Heavenly Peace

It's 10:00 a.m. Christmas morning, there's a quiche in the oven and coffee brewing, but the only sound I hear is a beautiful Christmas medley playing on the piano as the cat walks across the keys. (Seriously - my cat's amazing that way. :)

It's kind of odd that the boys aren't awake yet. Used to be we would have five eager children all climbing onto our bed at shortly after 6:00 a.m. wanting to tear into their gifts immediately. Strange how as time passes, our appreciation for the gift of sleep increases.

So quietness marks my Christmas morning, and the peace that I long for. But I suspect this peace I feel does not come from the lack of volume in the room where I sit right now. In fact, peace doesn't truly come from the specific circumstances we find ourselves in, but rather the abiding assurance that God loves us, and He's always good. The circumstances of this Christmas season have not been perfect for many reasons, but I guess I wasn't hoping for perfection. I was hoping for simple peace.

I had 30-ish members of my family over for dinner last night (age of 4 months to 78 years). There has been much to do in preparing for this annual event including cleaning and cooking and finding the space to seat all 30 hungry souls. I was only three quarters of the way through my list before our first guests arrived. Soon my home was buzzing with all sorts of energetic activity. So much glorious clamoring noise and yet there was a sweet peace that settled over all of us.

You know...

I didn't get to frost the sugar cookies I baked earlier - just ran out of time. So a few of us decided we'd frost them together after dinner, while telling stories and laughing until we cried. And then we ate them with Christmas tea!

I didn't sweep the hall of those dreadful little dust bunnies before my visitors came, but the grandchildren quickly "hid" them for me by dumping all the toys out of the toy box with playful exuberance.

I couldn't find just the right Christmas plates this year, so we used boring, blue ones. Well they were boring up until they were "decorated" with hot roast turkey and gravy, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables and hot rolls all prepared by various members of my family and shared together.

I didn't get that one candle lit or that one Christmas light turned on- but apparently no one noticed. They were too focused on enjoying the Light in one another.

So in the end, every "T" was not crossed, and every "i" was not dotted, but it didn't matter nearly as much as it did when I originally made up my Christmas "to do" list. It seems as though peace does not come as a result of everything flowing along as planned, but rather by something much deeper. We are loved and we love. We have God, and we have one another. We have a hope and a future. We have Jesus.

I pray that your Christmas would be marked by peace that surpasses all understanding.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth…and from the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another!”

In Jesus' Name

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I just finished wrapping a pile of presents, and have yet to clean the house and finish the cookie baking before my house is filled with thirty of my favorite people in the world - my family. I confess, I am feeling the pressure that seems to always meet me around this time of year, and so, I am choosing right now, to press pause.

And breathe.

And remember Who this is all about.

Jesus - What a name, eh? I feel my aching muscles relaxing already. Jesus. Name above all names. Literally, "The Lord Saves." What a name of monumental promise to a drowning and devastated world. A name of Hope. "You shall call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins." Father saw our state and breathed Jesus into our world. Jesus.

Luke 1:32-33 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

Emmanuel - God with us. We're not alone, trying to figure it out by ourselves. The separation is over. God entered our dark and hollow existence, wrapped His arms around us and promised never to leave us. And He hasn't. And He won't.

Mighty God - The mountainous issue of sin and darkness was no barrier to the Lord. He is Mighty to save. His eyes were fixed upon His children and with the fierceness of a lioness rescuing her cubs, He burst through evil like tissue paper torn to shreds. His Right Arm saved us. He is well able. He is God after all.

Everlasting Father - Jesus came and ushered us into a whole new relationship with God by calling Him Father. Father. The One who loves us, cares for us, provides for us and died for us. Father. When He sent His Son, He sent us an invitation to also become "sons". Oh what manner of love is this? It's AMAZING!

Prince of Peace - I love the fact that even though the greatly anticipated coming of the Messiah was the climax of all human history, Jesus came quietly, humbly, as a lamb. It's such a perfect picture of the Peace of God that passes all understanding. He wasn't biting His divine nails, wondering what to do. He wasn't coming up with some big elaborate "crash into the world, fix it and let em know who's boss" scheme. He so gently came on that silent night, as a babe, to a loving mom and a protective dad with only a few barnyard animals as witnesses. He's my Prince of Peace and since that is so, I can humble myself under the authority of my Prince, and allow His Peace to rule my heart, and my mind and throughout my day. Peace. Wondrous things happen in the midst of peace - on silent, holy nights. Let it reign.

If you choose to press pause, I encourage you to take just a few moments to consider the awesome wonder of Jesus, to breathe a prayer of thanksgiving and to look deeply into His loving eyes while listening intently for His words of life. May the celebration of Jesus and ALL that He is, bring you fresh encouragement, joy and hope and may you, my friend, be filled to overflowing with His very presence even now.

In the Name of Jesus.

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GOD.

tree.man.fall

promise.son.provision

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PROMISE.SON.PROVISION

TREE.MAN.REDEEMED

GOD.

The “R” word. | Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff

The “R” word. | Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff

Family, Friends and the Wee Ones

I have found that family, friends and/or children are the common denominator of my most cherished Christmas memories. Cookie baking is just a chore, but when you do it with grandchildren, it becomes a hilariously messy, wonderful memory for them, and for me! Shopping alone feels, well, lonely - but shopping with a friend is a happy event that usually involves laughing and sharing a meal together. Wrapping presents is tedious, mundane work, unless I can get my husband in on it with me, while we watch You've Got Mail for the 67th time. Then it's a wonderful holiday evening.

I totally agree with the Whos down in Who-ville. If Christmas comes with no cookies, no shopping, no ribbons and no tags! If it comes without packages, boxes or bags...we'll still enjoy Christmas, if we have each other. Little ones and spending time doing Christmassy things with those we hold most dear, make the season extraordinary.

