“the sound was heard afar off”
Ezra 3:13
~
Boy, how much do I love Autumn weather! It’s not as cold as I’d like it to be, given that it’s Southern California, but it’s certainly not hot anymore. And the nights are getting cold. Last night was the first night that I started thinking about putting on our flannel sheets. That generally means we’re still a few weeks away from needing them, but at least I’m thinking about them!
It is perfect weather for open windows, though. I love having windows ~ and my sunroof ~ open, even in cold or rainy weather. Summer days can make me feel a little claustrophobic, you know?
But Autumn? Lovely. The sun sets a little earlier, shining from that way-off-to-the-side angle, casting a beautiful pale gold color to the trees, some of which even change colors and drop their leaves, just to get into the swing of things!
So, the windows were open the dining room the other day, and the kids were working in their rooms, and all of a sudden, in the quiet, I could hear the sound of distant artillery.
Yup. Guns.
It was the U.S. Marines, at Camp Pendleton. We live ~ I don’t know, 50 miles away or so, from Pendleton. And I love living in the general vicinity of a military base. I love seeing Marines at the airport once in awhile, or driving past a convoy on the freeway. One year, for a community service project with our kids, we participated in a “coming home” celebration that consisted of cleaning, stocking and decorating the barracks of soldiers who were set to come home. And of course, I’ve had a few friends whose husbands were stationed there.
But of course, a lot of the time, I forget that there’s a military base off in the distance. Until every once in awhile, when the wind patterns are right, we can hear them. It’s a comforting sound, somehow. It reminds me of the many, many men and women who take very seriously the job of serving and protecting our country and of how much I appreciate them. It makes me feel safer to remember that they are there. So the sounds of artillery don’t bother me at all.
But at the same time, that sound reminds me that there’s a need for artillery. There’s a need for defense. And not just because we live in a world that includes dictators and terrorists, but also because we live in a world of spiritual warfare. There’s a battle going on, though we often forget. That’s what happens when life gets too comfortable. We need to remember that the spiritual danger is ever-present.
Got your armor on?
Light Expectations 