WHISPERING HOPE -- A MESSAGE OF HOPE FOR A DARK HOUR

I did not write this "Song of Comfort for Difficult Times" (as it is sometimes known) but it helps me and  maybe it will help others coping with these difficult days!  jl

             Whispering Hope

Soft as the voice of an angel 

Breathing a lesson unheard

Hope with a gentle persuasion

Whispers a comforting word

Wait, till the darkness is over

Wait, till the tempest is done

Hope, for the sunshine tomorrow

After the darkness is gone

  Whispering hope 

  Oh how welcome Thy voice, 

  Making my heart,

  In its sorrow rejoice

If in the dusk of the twilight

Dimmed be the region afar

Will not the deepening darkness

Brighten the glittering star?

Then, when the night is upon us

Why should the heart sink away?

When the dark midnight is over

Watch for the breaking of day

  Whispering hope 

  Oh how welcome Thy voice,

  Making my heart,

  In its sorrow rejoice 

 

 Hear this sung by Gordon McRae and Joe Stafford at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Yj_0N1mHo

Read about the author and history of this song at:  https://www.waltonsun.com/news/20190111/story-behind-song-from-folk-tunes-to-jail-to-whispering-hope

While this song was not written as a hymn it has been adopted in hymnals.  Published in 1868, authorship has been ascribed to Septimus Winner (1827-1902), writing under the pseudonym of Alice Hawthorne.  Read more at: https://www.christianmusicandhymns.com/2019/09/whispering-hope-hymn-story-and-lyrics.html

GOOD NEWS FROM KETTLE AND FIRE

 I like Kettle and Fire broths -- they add a lot to any meal and a great pick-me-up at any time! 

But I was concerned about gluten and casein -- they have so many varieties and it is hard to find this info when ordering online.  

So I wrote the company  and here is the response I just received from support@bonebroths.com

"Aside from the allergens listed specifically, our Soups are allergen-free. All of our soups and broth are certified gluten-free. They are also free from tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, shellfish, and soy (unless specified on the ingredient label.)

We also have rigorous cleaning and safety protocols in place to ensure we go above and beyond what is required by law to further ensure our customers' safety. Ingredients are packed and stored separately to minimize cross-contamination."

Good News indeed!

Also posted at: 

http://www.joansbackbonedisaster.com/2021/09/good-news-from-kettle-and-fire.html

(Note: I realize this post is not about COVID19 but now that I am not going out much to do shopping -- because of virus exposure and my broken back, I wanted to feature foods I could keep at home.)

UPS NEEDS MORE TRUCKS!

Walking around the block today (9/23/2020) I saw a U-Haul truck with two men standing next to it wearing UPS uniforms. I asked them why they were in a U-Haul truck. They said this was because UPS had run out of trucks! I guess I’m not the only one getting everything delivered these days of COVID-19!

BIKUR CHOLIM IN THE TIME OF COVID19

Jewish tradition  (much of which, I admit, I honor in the breach), counts among its commandments (mitzvot) the tradition of bikur cholim [BIH-kur KHO-lim], or visitation of the sick, a commandment meant to be honored at all times and without number.   

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikur_cholim

Bikur cholim is an ancient tradition rooted in G-d's visit to Abraham (in the form of a wayfarer) following Abraham's circumcision.  (Genesis 18:1)

This commandment is observed in many ways.  Some congregations send small delegations to visit patients in hospitals, or bring freshly cooked meals to homebound people, or help in other ways. 

The idea is that people who are ill should not feel isolated, and should still feel that they are part of a community.

But during these days of COVID19, this observance may present complications and even dangers. Jewish law places life above all.   The principle of pikuach nefesh, the preservation of human life, overrides virtually any other religious rule.  

Various organization have addressed this, remembering that we are enjoined to live by the Commandments, not die by them. 

One example is the effort of one community to observe bikur cholim via telephone in a more formalized presentation to assure that all congregants receive a call. 

https://jewishboard.org/resources/bikur-cholim-telephone-visitor/

Hopefully the spirit of bikur cholim lives on in other ways, including telephone calls, e-mails and snail mail. My own experience of living during this pandemic is complicated by multiple vertebral fractures making even judicious trips of out of my apartment painful. 

http://www.joansbackbonedisaster.com/2021/01/forgotten-but-not-gone-social-cost-of.html

I cannot find words to express my thanks to friends and family who have sent friendly e-mails, or who have called just to chat, telling me what is going on in their worlds, and who are even willing to listen to my gripes!  

This experience has certainly made me much more aware of the blessings of bikur cholim and, hopefully, a more mindful person.

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