Begin Blankly

 

I came to my writing time this morning with my mind a blank slate… no idea what I as going to write about.

And after reading an article on avoiding making mental assumptions about people, I realized that the “blank slate” concept is exactly the way God wants us to approach each person we meet, with no expectations or preconceived ideas of what to expect from them… to see them just as they are in that moment, and with Jesus’ eyes of love and compassion.

I had read David Brook’s post this morning on how to greet people… to recognize that “we are all equal on the level of our souls”, and to simply love on them as Jesus would… warmly, and openly eager to love, respect and accept them as they are. Then the love of God can flow through us to them and “write on their souls” the exact words they need to hear at that moment.

How to achieve that absence of appraisal or judgment, however, is the question. Perhaps it begins with a personal cleansing at the start of the day, sort of like a morning shower that washes away the grime of other influences that have come our way and perhaps affected the lens through which we view the world and the people in it.

In my bathroom at the moment there sits a container of drain cleaner, to clear clogs of hair and grime that have stopped the flow of water through the pipes. Sometimes we need a dose of the same spiritually to be the pipeline of God’s grace to others that He intends for us to be.

 “Always be humble, gentle, and patient, accepting each other in love.” 

(Eph 4:2 NCV)

(photo credit: Unsplash/Mike Tinnion)

A Little on the Wild Side...

I’m on “Willa watch” today.

My middle son, Mark, is working in nearby Middletown this week… so he came from Kansas City to stay with me for the few days he’ll be in town – truly a delight for me. And he brought Willa with.

Willa is a one-year-old cockapoo… the sweetest thing!… but with a mind and a will of her own. The two of them frequently combine to get her in trouble, as they lead her to chew things she should not, be a little over-exuberant in her greetings and her play… and a little less likely than she sometimes should be to sit or stay.

I’ve been warned to keep an eye on her at all times while Mark’s at work. If I don’t know where she is… then she’s getting into trouble somewhere. Or so they say.

They sometimes leave her leash on her after a return from the potty field in the yard, and I find that I like that. She doesn’t mind it at all, but the sound of it trailing behind her makes her easy to locate. I know she is nearby without constantly laying eyes on her.

I like to think that God is equally aware of where I am at any moment of the day. There’s comfort and security in knowing that should I wander where I shouldn’t, His hand knows where to find me and gently lead me back to the safety of His side.

"Where an I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." 

(Psalm 139:7-10 NIV)

 

No Winners in Solitaire

 

When she first entered the hospital, she was given a “welcome” bag of sorts that contained small toiletries of various kinds… and a pack of playing card to help pass the time. She began playing solitaire, and soon our daily text messages would include a mention of an occasional victory… but more often, a string of continual losses. She would celebrate the former and bemoan the latter. And really, she had it all wrong. In the game of life, we rarely win by going it all alone.

I read it today: “A failure to live life on my own is not a failure at all.”

We simply need each other. I love the word picture I was gifted with today… about how in the rowboat of life, sometimes we’re the one pulling the oar… and sometimes we just have to ride.

She’s learned that now. When her feet were (literally!) knocked out from under her, she had no choice but to depend on the assistance of others to see her through. She has realized in new ways the blessing of friendship, the deeper levels that go beyond a quick wave in a grocery store but instead become the working means to accomplish all that needs to be done… the dirt errands that are difficult and time consuming… and thus costly.

And she’s “pulling on the oar” occasionally, too, in ways that she can – offering financial and emotional support to others’ missions and purposes in ways that she can.

She may have lost a lot of games of solitaire, but she’s learned a lot about winning in life in the process. It’s a good trade.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one my be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 NIV)

(Photo credit: Unsplash/Kim Musalimo)

Patience in Planning

Unsplash/Svitlana

 

 

 

Thinking back to the most successful diet plan I ever had, my mantra back then was an easy and acceptable one to this one who was reluctant to give up the foods she loved: “You can still eat whatever you want… just not all on the same day.”

I was willing to stick to the plan if it meant I could still have pizza and chips… but in measured amounts at specific moments in time. I could still have it all… just not all at the same time.

So Ann Voskamp’s blog on the subject of women’s desire or ability to “have it all” in life rings true to me. There were lots of “not now”s and “later!”s in my marriage and motherhood years… but they worked together to create a life I loved an am still enjoying today.

I’m finding the same to be true in retirement. I entered it with a long list of things to do or try, now that I am schedule-free. And I was dismayed to realize that I couldn’t do it all… at least, not all at once. In the year and a half that I’ve been work-free, I’ve learned to likewise be worry-free about my retired life and lists. I realize now that I can do it all – just not all in the same day, week, month, or year. And there is such beauty and rest in this realization! I focus on the current project (or line on the to-do list!), whether it be a home repair/upgrade, a writing plan, a summer reading project, or an upcoming event to prepare for. And I let myself devote my time and attention to that one item alone, knowing the others will have their time and place eventually as well.

As usual, Ann Voskamp expressed it best: “All the seasons, one at a time, make a full year”… and a full life.

“ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV)

 

Message Received from a Dead Phone

(CardMapr.nl)

This morning I woke up but my phone did not. And I was absolutely terrified.

It was the craziest thing. Like always, I turned on the light, put on my glasses and then tapped the phone to bring it to life…but nothing happened – I was still looking at the black screen. I tried everything I could think of… unplugging and then plugging it back in…tried turning it off… but the screen didn’t come alive and so I couldn’t “swipe” to turn the phone off and hopefully back on.

What scared me so badly was that I felt so completely alone and out of touch. I couldn’t call for help, get directions to the Apple store to get it fixed… even have access to my passwords to enable so many necessary functions! I quickly got up and dressed in case I had accidentally called the “Emergency SOS” number in my attempts to restart my device - I didn’t want any paramedics who might arrive to see me in my pajamas! I went to take the dog out but stopped to plug my phone in using the charger cord in the living room instead of the one in my bedroom… and the phone came back on! What relief! I was suddenly as thankful as I had earlier been fearful.

Apparently it was just a fluke, as the phone is working fine now… or was it? There’s a reason the enemy attacks first thing in the morning, before I’ve had a chance to “dress myself” properly in my devotional time. I’m especially vulnerable at that time of day. Maybe God was sending a message I needed to receive.

Once I got my coffee and had calmed down, I tried to think of how I should prepare myself in the chance that it might happen again. And turning to God first thing every morning… turning my “God” on… is so much more important than turning on my phone! Funny that God was able to use a seemingly dead phone to get that message through!

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 NKJV)