June 1, 2010

6-1-10 Tuesday, 6:35 am Grayrock, 67 degrees, mostly sunny

II Sam 18 – 19:10
David’s three generals lead his loyal troops into battle against Absalom and the Israelite troops who followed him. 20,000 men are killed, including Absalom. David weeps for his son, making his troops feel ashamed and as though they had lost and were cowards. Rebuked by Joab, David takes his place at the city gate and thanks his troops. This is a tragedy all around. Absalom’s rebellion, David’s retreat from Jerusalem, this bloody battle, Absalom’s death all add up to a difficult season. There are many leadership lessons here. David’s life and reign as king continues for decades and he gets through this hard episode.

I woke up this morning from a tragic dream. I was taking three children canoeing in a large body of open water, and all three came up missing. One was found laying down in the canoe, and I was swimming in the water, looking for the other two. Above the water and below the water I was searching for these children, wondering how I would perform CPR while still in the water, as I wouldn’t be able to get them back into the canoe. I awoke before the drama was over, determined to make sure children always wear their life jackets. Dreams are an unusual phenomenon. I have not had a memorable one in months. Recording them in this journal preserves them, as they evaporate as the day unfolds. What does this dream mean?

Yesterday we drove to O’Fallon for a barbeque at David and Danelle’s home. Highway 44was crowded with Memorial Day traffic returning to St. Louis from the Ozarks. It is such privilege to make the Ozarks my home. We met Marcus and his fiancée Rachel at David’s, and enjoyed reminiscing about their high school years. Marcus told us about the serious accident he had a couple of weeks ago. Bethany stayed there overnight, and Danelle is taking her to the airport this morning. During the 7 hours of driving to and from the St. Louis area, I was practicing the advice of Henri Nouwen, making my thoughts a dialog instead of a monologue. This was not a new practice for me, but the clarity of his description is helpful. Praying without ceasing is my goal.