Sow's ear purse

That sickness that pervades Creation has invaded my beloved, Paul. We call it cancer when it's in our bodies. The allopathic doctors have told him that there is nothing they can do for him other than, hopefully, ease the pain. Not the emotional pain, just the physical. It's hard to wrap my head around this.

Oddly, one of those old aphorisms popped into my head the other day. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I think I was thinking of those many stories about the gift in illness. I have to say that right now illness doesn't feel like gift.

None-the-less the saying stayed with me. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. And I was thinking that the problem is that it's a silk purse. I mean, why would you even think that a sow's ear would make silk? You could, however, make a pretty funky leather purse out of a sow's ear, which I would prefer anyways and it would be more practical.

Not that any kind of purse fixes the shitty situation but it does give me an image to work with. In my sow's ear purse I'm putting all of the love, kindness and compassion that people have shown. When Paul posted the news on his facebook fan page, he received an outpouring of love, expressions of grief, good thoughts and musical accolades. They fill my purse to bursting.

Luckily my purse seems to be a bit magic. It keeps expanding to fit more. Hugs, prayers and healing energy have been pouring in from my friends, ministry and energy healing colleagues across the country and beyond. A silk purse would not have been rugged enough to hold all of this pulsing energy. Definitely needed the extra strength.

There is no silver lining in this purse. The whole thing is just shitty.

And yet we are blessed by Love. Thanks be to God.

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