Cherished memories:
-Making Christmas cookies with my mom, when I was younger - and making Christmas cookies with my grandchildren last year.
-Inviting Christmas caroler friends in for cookies and hot cocoa.
-Playing euchre with my siblings during the wee hours or the morning, laughing til I cried and making entirely too much noise.
-Going to grandma's house and wondering if Santa would know I was sleeping there Christmas eve.
-Taking the kids out to chop down a too-short, too-fat tree in order that we could surprise their father. (Thankfully, later that week he went and picked out a more acceptable one!)
-Having too many friends and family members gloriously crammed into my living and dining room for Christmas eve dinner.
-Singing worship songs with my parents, brothers, sister, nieces and nephews.
-Listening to my father-in-law share a Christmas devotional before anyone could touch the presents.
-And as I sit here next to my husband by the warm crackling fire writing about cherished memories, it occurs to me, here we are in yet another lovely Christmas moment.

Celebrate Jesus with the ones you love. The most special memories always have the most special people in them.

Taking time

I have a good friend, Aaron, who said something to me a few days ago, that has stuck with me. He said, "We're all too busy. We need to encounter Jesus every single day!" I couldn't agree more, though I confess my busy-ness sometimes consumes the day so quickly in the morning, that I don't say much more to the Lord than "Hi" and "Bye" before I'm off and running. To be quite honest, this is not an unusual occurrence for the last month of the year. Sometimes I find myself trying to get "reacquainted" with the Lord in January. It's ironic to me that the season, which is devoted to recalling and honoring the birth of our Savior, gets so filled with activities surrounding our celebration, that we forget to actually take the time to encounter Jesus, our Immanuel. He is my everything - and I want Him as part of my every day.

I wonder what you think of when you hear the word "encounter". I think of something that consists of more than "Hi" and "Bye". Encountering the Lord takes intentional pursuit of Him, though He is not far and certainly not shielded from us. It requires that I stop what I'm doing, stop the lists I'm making in my head, stop doing the 'next thing' and sit down. I'm not sure it requires words, on the other hand, I find when I fix my gaze upon Jesus, consider who He is and His love for me, words sort of naturally flow as a response from my heart. Jesus.

I believe it also requires that I take time to listen. Listen to His still, small voice and receive His life flow into my heart. It means for me, a reconsecration to His purpose and will for my day, my week, my life. "Ahhh, this is all about You, Jesus. I love You. Show me Your heart." Encounter means we sit together for a while and connect. "

Take a minute (or two or ten) and consider Who Jesus Is - today, right now. Hear Him and respond to Him, deeply. Take a moment now to let His life and love flow freely in you and let it fill you with joy, peace, strength and all the grace you need for this day. And then return your love for Him in sincere worship - if only for this moment.

Jesus.

Keep Christmas in December!

So here's a short but helpful hint to simplifying Christmas and decreasing the stress load...

Consumer Reports just released a study that found 13.6 million Americans are still paying of credit card debt from the 2009 holidays. (I got this from Dave Ramsey.)

He wisely reminds us to keep Christmas in December! We need to remind ourselves and our loved ones that little Johnny won't become an axe murderer just because he didn't get some plastic stuff for Christmas. Let's commit to buy what we can afford based on our budget, then draw a line and stick to it! I think our Christmas holidays will be merrier, and we will enjoy less stress knowing that we gave out of what we had - and not what we borrowed. May God provide for your needs and grant you wisdom to know where the line is on spending this Christmas season.

Fa la la la la

No expense of time or money for this simple Christmas pleasure:

Turn the radio on and get some Christmas tunes permeating the atmosphere. Whether I'm decking halls, wrapping gifts, or frosting cookies, music goes a long way to put me in the mood for Christmas. I'm so grateful for this heavenly expression of heart and soul - God gave us music. Even the stores are piping "Joy to the World" through the air waves. It seems everyone agrees, music helps stir up Christmas spirit.

I had the privilege of hearing portions of Handel's Messiah tonight - live and in person. Imagine sitting in the middle of an old church, with high cathedral ceilings, perfect acoustics, an amazing full orchestra and a talented choir whose clear harmonies filled every corner of the room from floor to ceiling and front to back declaring with one loud and wonderful voice:

"Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men!"

It was great.

Later on, in the comfort of my own home, I turned on my Pandora Christmas music - peaceful classical piano and guitar renditions of familiar carols. It makes the most mundane tasks a little merrier. I don't even mind the snow so much, if there's Christmas music playing somewhere. Eventually I went to our old piano, and plunked out a few Christmas hymns - sometimes I just need to allow my fingers to sing the themes of my heart.

Music is a gift given to us for God's pleasure and for OURS. Wasn't that nice of Him? Furthermore, we can enjoy it and worship Him with it any time of the year, but somehow Christmas is made a little "Christmassier" when there's music playing.

So, c'mon sing out loud and clear - Come Let Us Adore Him!

Happy Shopping

Christmas is just 21 days away. If we want to simplify Christmas and drop the stress of spending too much, we need to have started our shopping months ago. On the other hand, there's something to be said for some of the outstanding sales we can find at no better time than smack dab in the middle of the Christmas season! Last week, I found three pairs of perfect fitting pants from Old Navy for $1.73 each. Yesterday, I bought a beautiful $50.00 sweater from Kohl's and paid $1.82.

Stores want your business and they're competing with every other store you have access to so they're offering crazy deals! They're banking on the fact that once they've got you hooked by a crazy deal, you'll find a multitude of "must haves" on your way to the check-out. The trick is to do your homework and fiercely stick to the list.

How do you do your homework? You network with websites like slickdeals.net, where the bargain bloodhounds do the work and make it easy for you to find amazing gifts for nearly nothing. Now, I must give credit where credit is due: it's also a good idea to network with friends who are uniquely anointed by God with the spiritual gift of bargain hunting. They like to shop - but more than that, they can zero in on a bargain with lightning speed. Furthermore, they like it! I have one particular friend who is thus gifted. She knows me well and has a keen eye for sales opportunities I might not want to pass up. She regularly sends me links to major deals, many of which I pursue. I often think I probably ought to pay and keep her on retainer for the last two months of the year. She has saved me hundreds of dollars over the years.

