Missing in Action

I've been absent from my blog due to so much going on at once. What with an out-of-town guest and Easter weekend, I've barely sat down at the computer. I have to say that our church had the most inspiring Easter service that I have ever attended. At the end of the sermon, the pastor talked about "cardboard testimonies." What he meant was those individuals you see in big cities, especially in Florida, who are down on their luck and hold up pieces of cardboard saying things like "homeless vet" or "will work for food." He talked about what, as Christians, our signs might say. Then, one by one a number of people came out onto the stage, holding cardboard signs. One side was about their lives before becoming Christians; the other side was about where they are now. Some of the testimonies had me in tears because of where they had come from, where they are now. Just the shear bravery of exposing their pain to the world and then to see the bright smiles on their faces as they showed the flip side to their "cardboard testimonies." It was extremely moving and inspirational; a service I will not soon forget.

Now that Lent is over, I'm *allowed* to watch the news again. Funny thing is, I'm not really interested. I do want to keep abreast of the major stories but I've realized what a huge black hole of time it was. I would turn on Wolf Blitzer to catch up on the top stories and would find myself sucked in, listening to the same stories told over and over again. No more. I would much rather spend my time reading inspirational material and trying to find ways to make a difference - to be active rather than passive in the world - even in very small ways.