My quiet street glistens with rain this morning.The black asphalt reflects solar lights and porch lights. If the grass and flowers could talk, I imagine they would whisper, “Thank You for the rain.” And, guess what? Just as a reminder that spring is not actually here yet, we have falling temperatures and a snow possibility forecast for today and tomorrow. March certainly is not boring. Nor is she predictable. Whimsical, capricious, ever-changing and sometimes, downright mean–that’s March. Car lights move slowly down the street and someone tosses out a paper. With a clunk, it hits the driveway. All is quiet and peaceful and I am grateful.
In other places, peace is an unknown quality about this March morning. Maybe even in the hearts of people inside the quiet houses, all is not peaceful. I have no idea. I just know that sometimes all is not what it seems and, I suppose, from this mysteries are born.
A mystery writer takes what she knows, and wonders, “What if?” If there is no apparent mystery, she makes up one, weaving a story of intrigue, but having a solution at the end. Real life does not always have a solution but the writer of cozy mysteries has one up her sleeve, ties up the dilemmas in one neat package, and leaves the reader with a satisfied feeling that, at least in this particular brand of mystery, things always work out for the best. Wouldn’t it be nice if life were like that?
Then, there is the Malaysian mystery of the missing flight 370. I have heard lots of possible explanations but no one actually knows what happened. An airplane is an awfully big thing to just vanish. This is a tragic mystery, far from being a cozy, because it is real life and the hearts of many families are torn. What anguish, to not know what happened. I don’t see how there could be a happy ending to this true story, but if there is one, that would be a wonderful thing.
So, here in the middle of March, spring has a last fling with winter (at least, we hope it is the last one. Last year, we had snow on May 4). The rain is most welcome, and the cold–well, we just have to put up with it, knowing that warm weather can’t be far away.With real-life mysteries all around us, I hope you have a calm in the center of your spirit on this wet, beautiful Lord’s Day.
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).
Mary Edna Latty’s New Testament
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