On
a trip to the Smoky Mountains, my family had hit four days of rain in a row.
The camper was damp; our sleeping bags were damp; our clothes were muddy. Life
in the car was tense; harsh words had been spoken; none of us felt very
friendly, let alone loving, toward one another. We had clearly spent too much
time together in cramped quarters.
In
a small town we found the cure for our malaise: a Laundromat, and theater, and
a restaurant.
We
washed our clothes, cleaned up in the bathroom, ate a good meal in a heated
restaurant, went to a movie, and then, before going back to the campground, we
stopped back at the Laundromat and ran our sleeping bags through the
drier.
Back
in the camper, we quickly got ready for bed, jumped into our still slightly
warm sleeping bags and went to sleep.
In
the morning the sun came out and dried the canvas. We took everything out of
the car, repacked, and started the next leg of the trip. Life was good again.
Prayer
Lord,
it is easy to bruise others’ feelings when we are out of sorts. With the gift
of forgiveness we receive from you, may we find the graciousness to forgive
those around us, so that we can again eat together and sleep in peace. Amen
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