The other night there was a question referring to a cooking technique with an "ocean word" origin. I had never connected the "mar" in "marinate" with the ocean before. I thought the answer was brine for "briny;" I wonder if the judges would have accepted my answer.
A few days after that I was on my daily walk when I met a new friend who was relaxing on a log.
Now, we didn't exchange names or share any details about our lives, but we did accompany each other for a few moments on this chilly afternoon. I did wonder if someone had boiled Mr. Lobby's tail (*name invented since undisclosed*), or just how he ended up the way he did.
When I got home, I showed my next-door neighbor the picture. She figured he had to have been placed there since Lake Erie is fresh water, but I can still imagine that he traveled all this way because we were supposed to meet that day.
The best way to get to know someone, or some crustacean, is to spend time together building a relationship. I have been thinking about that a lot as I begin the Lenten journey. As I stand at the beginning of the next 40 (and now fewer) days, I have an opportunity to soak in my relationship with God in the special way that this particular liturgical season invites me to.
What better marinade than my loving Creator?
Let us walk in the holy presence.