One thing I find very beneficial is shopping online. When I'm in a store, I'm tempted by the plethora of product displayed in such a way as to entice me and unfortunately I often succumb to the pressure and buy what I don't need. I also get tired and weary from all the walking and hunting and bag carrying, so I end up picking up a green and purple sweater and say, "Eh, it'll do." I don't want to end up with "It'll do" purchases if I can help it. If you avoid online shopping because you're worried about the added shipping costs , I've found that most stores offer free shipping codes, and if not, they typically offer to ship your package to a local store for free.

With only 21 days left before Christmas, there's no time to waste. Now is the time to snatch up those deals. Soon, it will be too late to assure timely shipping not to mention the closer we get to Christmas, the more we feel like going with the "It'll do" approach and we end up spending far more than we planned on.

Happy Shopping! (Because there's fun in shopping - there's just no fun in obligatory gift buying pressure or debt.)

Presents & Presence

I started asking my children (age 15 and up) what they wanted for Christmas during the cooling days of September. I know it's a dangerous question, because they're not really going to consider my bank account when they respond. And why should they? My husband and I have worked hard to meet the needs and desires of our children over the course of their lives. Our desire is to bless them, and somehow we've decided that "stuff" blesses them. The truth is, much of my Christmas shopping is done and I'm fairly pleased with the purchases and I sincerely believe my children will be blessed. But if I take Dave Ramsey's advice to heart, then perhaps it's not really stuff that they or any of us TRULY want or need. Dave suggests that we ought to consider "giving people less stuff and more of ourselves—more genuine care, time and attention."

Presents are nice, but presence is better.

So perhaps the question we could be asking our loved ones is "What would you like to DO for Christmas?" Things like baking cookies, snowman making, chopping down the tree together, making a cool craft, having a special brunch together with favorite foods, visiting a sick or elderly friend, or shopping for a less fortunate family are just a few possible ideas. Christmas activities enjoyed together are more likely going to leave a lasting impression, creating a cherished Christmas memory that may turn into a tradition handed down to coming generations.

I've found that this approach may be easy on the pocketbook, but it could actually cost more in precious time. If my son wants to spend some time with the family driving through the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights, we need to be willing to find the time in our schedule for that special occasion. It could mean I need to remove something that might feel more important - but in the long run, is just another time stealing non-essential event. To make room for the simple moments, I need to be willing to say "no" to those things that feel so crucial.

I've made a Christmas "do" list of my own: This year, I'd like to spend some time singing carols with a sick friend. I'd like to hear a choir sing Handel's Messiah. I'd like to make Christmas cookies with my grandchildren. I'd like to take an evening off to sit by a roaring fire and relax with my family. I'd like to Skype with my daughter and son-in-law who live in Italy. And I'd like to be intentional about connecting with family, friends and strangers, sharing the love of the One whose life we celebrate. The financial cost of my wish list is near zero, oh but the personal value is absolutely priceless.

What do you want to do for Christmas?

Christmas: Let's Simplify

December 1, 2010

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we're all on the exciting fast track to Christmas! It began on Black Friday when bleary eyed bargain hunters lined up outside their favorite stores at painfully early hours of the morning, waiting for the security guy to open the front doors. I hope the store pays that security guy well, for surely he will end up trampled underfoot at 5:01 a.m., as shoppers press onward, completely focused on grabbing the last mini-food chopper on the shelf, on sale for just $5.95!

Throughout the month of December, people (and especially moms) who are already too busy, add to their heavy loads, the pressure of making Christmas extraordinarily memorable...yet again this year. Not only are there the perfect gifts to get and wrap for each family member, but there's the hundreds of cookies to bake, the halls to deck, the dashing through the snow, the big meal to plan, the Christmas cards to write, the packages to ship, the school Christmas concerts to attend, not to mention the Christmas parties to plan, the drummers to drum, the pipers to pipe and a partridge in a pear tree! Phew! We're exhausted by the first week of December!

So this year, I've decided that I'm going to simplify. Don't applaud that decision just yet. I made the same decision last year as well - and the year before that. Just ask my children and they'll tell you. "Oh Mom - Yeah, she always says she's going to keep Christmas calm and simple, but then she still always goes nuts." It's true. The "problem" is - I love Christmas. I love almost everything about it. I don't prefer the pressure, but I love giving gifts, and making cookies, and decorating, and parties! I'm just not sure all my busy antics are really accomplishing the peaceful, love-filled, stress-free, Jesus-focused family holiday I always hope it to be. There has to be a way to have a truly wonderful Christmas, minus the outrageous spending, the time pressure and the general craziness that so often surrounds such a great season.

And so yes, yet again, I've decided that this year, I'm going to simplify. Maybe you've been thinking about the same thing. I'm hoping to write about some practical ways we can get back to basics. And I've decided to recruit some help, since clearly, I have trouble staying on the Simple Road to Christmas. For instance, I received an email on this very same topic from Dave Ramsey this morning. His suggestions were inspiring, but maybe you also have a suggestion for simplifying the Christmas season while still filling it with special moments and memories. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts! I'm thinking it's time to start a simple revolution to get out of the cyclone of whirling Christmas craziness that seems to increase with each year. I sincerely believe there's a way we can get through this month together, more aware of the Presence of Jesus and less concerned about...well, anything else.

First - Let's remember Who we are celebrating and commit to keep our eyes fixed on Him every day throughout this month. It's interesting how quickly I can lose my focus on the Person of Christ, while staying so busy planning His party. Lord, help me keep YOU the priority in everything.

