Hard to believe

So, I went back to the District Superintendents office last Wednesday and reminded them I was in town and would be willing to preach somewhere.  The only one there was the office manager and she was completely overwhelmed.  She said what she really needed was someone to do volunteer hours to scan some paper into a computer.  

Well, it didn’t sound that exciting, but I called today to say I could help.  O.K. I understand that she was having some kind of “water emergency”, but she completely blew me off.  Why would anyone do that with a willing volunteer.  Even if this afternoon didn’t work, why didn’t she set up something for tomorrow?  

I just keep on thinking, I hope I don’t do this.  Say I need help,  then refuse help when it comes.  

The other thing I think is, how sad is this that I can’t even get volunteer work.  Granted I was only willing to do this job because I wanted to get my ‘face’ out there for the District Superintendents in this area, but really I need something to do in the afternoon.

I have included the picture of my animals because they make me smile.

Great News!

No, it’s not a job yet; I got my Library card.  I love the library.  I got a book for Mom to read, a book for me to listen to in the car and a Blue Ray for us to watch.  Where can you get so much great stuff for free AND you don’t even have to store it.  They do that for you.  I love the Library.

I also took Mom and Dad to see my Dad’s brother, George D. and his wife, Jean.  These are the last members of my family in their generation.  After an hour visit in their home in Winchester, VA, it was clear that my parents have much to be grateful for – my uncle and aunt are much more mentally challenged then my parents.   But, it was good for them all to be together again.

I hope you have had something to celebrate today!  If not – make it up and let me know what you come up with.

You never know. . .

This is a favorite phrase in my family.  It simply means, you never know how something will turn out.  Something that seems like a bad thing could bring something good and something you thought would be great, just isn’t.  You get the idea.

Well, that has been my day.  Aqua Zumba was delayed and finally cancelled because of a lighting storm.  (Who knew you couldn’t swim in an indoor pool when there is lighting outside?)  Anyway, it would seem like this is a bad, but this gave the opportunity for conversation with another Zumba lady.  This is the first time anyone has done anything besides return my “hi”.

It was interesting because as we had exchanged and said I had moved to town to care for my parents, she asked if I had a home church.  I just looked at her with a surprised look on my face and wondered if I had “Pastor” tattooed on my forehead.  She said she loved her church and just wanted to invite me to visit.    Wow, I thought, how many people do I know would invite someone they just met to church, or even just ask if they have a ‘church home’.  I also love the phase ‘church home’, a place where you are welcome to come and sit a spell.

So, the other part of my day and other half of , ‘you never know’ was getting Maryland crabs for lunch.  I grew up on hard shell crabs, opening them, picking them, and feasting on the sweet meat inside.  It takes a commitment and skill.  Dad and I got 3 dozen crabs from a truck in a strip mall parking lot a couple of weeks ago.  We went back at noon today and got 2 dozen today, but they were not great.  All the anticipation of delicate sweet chunks of white meat, dissolved into small stringy bland meat.

O Well, you never know.  I pray you continue to keep your mind and heart open to possibilities, because you never know..

Blink an eye

Blink an eye and a week passes.  Blink an eye and life changes.  The events in a movie theater, of a college campus, of a high school. . too much violence, too many deadly weapons using deadly force.   I never seem to have any answers to any of this.  But today I was reading Psalm 130.  These words make sense to me.

Help, God — the bottom has fallen out of my life!  Master, hear my cry for help!

Listen hard!  Open your ears!  Listen to my cries for mercy.

If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance?

As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you’re worshiped.

I pray to God –my life a prayer –and wait for what God will say and do.

My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning,

waiting and watching till morning.

Oh Israel (my friends), wait and watch for God — with God’s arrival comes love.

with God’s arrival comes generous redemption.

No doubt about it — he’ll redeem Israel, buy back Israel from captivity to sin.  The Message.

 

The only hope we have, the only hope we have ever had is to look for God in every moment of life.   I wish for you the psalmist words, “I pray to God — my life a prayer.. 

 

Here’s the face

A man’s face is his autobiograpy . . .Oscar Wilde

Since my life is quiet right now, I thought I would give you a picture of Dad. This was taken on his 85th birthday, six months after his heart attach that did permanent damage to his kidneys. I took Dad to a picnic with a Seniors church group. He caught up with a few friends. Of course, he would rather catch up with people on the golf course, but that has not been possible for the last two years. But he likes to watch history shows on the Smithsonian and National Geographic Channels. He has recently read a biography of Lincoln and is now reading a biography on Washington.
Dad tires easily, but he keeps going.

Fallow

A time for laying fallow

I have always loved the idea of letting a field lie fallow for a season to refresh it and allow it to grow a better crop.  I feel this is a fallow time for me.  A time to really do just a little bit each day and none of that very challenging.
I am not whining here; I am just wondering how much any of us are willing to surrender ourselves.  I think of the prayer from John Wesely that we often say on the first Sunday of the year.  Part of which says, “Put me to what you will, let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you.”   Even when I would say these words I wondered who would really be willing to be laid aside; even for God.
Now I am not saying I am being laid aside for God, but I am saying that this new reality brings questions into my mind. Questions about what it is to slow down, to be present to older people who have difficulties doing thing that used to be simple. And that I want to see these days in my life as an opportunity to lay fallow – to be strengthen myself as I lend strength to my parents.

Leaders

I love Aqua Zumba and this morning was my third time.  Here’s the issue; each time I have had a different instructor.  And, each of the instructors have a different idea of where I should stand in the pool; up to my arm pits?, up to my chest?? a little above the waist??? Who do you believe.  What is the right way in the Aqua Zumba world?

OK, so I have never been very concerned with the right way.  But, as I started thinking about my confusion over a simple thing like, how deep do I go in the water, I though of all those people who have had “God questions” and looked from one leader to another for the ‘right’ answer.  I have been around church stuff all my life and have thought about God questions a lot and I know that there is no right answer.  Yet, what about someone starting to think about God stuff for the first time; thinking there are right ways to go about a faith journey.

Well, I think the important part is the one who leads.  You see my first two Aqua Zumba leaders just told me where to stand.  My leader today told me why.  (Deeper in the water means you don’t work out as hard).

So, for those who are reading this, if you have been on your faith journey for awhile, just know you can be a leader for someone else.   I think it is always better to engage the conversation of why than to tell someone what to do.  Share with someone what works for you in your faith; what you find helpful about church or the Bible; or just let someone know that  God is listening and present and cares.    Have a cup/glass of your favorite beverage and talk about God today.

This ones for Kaleigh

Dance like no ones watching; well maybe the camera!