Not now, maybe later.

A cyclical thought. I sit down after I correct a student's behavior for the umpteenth (times seven) time, and I wonder...what is the point? But like stirring a pot of red soup reveals a torrent of hearty colour, the answer is quick to answer back, "Because it makes a difference." Easy. Now I hear the CBC announce a tornado warning for the rural municipality where Julia is working her night shift, and I wonder...what if? I think of how our endeavours are focused on the plight of others, the education or physical-stability of others. Would God allow a tornado to change all of that? Isn't our priority correct? And I think about the unit that I am discussing with my grade 8s, Job. I keep telling them that while we know that God loves us, like goldfish in a tank cannot understand their human owner, right now we too cannot fully understand His ways and must accept them. Easy. And I think how Job-like I would be in accepting God's Will in the event a tornado would change our lives forever. And I think, and I literally cry, about the sweet girl in my class whose mother is being utterly ravaged by cancer. And I think about how my flippant words are about accepting God's Will. It is not Easy. It's Terrible. And I think about the divorced parents of the kid whom I just lectured. I think about the prayer requests my students have lifted to the infinite loving forgiving God. And I think about Job. And I thank God that I am not Job, because I don't think I would be strong enough.

Check out Iron and Wine here, and a review of the music here.

My recent perusing of the graphic novel section of our nearby public library has resulted in the finding of an amazing text-less graphic novel/picture book: the Arrival, by Shaun Tan. Please check it out. The drawings are beautiful.