And now - a little something from Dave Ramsey to help us in our quest:

"Focus on People Instead of Gifts: It's time to take the pressure off of yourself! Many of us assume that we have to do things so we don't disappoint people because "So-and-so loves how I buy this or do that for them." While they may appreciate those gestures, the truth is that people in your life love you for who you are, not what you do. Look back over your life and remember what has mattered most. Was it the fanciest events, or the simple moments centered on faith and family? This year, try giving people less stuff and more of yourself—more genuine care, time and attention."

I like it, Dave!

Beginning December with this goal in my heart: Love Jesus. Love Others. Simplify.

What are your suggestions for making Christmas extraordinary, while keeping it simple?

Mom

I've known June Edith Mauer for 32 years and called her "Mom" for 28 of those years. The truth is, she embraced me as her daughter long before I ever said, "I do" to her son, Andy. That's just the sort of gracious woman she is...er, I mean "was". I hate using the word "was". It abruptly snaps me into inescapable reality. Mom isn't with us any more. Ugh.

We lost her quite suddenly just five weeks ago, when a heart valve gave out. There were so many urgent decisions made on that day, so many difficult phone calls to make as we attempted to keep the family apprised of the dire situation. She left us quickly and peacefully on that day in October, but none of us were quite prepared for so great a loss. She was the matriarch of our large family, taking on a lead role since her husband, our Pop, suddenly left us just three years before. Now it was up to her children to come together, and make decisions regarding funeral arrangements, financial decisions and everything related to the estate left to our care. The details surrounding such an event certainly demand quite a bit of focus, but thanks to the grace of God, we have been carried through those details with relative peace and unity.

So, here we are one month later and the sadness that was partially eclipsed by so much busy-ness, is finding it's way to the surface of my heart, especially as the holidays ebb ever closer. It's like I haven't yet fully realized the finality of the situation. I find myself wanting to ask her questions about Christmas or Thanksgiving - our typical autumn conversational topics. And then, my heart sinks in that same moment as I realize she won't be there to answer those questions. She won't be decorating the Thanksgiving table this year, lighting the candles to provide the right atmosphere, or sitting at the head of the table next to our son, Phil. She won't be making an apple pie this year, or putting out the dish of junior mints following dinner. She, more than anyone in my life, taught me how to "do" holidays with gracious flare. That's why there's a part of me that dreads the holidays this year - because we have to celebrate without Mom's presence, the queen of holiday spirit. How do we walk through this?

By grace.

We will find God's grace as we remember that truly, we have more than our fair share of reasons to GIVE THANKS this year, and by remembering that Jesus, our Immanuel, WAS and IS her Lord and Savior, and for the first time, she will be able to celebrate HIM face to face this Christmas. We will find grace to celebrate her life, and thank the Lord for her tremendous impact upon each of our lives. Will I be sad? Absolutely. I miss her. But - more than that, I am confident that June, who has walked in a cloud of sadness for the past three years, is no longer sad, but rejoices that she's finally home - where she belongs.

Thank you Lord - for sharing "MOM" with us. We knew Your love, through this gracious woman and we couldn't be more grateful for that. Please, just hold our hearts during these coming weeks and help us hear You whisper the comfort that will soothe this ache. We lean on You.

Papa

I thought about sharing the following story in the third person - you know, change the names to protect the innocent and all that, but I decided I might as well tell it like it is.
It's a true story of love and restoration.

I grew up as the middle child of two hard-working parents who likewise raised their five children to be workers. Life at home wasn't real easy as my dad struggled with his moods, often exploding in anger, even upset to the point of tears which frightened me as a young girl. I learned early to be as busy as possible, working around the house to deflect any possible outburst of rage.

One Saturday (which was our official chore day), I decided to clean the TV room from top to bottom just to surprise my father, hoping for approval or at the very least, hoping to avoid any potential for another episode of anger. I was about nine years old and he was out working that day which gave me plenty of time to give myself to the task. I dusted and organized, vacuumed and straightened working all day until I felt quite pleased with my accomplishment. I had never worked so hard on one cleaning project before and was sure that my father would take one look and smile. I think that's all I was looking for - a smile. The assurance that for one day at least, our home would have peace.

Later on, my dad walked through the door of the house after a hard day, quiet and sort of grumpy but I was still hopeful. Eventually he came to check out how we did on our chores. In my excitement, I wanted him to come see the TV room first and so he obliged. I stood in the middle of the room, a smile on my face and my heart pounding, confident that I would witness a shift of approval on his countenance. I searched his face for the smile that would mean I did well, but instead I watched in horror as he took his forefinger and ran it across the top of the seven foot door frame. Oh no. I'm not sure I remembered him ever checking the top ledge of the door frame before but here he was... finding my failure almost as soon as he walked in the room. Upon finding the dust on his finger he said something like, "This place is a dump!" and my heart sank. Worse than that, something in my soul broke. I point to that occasion as a time when I stopped trying so hard to please my father. I still worked hard to stay out of trouble, but I didn't try so hard to win his approval, fearing the disappointment would be too much for me to handle.

I didn't think much about it again for years and years. I did what so many adults do with childhood memories - we tell ourselves to "Grow up and get over it." As adults we understand that our parents are imperfect and that everyone has issues. We dismiss the pains from memories, because it makes no sense to dredge up the past. It's better to forgive and forget - if possible. But somewhere around the age of thirty or so, this memory came back to me and strangely enough, it still stung.

I'm not really sure why I chose to bring it up to my father one day shortly after my thirtieth birthday. Our family was in the midst of a crisis and somehow I decided it was a good time to let him know that this was a difficult memory for me. We had a short, quiet conversation about it at their dinner table - just me, my mother and father. I warned my dad ahead of time that it might be difficult for him to hear and he said he felt a little scared about what I would say. When I told him my story (an event he hadn't remembered), he hung his head but didn't respond to me. Instead, my mother suddenly burst from her chair, rushed over to me in tears, and sobbed as she hugged me, apologizing for the pain. It sort of startled me, because I hadn't expected her to respond that way. I sort of expected my dad to respond that way, not that I wanted him to, it was just more typical for him to be the emotional one. Any way, there isn't any more to this part of the story. My father never really responded but I believed he generally felt badly about it and regretted the pain that experience caused me. And that was the end of that...

