What Appears to Me...

The river appears very still this morning, with the gulls fluttering in and out of the scene outside my window, the opposite hill and trees reflected in the mirror image of the water.  Occasionally, you will see the ripple appear and slowly dissipate where a fish has disturbed the evenness of the water.  If I didn't know this river, if I hadn't experienced the current itself, I would never know that it runs even now under that stillness, that fish and other aquatic life are active in their quest for food.  It never stops.  But to the observer above, it is all calmness and serenity.

Every person I see today will present an exterior that can be camouflaging a turbulent interior or truly a gentle spirit.  Only God knows for sure.  I can wrongly judge a person's intent, attitude, purpose, conviction or desire.  I can place him or her in a category unfairly determined or inappropriately justified, because I base my opinion on what I see, hear or smell.  Can anyone know the true nature of another human being without being biased by our own experiences, convictions or emotions?

Reading a great devotional today brought me to this sentence:  Knowing God's true nature is important because we become what we worship.  How can I know God's nature without knowing what He's said, what he's commanded?

I vow this day to know my God more thoroughly, to keep His words on my heart and in my mind so that my own views, my own desires do not interfere with my worship of Him, that no one or no thing ever come between me and my Father in heaven ever again.  And when I look upon this river of calm, I can reflect on my spirit actively seeking and practicing those things God has commanded in order that my nature reflect the Creator.

And Then There Were Three...

Just when you think you're full-up on joy and awe in your life,  blessed beyond anything you deserve, your arms are filled with a small bundle of new life that takes your breath away and humbles you before the Lord.  Giving birth.  Simple words, simple meaning that unless you've experienced it yourself or watched your children experience it, you cannot fathom the full measure of love.  It is instantaneous, never fully appreciated until you are struck dumb with the gift of life and your emotions spill over and you are...so...very...thankful!

We probably take childbirth for granted these days, and with the advantage of epidurals, pain is better contained.  But it cannot cover up the sheer joy and wonderment of knowing you have nourished that baby inside your body, giving birth to a tiny human with perfectly formed limbs, still totally dependent on mother and dad's care and protection.

I was fortunate and blessed yesterday to see our newest grandson born into this world, Elijah Reed Evans, giving Mark and Erin a total of three beautiful boys.  Even though we are counties away from him today, I envision his tiny face and the intent way he looked and listened to whoever was holding him.  To do so brings me renewed joy and happiness and I thank God for blessing us so!

Whoever says birth is not a miracle has not considered the delicate process only God could create, the intricate design of nourishment and growth within the womb...and the marvelous bonding of one unseen!  

My prayer for this child is immeasurable love of the Lord, that his future be secure with the promises only God can provide.  I have no doubt that his parents will bring him up in God's instruction, that they will love him unconditionally as God loves us.  

It's a beautiful day today, little Eli, and you are much loved! 

 

Perspective is Relative

"Everything's relative."  Years ago, I worked in a small office with a guy who had a habit of saying that, like it was the answer to all life's questions.  It was annoying, really.  But whether it was because he said it so many times that it became imbedded in my mind, or whether he actually gave me something worthwhile to think about, I remember his words and they come to me at unexpected times.

During these dreary, snowy, cold days, I struggle to keep busy and not snuggle back in my bed.  I am not motivated nor am I content.  The few times the sun has broken through the glum, I am immediately more energetic, and my spirits are raised considerably.  See, everything's relative!

Living with chronic back pain is not easy (I'm not really changing gears...stay with me!).  Dealing with it and knowing there is no answer to your health problem is frustrating and depressing, draining you of energy better spent elsewhere.  If you aren't careful, your whole life becomes centered around the pain and self-pity for your circumstance.

Then you learn of a good friend who has developed seizures (with no

decipherable underlying cause), which has the ability to take hours from each day of her life, being unable to control them and literally making her a prisoner in her own home.  Suddenly, my back pain is less painful.

Then you think of another good friend who battles MS every single minute of every single day and night - without complaint, I might add.  Suddenly, my problems seem really small and I start...

...praying for my friends who are battling illnesses, for those who have lost their jobs, their homes, their loved ones; counting my blessings, being thankful for the very air I breathe, for the ability to get up out of bed each day to either work or play with my grandchildren, for being a child of God, and I...

...forget...my...back...pain.  

Wasn't our God just the smartest when He taught us to put others first, to love our neighbor as ourselves?  You see, he knew what would happen when we did that.  Our pains, our discomforts and disappointments fade when we use our energies toward others...and I'm pretty sure that's all relative.

A Different Result

They say everyone should move about every seven years just to get rid of junk.  Okay, I get it.  We've been living on the Tennessee River for going on 12 years...and while some things may not be junk, it's still stuff...and it's got to go!  So, I literally have piles:  throw-away, gift-away and keep.  Sometimes I have to go all over everything again because I've forgotten which is which.  Then I have these boxes of packed things that I hope we won't need before we actually move.  THEN, we had a perspective buyer who wanted to see this house today, so we half-heartedly cleaned around the boxes and piles, hoping someone would be able to see beyond the disaster in progress.  Another part of moving that I dislike.

