy and sorrow...it really is with us everyday. Waiting for the day when the Lord sets all things right...

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is a very sad and broken world indeed and I agree that we must still look for the beauty in each day to outweigh the bad. Yesterday was a bad news day for my family so I'm trying to grasp the bad and the good together and try to make it alright. I have never heard of the Camas Lilies. They are beautiful and nice to know they are edible too. Blessings. Pam

    ReplyDelete
  4. Reading your post just now I am shivering and have goose bumps....so many troubles in our world both personal and global. We must find a way to cope....whether it is faith, family or natural beauty. Let us not despair.

    ReplyDelete
  5. And a large number killed today in Nigeria. Beautiful, thoughtful writing, Lorrie. I'm sorry for your friends' lost. I've known of so many deaths recently where a new life joins the family very soon.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's hard to understand the atrocities that occur in other countries, never mind our own. I have always believed that just as a life goes in to the world beyond, a new one enters. It's not always the same family but the thought is comforting.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've been moving between these two poles myself lately, although I haven't suffered such an immediate loss -- I'm so sorry for your friends, and for you. Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The only way is to look for those infinitesimal moments of joy. They are there even in the worst of times.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Finding the beauty really must be one of the best prayers for all of them don't you think? There aren't words for the sadness but a place to rest in the beauty. Such a wonderful post.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for saying something about this. I have been hurting for these girls and their families, and also for that young woman who video taped her abortion. So much pain. I am so sorry for your friends loss, also, and then yes, Joy! How precious to have that little one to help them keep going forward everyday.

    Deanna

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sending you big hugs x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well said, Lorrie. The news from Nigeria is shocking and so very sad.
    My heart goes out to your friends on the loss of their young daughter. I can only imagine the emotional roller coaster they must be experiencing with death and new life coming so close together.
    It seems when times are especially overwhelming, the beauty of nature never fails to help ease the sorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Much to ponder in your post today. The juxtaposition of joy and sorrow...tragedy and beauty...love and hate. Only by His grace do we stand in any of it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yours is a beautiful post. The mysteries of life, and death, joys and sorrows... like you, I believe that one day everything will be made right.
    It reminds me of the conclusion of Maupassant's novel "Une vie" : « La vie, voyez-vous, ça n’est jamais si bon ni si mauvais qu’on croit » (Life, you see, is never as good nor as bad as one thinks") When you're in the midst of turmoil, it feels like it will never end - but people are strong, and they get through it, and time helps with the pain - and life goes on with the good and the bad, far away or closer to home. I sure wish I could make things better and eradicate evil, but it's not in my power - so I do what I can everyday, at my own level - and sometimes I fail, because I am human and imperfect - but I keep trying. Thanks for this thought provoking post and have a nice day (and week-end)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Such terrible things are happening in Nigeria. Women have such a hard life in many countries don't they?

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a heartfelt post. The words to the song, He Gave Me Beauty For Ashes come to mind when reading this. It's true the world is full of brokenness but it's all filled with joy and as believers we have the promise of a future without any broken hearts. I loved your pretty photos. Your little Granddaughter is adorable walking with Grandpa. Those Bluebells are so pretty and I love Buttercups.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Tears of joy and sorrow seem to be taking their turns . . . sometimes side by side . . . but without one would we truly know the other? Waiting for the day when there will be no more tears.
    Happy Mother's Day to you, Lorrie.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Such a beautiful bittersweet post. I will pray for your friends, Life is cruel. It is beautiful but fragile. We never know what is going to happen next. Thank you for this beautiful share.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Beautifully written post. We as believers DO have hope--even as we make our way through this very broken world.
    Blessings, Aimee

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment. I read and value each one, cherishing the connections we can make although far apart. Usually, I visit your blog in return, although if you ask a question I try to contact you directly.

A Wander Through my Mind

  Nothing is so beautiful as Spring -  When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush; Gerard Manley Hopkins When I opened my bedroom...