***

In the 18 years since that time (and almost 40 years since the day I cleaned that room), I have found a great deal of healing from all sorts of past painful memories, including this particular one. The Holy Spirit has graciously restored my heart and revealed the love of my Heavenly Father. He has walked me through forgiveness and releasing people who have hurt me. I look back to that day in the TV room, and I'm glad to say that my heart doesn't sink any more. I know my Heavenly Father smiles when He sees me. He's pleased, not because of my performance, but simply because I'm His little girl and because of that, I can know peace in my heart no matter what the circumstance. As a young girl, I wanted peace in my home - my Father brought peace to my heart. I will forever be grateful for His love that opened my eyes and healed my heart.

***
God is Good. So much better than we think.

My father is 78 years old. A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to my parents' home for a visit. While we were sitting in their living room and out of the blue, my father said to me, "Oh by the way, I've wanted to tell you something." I respond, "OK". He said, "I wanted to let you know that I'm sorry." I was puzzled. "Sorry? For what?" (I never heard my father verbalize an apology to anyone before this.)

"Do you remember about twenty years ago when you told me about the day when you were young and had cleaned the TV room and I found fault with your attempt, and hurt you?"

I was in shock. Wow. He remembered that? "Um...yes, I remember that."

"Yes, well I'm sorry. That was wrong of me - I should not have done that."

My mother wanted to quickly add that my father grew up never knowing he was loved and that it was because of his own brokeness he responded the way he did when I was a child. (It's like my mom to want to "fix" things. :)

My dad responded to her, "Yes, that may be true. But - it's no excuse. A Papa should never respond like that."

Papa. Did he just say, "Papa?"

What happened during and after the moment I heard that apology is difficult to describe. Do you know that sensation which happens when you drink down Nyquil? The liquid medication goes down your esophogus and into your stomach slowly and you sense the warmth of it sliding down , helping you feel better even upon contact. That's how it was when I heard my father apologize. Tangible healing flowed warmly down into my soul, spreading all over and touching deep areas of broken relationship and suddenly this man that terrified me all my life, became my Papa - my hero. He wasn't overly emotional when he apologized eaither, which was good, since I viewed his emotional-ness as an awkward weakness. His apology came from a place of strength, and yet he was obviously making himself incredibly vulnerable. I can't tell you how much it means that at the age of 48, I was given a "Papa". God didn't have to do that - but He did.

I am continually astounded by the measure of My Father's grace to go beyond all expectation and to meet my deepest needs - even those I didn't know I had.

Thank you for my Papa, Father. I love you both so very much.

Goodness

I was thinking about the day when we all stand before the Lord. You know - when all of our heart motives, thoughts and intents are laid bare in the light of truth. It made me shudder.

Like most believing Christians, I live my life trying to do right and be good, giving honor to Jesus, yet sometimes I stumble and sometimes my heart convicts me of selfish sin. If I, being imperfect, am painfully aware that there yet remains lurking darkness in my heart, then what dreadful awfulness might be revealed when God's perfect, pure light exposes it all on that Day? It would seem as though such a revelation would be too much for those of us who are at risk of thinking better of ourselves than we truly are.

This is where I found my thoughts the other day. "Oh God, will that revelation be just too hard for me on that Day?"

That's when I saw Him smile and heard Him say, "Ha. Child, you will not be overwhelmed by what you perceive to be your lack of "goodness", but I will say that you will most certainly be undone and overcome by mind-blowing revelation on that Day. ALL of heaven will fall to their knees in shock as blinding truth explodes in the hearts of My children - yourself included! You will discover and know in a way you have never known before, that the measure of MY GOODNESS is beyond all human comprehension and that I am far, far better than you ever thought or imagined!"

...

His goodness is more than enough to cover me in my weakness. My lack will not be on display on that Day, and friend, neither will yours. No, but rather the radiance of His glorious goodness will shine brightly - center stage - and we, His children, in awestruck wonder, catching our collective breath, wiping the tears from our astonished eyes, yes all of us will fall to our knees at the feet of Jesus - our Hero, reveling in the greatness of our Lord and King! Oh, what a Day of rejoicing that will be!

The focus of eternity was, is, and always will be Jesus Christ.

I just wonder how we might live our lives differently now, if we really saw and believed He was as good as He really is.


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Connections - PostScript

The challenge of meeting a stranger every day from July 9th until July 31st is over. What an experience! God used it to teach me some things about human nature, relationships, my own personal fears and selfishness. He taught me a little bit about words that work with strangers, and approaches that won't. He revealed to me, some of His awesome artistry by letting me peek into some amazing lives. It was like He was a proud Papa saying, "Come over here and meet my son, Jake. He's so great and I love him so much. Talk to him and you'll see!" OR "Kathy, I am pleased to introduce you to My amazing daughter, Sylvia! Ta da!!" What a privilege it has been to meet so many wonders!

Part of the motivation for this challenge was a longing I share among our church leadership to get beyond ourselves, break out of our comfort zones, and get in the habit of connecting with those outside of our sphere. I was getting a little frustrated by our seeming inability to break outside ourselves when the Lord said to me, "Uh huh. So what are YOU going to do about it?"

I've thought about reasons we DON'T connect. What keeps us from doing what we know we're called to do? I basically had just two reasons that were true of myself:

Too busy. Connecting isn't a high enough priority for me because it interupts my plans for the day. Ack. What an awful revelation. I learned in very specific and miraculous ways, that as I laid down my own time agenda, and intentionally pursued others, the Lord was busily meeting my needs "behind my back"- even healing deep unhealed wounds in wonderous ways. (More on this in a later blog post.)

Too fearful. No one likes rejection. What if they don't want to connect or worse, what if they think I'm weird for being some sort of abnormal friendly person? It happens, but I remind myself that God loves me, and called me to this. People rejected His love; surely there are those who will reject my "Hello." Thankfully - that is not always true.

