It's Still A Wonderful World

"I'm going to turn off the news," my friend Meredith posted. "I just might break."

Bombings in Boston ... exploding factories in Waco ... poison letters mailed from Mississippi ... and that was just yesterday's news!

I understand Meredith's feelings.

There is a lot of bad out there but ...

"I see trees of green ... red roses too ... I see 'em bloom for me and you and I think to myself ... what a wonderful world."

The song streams through my computer as though a direct message from God that in spite of all of the bad things happening, it's still a beautiful world.

Sitting back I take inventory.

I am sitting on the beloved back deck on a absolutely glorious morning. Fran's thousand shades of green dance in the ocean breeze. Hibiscus blooms surround me and sunflowers are reaching towards the sky. Choirs of birds are singing hymns of praise. The woman I love is inside making old things new. Within a mile radius live my Carnival of friends.

How am I so blessed?

There are a lot of things I do not like. I abhor war and rumors of war. I distain suffering of any kind. Selfishness sucks. Injustice is intolerable. I hate it when bad things happen to good people.

I've had my share of these things and, on occasion, have been as hurt and wounded as those in Boston and Waco with broken bones and a broken heart. I can feel there pain in a way that a politician never can.

Still ... in spite of malicious evil, deaths that are unjust and not fair to those it leaves behind, or the anguish of unanswered prayer ...  I can't help but to think to myself  ... what a wonderful world.