Watch the Walk

I sat working in the office, typing away at my computer. Suddenly I started hearing shouting outside, along with the sounds of someone being kicked or punched. I wasn't so excited to look outside and investigate, but soon the other people working in the office were all looking and reporting what they observed: The police were beating someone up.  I don't normally notice the police offices next to our office building, but this last week they've been hard to ignore. It actually turns out that the police weren't beating someone up for no reason. The person was resisting their efforts to... ... give him a hair cut. Yes, the police seem to have decided to clean up the city by grabbing men and boys with hair they deem too long off the streets and forcibly giving them a hair cut! Beware to the youths with fancy do's that involve a lot of hair on top. Their hair isn't respectable in this conservative city. Men who work hard and don't take the time to go to the barbe...

I'd had a busy week. I both hosted and participated in a workshop, as well as continuing normal life in the evenings (studies, meetings, check-ins, meals with others). By the time Saturday came, my list of things to catch up on was feeling a bit overwhelming. Laundry needed to be folded. Other laundry needed hand washing. Dishes. Straightening. Finance paperwork. Reports. And I had a doctor's appointment too.  As I expressed to Mitch the overwhelming list that was awaiting us after going to the doctor, his response caught me by surprise. "After the doctor, let's go to the beach." The beach?! How could I relax on a beach when the disaster of a house was awaiting my return? But something in my spirit prompted me to agree. We could go to the beach, then when we got home, tackle the work together. And you know what? It was exactly what I needed. We descended to the rocky beach, settled on a couple of benches, listened to the waves, read the Word together and prayed. A...