A Good Foundation

He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, “Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye”, when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. ‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. ‘Why do you call me “Lord, Lord”, and do not do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.’ Luke 6:39-49

"The good person out of the treasure of the heart produces good." Today Mark and I celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary in the same place we honeymooned and where we have called home, a place where my parent's had their home before I was born. So here we are listening to the pounding ocean, the birds calling, walking the quiet streets, reflecting on the treasures of our hearts. We built a firm foundation on love and forgiveness, of laughter, creativity and not taking ourselves too seriously. We never had much money, we never had much celebrity and none of that means much. We clung to each other, lifted each other us and raised three wonderfully beautiful, wild and brilliant women. I am so grateful to God for a gift of the man who built with me a deep foundation of love.

Wondrous Creator, you are mysteriously present

in the humble and tender places of our lives

in the laughter of children and the sighs of elders

and in the twilight settling over the deep ocean.

You taught us how to love and to live together

we are often willful and insensitive to others

yet you always bring us back to the foundation

where love can blossom even among the weeds.

Help us Lord to make love our beginning and end

help us forgive others and ourselves so we flourish

keep us humble and simple so our days are joyous

and help us cling to the love you have given us. Amen.