In the midst of my scurrying, tired steps and wanting to appear nonchalent over whether they liked the house or not, this gentleman and his son arrive.  Less than a minute into our conversation, the father spoke of losing his wife recently and the lost, hurting soul of a man was revealed.  As he talked, my mind was bombarded with memories of my dad after mother died, how hard it was for him to function, to reason, to speak of anything or anyone other than his loss.  Grief does that to you.  It robs you of joy, of time, of awareness that life goes on until the Lord calls you home.

The last thing this gentleman today needs to do is make big decisions, changing his residence being one of those.  He needs time to grieve.  Instead of putting my hopes in selling this house, I will pray for this man and his family, for the loss of this wife and mother, and ask God to give them all peace.  Amen.

And a child shall lead them...

It was seven years ago.  The call came around 1:00 a.m. and I sprang from the bed like a young'n proclaiming, "We're going to be grandparents!"    It was about an hour and twenty minutes to the hospital, and even though I just knew we would be too late, we had a pretty long wait in that comfy waiting room.

But as the time got nearer, my daughter, Missy, gave me the greatest gift I had ever received...the pleasure, the incredulous moment of watching my grandchild being born into this world!  I was video-taping - from the head of the bed, mind you! - not realizing that with each push she gave, I was holding my breath and literally slumping down the wall when the contraction was over.  Whew, that was tiresome, but so exciting!  Crews was born looking wide eyed, so alert so soon, and taking in the sights around him.   Missy was calm - epidurals will help you with that - even though the room seemed so crowded with people and activity.  It was one of the greatest moments of my life, and I thank the Lord above for that safe delivery and beautiful child!

It is now seven years later, and Lord willing, we will be seeing our eighth grandchild by Monday, February 7th!  Mark and Erin will be having their third child, Elijah "Eli", which gives us seven grandsons and one granddaughter!  WHO KNEW WHAT A DIFFERENCE GRANDCHILDREN WOULD MAKE IN OUR LIVES!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

My Best Friend

Have I told you about my best friend?  He has literally turned my life upside down, taken me on a roller coaster ride, and has been the greatest blessing of all!  He's very smart, has the biggest heart, and is a wonderful grandfather.  He has always treated me with the highest respect and convinces me he values my opinion.  He has showered me with flowers, written me endearing and sometimes very suggestive notes, flatters me with knowledge and abilities I'm sure I do not possess...he's simply treated me like a queen for over 27 years!

You probably know him as Terry...but I've always called him Baby! 

He's taught me a lot through the years, such as "worrying has never changed a thing" and "some people cannot be helped".  He's not afraid to take a chance...indeed, he's dragged me along with him too many times to remember!

He's a great teacher, and that's not just my opinion - ask most appraisers and auctioneers in the state of Tennessee!  Better yet, ask Crooked Creek Church of Christ...he's been our adult Sunday School teacher for some time now. 

Yes, I've been blessed.  Every day is a blessing with him leading the way...but he keeps me right beside him!  Thank you, Baby, and thank you, Lord!

Seasoning Your Words

I was studying our lesson for tonight's class - Seasoning Your Words by Nancy Eichman - and it gave me pause for the objective of this blog.  Take for instance Proverbs 18:21:  The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.  And how many verses point to the folly of talking too quickly or too much?  Well, gang, forgive me if I ramble or bore you with too many details.  The beauty of our cyber world is that it's only a quick click of the mouse...and I disappear!  You gotta love it!

Heaven

I have not aways thought about heaven.  I think I took it for granted.  After all, I grew up on scripture, attended every service possible, memorized Bible verses from a very early age...so I knew all about heaven.  Today, it's a shock to meet anyone who doesn't know about heaven (or doesn't care to know), and amazing to see friends and even family who do not yearn for heaven or exhibit any desire to know more.

Isn't 1 Corinthians 2:9 enough?  "However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived—the things God has prepared for those who love him"

We have no conception of God's power and glory.  This planet?  This universe?  He spoke it and it was done.  He breathed it and it was made.  We can only imagine the glorious existence we have ahead of us, but we can be sure it will make this earth, this universe, pale significantly in comparison.  To see Him in His full glory will be magnificent at the very least.  What absolute joy awaits us! 

On This Day...

I always wanted to keep a journal.  I thought that was so cool, so organized, so useful.  I never did it.  And who knew my memory would go a tad bit non-existent and straining to remember doesn't do much to bring it back.  Oh, sure, sometimes those elusive memories will be jolted to the forefront by a reminder from one of the kids or hubby, but just a glimpse of it...not that detail that a written word can bring to your mind at a glance.  It just doesn't work that way.  Don't get excited; I do not have Alzheimers, but I do concern myself with that from time to time.  It's a good thing I believe in Christ and know that God is always in control!  So should I really lose my memory and not know who I am, my Lord will remember and see me through.

So, here I am.  It's a new day and on this day I will make every effort to put my memories down, and when I can no longer drag them into view in my mind, I will simply read this blog...and remember.