Beyond teaching me these things, the Lord helped me break out of an old pattern of relating to strangers, and set me on a life-long course of seeing beyond my own world, reaching out, and beginning a conversation with people I've never met before. (I hope it's life-long!)

Yesterday, the Lord reminded me of myself as a little 5 year old girl in kindergarten. I was a painfully timid child, who was terrified of my own shadow and couldn't bear to speak outloud in class. The picture I saw of myself yesterday, was of me sitting against a wall, with my head down, hoping to go unnoticed. The Lord spoke to me, "If you were in that classroom right now, what would you do?" "Well, I would walk over to that little girl, sit down next to her, and ask her her name. Eventually I would hope to tell her how very special she is because God made her, and He loves her." I sensed the Lord smile at me at my response, agreeing. "You're right. I loved her then and I love you now. Feed my lambs." (What a great Dad, we have!)

Here are several things I've learned in these past three weeks about connecting with strangers. I'm sharing them with anyone who might be interested in going for it as well:

Pray and ask the Lord to introduce you to His pick and trust Him for the words to intiate a conversation.

People long for relationship. They were created for it.

I learned that people like to talk about themselves - so let them. They're fascinating! I do sense a "disconnect" if the conversation focuses on me - except for those people who are natural connectors and really seem interested in what I have to say.

Make it a priority to remember their name. I would say it back to myself in my mind several times, even while they were talking to me so that I could remember it. Then I would actually USE it in conversation. People really like to be remembered. "I'll see ya later Glenn. Have a nice trip!" At the beginning of this challenge, remembering names was difficult for me so I would write them down somewhere after our conversation was done. It has become easier over the course of 3 weeks. If an individual has a name tag, it makes it monumentally easier - so take notice of any name tags!

If you're looking for a good "pond to fish in", go to a market or fair. You have a better chance of running into people who have a little time on their hands. They tend to be more willing to stop and chat. People who are selling stuff are easy connections, but the conversation can't get too far because they're busy at their 'jobs'. People who are sitting at tables representing an organization or other service are easy connections since they aren't really selling anything - just manning a booth.

If you're able, begin the connection with something that you can assume is of interest to them:
A person with a puppy, a grandma pushing a stroller, a young person (about their future plans), etc.

Keep your eye on the ball: the goal is not that you get a connection (and therefore you fulfill your agenda) - the goal is to be Jesus to people. It may not start by raising the dead - it might start by saying, "Hi". I found if I felt satisfied that I completed my "assignment", I would force myself to make another connection because I didn't want it to be an assigment to meet my personal daily goal. I wouldn't want to disrespect my new unmet friends by using them to meet my ends.

The Lord has introduced me to a new way of relating to people I don't know and although the month is over, I intend on continuing to look for opportunities to connect, letting Jesus teach me how to do this thing. My new goal is to allow the Spirit to guide me towards discussion about eternal things. People are worth the time and effort it takes to connect and every one of them has a specific need that is always and only met in Jesus. God, give me grace and words to share Your love, more and more.

It's August 1st...and I met Donna. A single woman who lives near York and works for a small electrical company in Rochester...

Connections - Day 23 - Bethany...

July 31st - the final day of the daily stranger connection challenge.

On July 9th, and at the prompting of the Lord, I began a journey of meeting at least one stranger a day for the remainder of the month of July. Here I am at the end of the month, and I've learned so much and had so much fun with this challenge. I've met more new friends than I can count and discovered there are truly fascinating folks all around us.

Today, I would like to introduce "Bethany" (not her real name). She is a beautiful young woman who is facing some significant life challenges right now. She has a sweet 11 month old baby girl and wonders if she's pregnant again. Her boyfriend and mother are pressuring her to abort the child if she's pregnant. The weight of the situation is almost more than she can bear. She listened intently as I shared with her the love of God and the peace He offers. Then she quietly cried as I prayed for her. She needs your prayers - and that's why I share her story with you in this blog post. She didn't surrender her life to the Lord today, but she confessed that her life is a mess and she needs something. Please pray that she find real LIFE in Jesus and that she shares that real LIFE with her baby.

I also met Anna and Glenn at a wedding today. They are both disabled and live in upstate New York 10 minutes away from the Canadian border. (near Messina) They live in a quiet, safe neighborhood and rarely get away...but this weekend is different. They got up at 4:30 this morning to begin their drive down state in order to get to this special occasion. They'll stay overnight tonight in Rochester and then tomorrow, they'll drive to Pavilion to visit with one of Glenn's daughters until Monday. THEN they'll drive back home and 'normal' life will begin again on Tuesday - that's when Anna's nurse aids come to their home to help care for Anna. I'm glad Glenn and Anna made the choice to come to the wedding today in spite of the fact that this trip required a great deal of planning and attention to detail. Lord - give them strength and health for this journey!! Thanks!

So that's that. There are no more days left in July, still there are SO MANY more stangers yet to be met! It is not my plan to blog on any more interactions unless I just can't help myself because. :) I do plan to blog tomorrow on this whole adventure - but it will serve more as postscript and include specific things I've learned throughout the past month. My hope is that others will also be encouraged to break down their own barriers, get out there, and connect. It's not nearly as difficult as it may seem - I am truly grateful for the grace and leading of the Holy Spirit! He makes connecting, so much easier and defiitely exciting!

Connections - Day 22 - Jessica

This interaction amused me.

I was on my way out to get the mail this morning, when I saw that there was a small garage sale being set up across the street. I typically don't have a lot of time for garage sales these days, but this particular sale had a cute bassinet, a matching swing and a little baby seat for sale and since I am eagerly anticipating the birth of a granddaughter any day now, I wanted to check it out. I walked to the sale and asked the woman there if she was the one selling those three particular items, but she told me she had just purchased them...for $1 each! Wow - what a sale! Then I noticed that the woman who bought them was great with child, AND had a toddler in tow. Because of her "condition" I found it a little bit easier to release the fact that I had just missed an amazing deal!


