October 26-B, 2022

**The Oak Tree 11/27/2007 Oil Paint Rendered — Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Greensboro, North Carolina**

There is nothing wrong
with living in protest of,
and in resignation to,
the way things are.

They could be better
in 10,000 ways,
some of which we control,
or could have controlled,
or might have controlled,
or prevented,
and here we are,
living with what is to be lived with,
in the time left for living.

And who couldn't have said the same things
at any point in their life?

We all have reason 
to live in protest of,
and in resignation to,
the way things are--
even as we live to redeem 
what can be redeemed,
and redress
what can be redressed,
and do what can still be done
about the way things are!

It is called,
"Living with our eyes open,
without running away!"

Are you with me here,
or am I doing this on my own?

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Published by jimwdollar

I'm retired, and still finding my way--but now, I don't have to pretend that I know what I'm doing. I retired after 40.5 years as a minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, serving churches in Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina. I graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Austin, Texas, and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. My wife, Judy, and I have three daughters and five granddaughters within about twenty minutes from where we live--and are enjoying our retirement as much as we have ever enjoyed anything. View more posts