Freedom, Just A Drive Away

I and 2 of my younger sisters visited someone here we care about this past weekend. The trip was an 8 hour drive each way. The visit in between the driving left us with so much to think about and no adequate words. I might write about this later, much later, when I can put into careful words exactly what I want to say, what I need to say...but later, maybe. The drive home through the rugged, desolate, and beautiful country of eastern Oregon made us even more aware of the contrasts of closely supervised confinement without soon expectation of freedom to the vast and wild country in between prison and our home. There was a dark cloud behind us, sunshine in front of us and we came upon this vast plateau with a scenic viewpoint overlooking the countryside below. As my sister Joni and I took pictures the clouds rolled in and the shadows changed every few seconds it seemed. "This magnificent view is preserved and protected by the efforts of the Oregon Roadside Council which initiated and secured the passage of the Oregon Scenic ahead....3,585 scenic miles of highways were surveyed and selected by the council and adopted by the state scenic area board. More than 7.000 signs and billboards which distracted and obscured scenic vistas were removed." Since Oregon can remove the billboards to allow unobstructed viewing of her awe-inspiring beauty I am going to leave the pictures I took which come nowhere near to picturing it as beautiful and vast as it truly is, without words.

"Freedom:Quality or state of being free : Liberation from imprisonment." Webster's

Justice ?

One thing I have learned in my life - not to expect justice, or fairness. ~ Life has shown me quite the opposite. Innocent people are often convicted & imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. Unborn babies are murdered because they are inconvenient. Harmless animals and children are abused and killed because they are harmless and vulnerable. The evil commit crimes for which they do not seem to pay, and brag about their gains. Where is the justice? I know people who have gone through terrible injustices at the hands of the very police and legal system they trusted to do right. Shame on you guardians, enforcers, and custodians of the law , disregarding and abusing the very people and children needing you to do what you have taken a vow to uphold ~ justice! "This is a court of law young man, not a court of justice." Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. ~ "The sad duty of politics is to establish justice in a sinful world." Jimmy Carter ~ In many countries now-a-days, as in old times, people are being imprisoned , tortured, and executed because they are Christians and have proclaimed their faith.At the same time I see the unjust, the unkind, the evil-doers, be lauded with fame and fortune. I see those who profit from the pain and misfortune of the innocent have wonderful and happy lives. The unjust seem to sleep very well with no hint of remorse. ( Don't expect any either ) Where is the justice? Justice, true justice , comes from God alone." Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the Lord understand all things.Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is crooked though he be rich....he who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayers are an abomination....the blameless will inherit good." Proverbs 28 : 5-10 ~ "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Thy throne O God, loving-kindness and truth go before Thee." Psalm 89:14 Maybe this is not a comforting post, but I have finally learned life in this world is more often than not, unfair. Good people get sick and die young. Rotten people live long and prosper. Each of us is given a life , our years here are numbered. We will all die, the good, the bad, the indifferent ( did you think I was going to say "the ugly"?). How we live our numbered days here on earth do matter. If we have been unjustly treated and abused, we still have the chance to rise above our hurts and the injustice by choosing to live each day God has granted us for Him, forgiving those who hurt us, and seeking ways to encourage and uplift those in our lives each day. " Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who has done wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality." Colossians 3:23-25

May Justice and Truth Prevail

~Myself with our oldest son's daughters, sitting on our stone wall, holding the youngest. The oldest daughter, (far right), is happily wearing my jacket, wool scarf and hat , the 2nd oldest ( far left) cannot focus on the picture taking because there is a bug that might crawl on her and she is watching it just to make sure the bug does not get her.~

~Friday, April 3....a few short hours from now, our oldest son goes to court in the high desert to represent the well being of his 4 daughters . Again, any prayers on behalf of them are appreciated. "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth." Psalm 145:18 "Because God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14 (To see previous background on this concern, read my post dated Tuesday, March 24.) ~None of us in our family presume to know how God will choose to work His will in our lives, but we know He is in control. He says in His Word.."It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man." Psalm 118:8

~The two youngest sisters.~