Jessica, the purchaser of these three items is two weeks past her due date. She's having a baby boy and planning to be induced in two days at Wyoming County Community Hospital. Her first son (the toddler with her) was born after an extremely short labor so I was surprised her doctor would let her go two whole weeks past her due date without inducing her earlier.


Jessica works at the McDonald's in Batavia, so the plan, as she described it to me, is to have her mother watch her two children while Jessica's working. That's why she was purchasing these particular items from the garage sale - so her mom would have a few necessary baby items that could be kept at her house. I told Jessica I was happy to have met her, and told her I'd be praying for a soon and safe delivery.


Later this afternoon, I drove to Varysburg to pick up my boys from working at summer camp when I saw a very small yard sale of baby items. In fact, there was a cute bassinet, a matching baby swing and a little baby seat. So I pulled over to check out these items but couldn't locate any prices so I looked up to see if I could find the seller and there she was: Jessica! Then I recalled she told me she was from Varysburg earlier, but I never expected to run into her later on the same day. She seemed to act like she was "caught" reselling items she had purchased earlier today. She felt the need to explain to me that she was rethinking her plan to go back to work and have grandma watch the kids - and was thinking perhaps she should be a stay-at-home mom. She also seemed to want me to believe that the items she was selling at her sale, were not the very same items she purchased earlier today. She said she kept those newly acquired items, and was now selling very similar baby furniture at her sale. When I asked her how much she was selling her baby furniture for I was surprised to hear her answer in light of the fact that I knew she'd spent $1 on each item. Her prices were $30 for the bassinet, $20 for the baby swing and I believe $20 for the little baby seat. Wow - that's quite a profit!

Throughout this experience of connecting with strangers, I have found that sometimes it has been worth a few dollars investment to purchase someone's fruits, vegetables or yard sale items in order to facilitate a stranger interaction, however I draw the limit at spending $70 for items that were valued at $3 just hours earlier! :) It was definitely an interesting, slightly awkward but completely amusing stranger interaction!

Lord Jesus, bless Jessica and her little baby waiting to be born this weekend. Please keep them safe, but more than that, reveal Your love to Jessica so that she might be drawn into relationship with YOU!

Connections - Day 21 - Jessie

They say it takes 21 days to make a new habit. This is my day 21 of attempting to meet a new stranger each day and initiate conversation, remember their name and have a somewhat meaningful conversation with them. (Beyond the "Hi, how are yous we're so used to.") I'm not sure I've made a new habit yet, but I can say it feels easier to meet and greet a stranger than it was before I began this adventure. I'm not so concerned that people will think I'm weird - I go in assuming they'll think I'm weird. :)

Today I met another nurse - this one is young, around 25 years old. Her name is Jessie and I learned she graduated from the same college as I did, but she graduated last May. She took a job right out of college at Strong Memorial Hospital and has since worked in the Observation Unit there. She likes it because of the variety of patients she sees and cares for. She has no interest in leaving any time soon.

Jessie grew up in Bath, NY before going to school at Roberts Wesleyan College. After graduation and once she obtained her job at Strong, she moved to Elmwood Avenue near the hospital. She actually will be moving from her apartment on Elmwood this weekend, but she's just moving a few miles away, across from MCC. She misses the quietness of the country, but is able to go back to Bath and visit since her brother still lives there and her parents own 80 acres of property in the Southern Tier. Her sister, Jennifer, lives on Keuka Lake which is also a nice place for Jessie to get away and relax.

For now, Jessie has plans to stay in the city and keep her hospital job, but she confesses her heart is still in the country and I suppose someday she may choose to return to the quiet countryside and raise a family. God, bless Jessie. Keep her close to You.

Connections - Day 20 - Trish

I had a challenging stranger connection today when I met Trish. She is a lovely woman from Ontario, NY and a total delight to talk with. What made this connection so challenging? She's one of those seasoned natural connectors who is able to turn a conversation around so the focus is off of her and on to the individual she's talking with - in this case that was me. I found myself thinking, "Wait, how did I end up talking about my life again? Tricky woman knows how to ask the right questions!" It was almost humorous, the two of us trying to redirect the conversation back to the other.

In spite of the challenge I was able to learn that Trish is a mother of two boys, Matthew and Nathan. She and her husband had another boy - their first - Joshua, but he was born with a heart defect that took his life after only 29 days. They hadn't realized there was a problem until shortly after birth - it was an extremely difficult season in their lives, but her testimony is that the grace of God carried them through. She is grateful for the gift of her two healthy boys.

Trish suffered another more recent loss: the death of her father, Art. He was diagnosed with diabetes five years ago, but this past winter he contracted pneumonia and died in February. She said she still struggles some with grief related to this recent loss. Her 75 year old mom is still alive, but in need of care as she is losing her memory. For now, Trish's younger sister, Donna is caring for their mom, but it has been challenging.

One other little tidbit of interesting information: Trish knows my mother in law as they attend the same church in the Rochester area. Trish works part time for their children's ministry, and my mother in law has served many, many years in that same program. Wow - it's a small world!!

In the midst of our conversation, I invited Trish to attend a special worship night at our church tonight and I'm happy to say that she accepted! :) I spoke with her afterwards and she said she was so grateful she came because she felt so refreshed from being in God's presence.

Thank you, Lord for the opportunity You provided for me to meet one of my sisters today! You're amazing and I love this family of Yours! (and I love You too!)

Connections - Day 19 - Tina

Walking through this adventure is kind of like Christmas morning - wondering what will be revealed behind the smiles (or scowls) of the strangers I meet each day. I love the discovery of these lives, even though sometimes, the discovery breaks my heart.

