Shade Tree Wisdom 1/15/08

The date reminds me of an error I made last year when I forgot to take out the IRA deductions for the year. I wrote the IRS with an explanation, even sent along a note from the doctor who attended me when I had that stent put on, and received a note telling me they had received my explanation and ‘Don’t do anything till you hear from us.” Every 6 weeks or so I would receive another note telling me “don’t do anything till you hear from us, we have your case under review”.

Each note, of course, deepened my apprehension, because I could picture people, deep in thought, gathered around a large conference table deep in the recesses of the IRS Building, pondering how to deal with this nefarious person.

Well, I survived scrutiny and received final note. We have considered your request and your case is now closed. There will be no penalty.

It’s cold and sunny outside again today. I read where International Falls registered 50 below. I can’t even begin to imagine such cold. But when I was reading an article about snow in the mid-west the article mentioned two towns in Michigan that brought it home. They said they expected another 8 inches of snow, and I said, “Why, I bought a car from a dealer there, and we also picked strawberries one spring on a farm near there.” Sort of brings the story closer to being real, doesn’t it?

But all this meandering reminds me again of the words of Psalm 139, 1-10
1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

With that thought I leave you in this cold, that will again end when God directs.

GPD 1/15/08