Finding Peace

The world does not feel like it’s getting smaller to me. Sometimes people say that it is because of email and connections to people through other people and the ability to get almost anything you want at any time of the day. But then I watch TV or read the paper, and I start to feel very small in a dark, scary place. On the news: high alert because of terrorists, people dying because of the heat, a vast majority of people naively denying that there’s any reason for our military to fight babies drowning in swimming pools, and so on. And in my own life I have seen so much sickness and death and hardship. The world overwhelms me. So, I find that I have to pull in and focus on the immediate things in life: call my mom, wash the dishes, kiss my husband, walk my dog, play on the computer…. In order to maintain sanity, there has to be some sense of normalcy for me. Oh, and I just remembered, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) And I sigh. Sometimes I forget God’s promises. I think that I’ve mentioned this before. I’ve been meaning to find a way to remember them better. I wish that I could think of a way to do a border around the top of the walls in my apartment that would not be difficult to remove. I’ll keep brainstorming.

I only have two and a half days of freedom left. On Sunday night I have my first faculty meeting, and then the school year will be in full swing for me. I love my job, but I am trying to drain every bit of vacation from this week that I can.

Today I went to Portland, TN with my parents to have lunch with my sister at Five Chefs. I enthusiastically recommend this charming restaurant. But good luck with finding it. They don’t advertise, and the sign in the front is tiny and inconspicuous. It’s all by word of mouth, and it seems to be doing quite well. They only serve breakfast and lunch, and there is also a lovely attached store called Occasions which holds an array of knick knacks, décor, furniture, and accessories. Delicious food, fun shopping, quaint atmosphere. I loved it. And of course I know that my companions lent quite a bit to the experience.

After Eva went back to work, we paid her a short visit at the bank, and then we made our way back to Nashville on Highway 31. I love traveling the old highways instead of the interstate. It’s a most relaxed ride, and there’s always so much more to see and talk about. Chris and I used to spend a fair amount of time driving old highways, back country roads, and down the Natchez Trace. It’s one of the factors of us falling in love. I hope that we’ll be able to take many road trips together in the future.