I'm reading a book of short stories selected by Nick Hornby and enjoying most of them thoroughly. The best ones have all the fullness and depth of a novel, or more than many. That's what good writing's all about.
One of the stories is by Colin Firth. Say it with me Back to the Future fans--the actor? Yep, it's actually him. And as it turns out, his writing is better than his acting. Seriously, who has a favorite Colin Firth movie? Prove me wrong.
The title of Colin Firth's story is "The Department of Nothing". It involves storytelling, drudgery and family, in that order. A young man remembers his grandmother's epic fantasy story and how only the continuation of it redeems the rest of his life, the tile's Department. His only wish is for the story to continue.
This image resonates with me, as that's how I feel right now. I'm in the middle of a story, and that's where it got cut off.* I feel worse for the people I can't see, because the conditions they are in are worse than my puny unfinished story. But for me, it just feels anticlimactic. And that's just frustrating.
I was ready to go, to serve, and got cut off in mid sentence. I keep coming back to this place, and it may not offer much consolation to most but it works for me. I think sometimes we are supposed to feel helpless.
Many pray, and I thank them for it. But please join me in my helplessness. Pray for India.
* The mission's trip I mentioned a couple of posts back isn't happening because the area's not safe.
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