One thousand reasons to give thanks number 685

I don't know how to write this post, and maybe I shouldn't at all. What is blogging for fundamentally? When I first started reading the gratitude thing on A Holy Experience I wanted a faithful attention to the great outpouring of love and provision that surrounds us all. And I can do that without a. boring you, or b. needing to send it into the blogosphere for affirmation.

Nonetheless here is, at the very time when I think I will drop fraise's lachrymose, something for which I am grateful. Incomprehensible as it is.

My children are alive. And my neighbour's child has died. It's not fair. After the devastating news last week, I can see how normal life is creeping back in at us from the edges. We still get to go looking at tents and holiday websites and have lunch in nice coffee shops and fight and bicker and shout.

In our lachrymose year my over-riding prayer was- preserve our lives and prevent our feet from slipping. And we were overwhelmingly preserved and protected.

I know that R's family would much prefer to be looking at holiday websites and having lunch and even fighting, bickering and shouting. It has been hard enough for our little school and streets; but my goodness, how long and hard will this road be for them?

Preserve all our lives. And prevent our feet from slipping. And if not, lachrymose is back in Daniel 3:17...