"Tina's" story breaks my heart. Her fear and anxiety are very evident as she fidgets and confesses her extreme unsettledness with life. She's struggling with some personal decisions, the weight of being alone raising two children, and the uncertain prospect of the future. "Tina" isn't her real name, but the truth is, I don't even know what her real name is. She is so consumed with fear that she would not tell me her real name, nonetheless she was desperate for help as could be seen in her pleading tear-filled eyes.

I shared with Tina about the only hope I know when pressed on all sides by fear. I told her I knew what it felt like to be irrationally terrified by absolutely nothing and want to recoil from life to avoid the agony of fear. Tina nodded in agreement - she was a prisoner of anxiety behind bars of self protection and secrecy. I shared with her about the reality of God's love, and the promise of His Spirit that will deal to the core with what's really at work in her heart, and pour in the missing hope and freedom she longs for. We talked about forgiveness and mercy, about a Way named Jesus - who brings the lost and lonely home to their Daddy. Tina cried - and let me hold her hand as we prayed and asked the Lord for what is so abundantly available. Love. Truth. Forgiveness. & Peace.

If you think of it - please pray with me for "Tina".

Connections - Day 18 - Jake

So who is my new friend of the day? JAKE!

Jake is a pleasant young man, with a nice smile and a quieter personality. He grew up with an older brother in Hamburg, NY. Jake has a heart for young people and is happiest when he can interact with them. He pursued youth ministry right out of high school, but is currently planning to attend Erie Community College to prepare to become a police officer. He hopes to receive an associates degree in two years and then go on to Police Academy. He will have to pay for his own education, which is why he chose to go to the more economical ECC. He said he had always hoped to stay in New York to work and raise a family, but now that he's older, he said he's open to moving any where that he can find work. Jake talks like he's about 30 but he's actually just a 20 year old, who feels all grown up. :)

Connections - Day 17 - Henrietta

I met a dear 67 year old grandmother today. Her name is Henrietta and she has sole guardianship of her young grandson, Tyler. She had a twin sister at one time - unfortunately that sister died unexpectedly following a routine surgery. Henrietta told me her twin simply did not wake up.

Grandma Henrietta is scheduled for a relatively simple surgery on Tuesday, but she's terrified she won't wake up. She knows she needs the surgery - as it will repair some issues from a past surgery but she's having difficulty finding peace regarding this upcoming operation. She's afraid she'll leave Tyler alone in the world.

I asked Henrietta if it would be alright if I prayed for her. She agreed and took my hand. I prayed peace for her soul and assurance that God holds her life in His hands. I prayed that she would have confidence in His care for her and I prayed for her health. After the short prayer I said, "Amen" at which time she said to Tyler, "You see? Saved people pray for grandma."

Father God - heal her body, grant her peace, and help her surrender her life to You completely.

Thank you, Lord, for Grandma Henrietta.

Connections - Day 16 - Rachel

I met my new friend, Rachel, in Perry. She was born and raised in Wisconsin and then decided to go to the University of Kentucky to study art education. Rachel soon discovered that the world of teaching little kids was probably not up her alley, so she transferred to a smaller art school in Kentucky to study graphic design. She is currently employed by the Warsaw Penny Saver doing graphic design. Rachel also volunteers some of her time serving as a representative for the Wyoming Arts Council.

It was in Kentucky that she met her husband, who is originally from Fillmore. After graduation, they moved back to this area here in Western New York where they began their family. They have one four year old daughter and now Rachel is expecting another baby girl in November. She tells me that her four year old is very excited to have a little sister!

Father - bless Rachel and her family, especially this new little one. Give her strength and health during this pregnancy, and draw her to Yourself. Thanks so much for leading me meet and chat with this dear one!

Connections - Day 15 - Tim

I talked with a young man named Tim today. He has a younger (but taller) brother named Jonathan and an older (possibly shorter) brother named Dan. Tim just finished his freshman year at the University of Buffalo where he is studying mechanical engineering. He's hoping to complete the program in four years but isn't quite sure yet where he ultimately wants to end up in terms of a career. He only knows he likes figuring out how things work. He told me that as a child his handwriting was very poor, so his teachers encouraged him to play with Legos to help his hand-eye motor coordination. He laughs about this technique because he doesn't think it really affected his handwriting very much, but it certainly provided a way for him to play and create and grow a love for mechanics! Tim said Lego building was his passion throughout most of his childhood and he believes this constant play activity propelled him into his current field of study. I love meeting young people - so full of hopes and plans...and energy.

Connections - Day 14 - Bob & Kathy

Bob is a farmer, but not your typical farmer. Bob raises grain-fed beefalo. I've never heard of a beefalo before today, but apparently they've been around for some years. Beefalo are a hybrid cross between domestic cattle and the American bison. They're huge and apparently yield tasty and healthy meat. I learned a lot from farmer Bob - he knows his stuff! He also raises organic chickens - which simply means that the chickens are raised on the range - open and not confined, and without antibiotics or growth hormones. His farm is in Bennington, outside of Attica. His wife, Kathy, uses the tallow of the beefalo they raise and combines it with other fat and fragrances and she makes homemade soap! (tallow is the fat found on the kidneys - see? Bob knows everything! :) Bob told me he really should be retiring but he keeps himself involved in many business ventures so he doesn't think he'll be slowing down any time soon.

Bob & Kathy are passionate about their homespun ways, but nothing makes them more enthusiastic than their five beautiful grandchildren born to their only daughter. Thankfully these precious ones live in Lancaster, NY - so close enough to visit often!

I also had the opportunity to meet a couple of used car salesmen today. I can tell you a little bit about Todd (like he's originally from Cinncinatti, OH) or about Lee (like he's a wheeling/dealing banking representative) but the truth is, I discovered I'm personally a bit adverse to getting too friendly with people trying to take me for every cent I own, so I kept my interactions with these "friends" focused on a business level only. :)

Connections - Day 13 - Maria

I had the opportunity to wait for about an hour or so in a clinic waiting room, while waiting for a friend who was getting a medical procedure done. I thought it might be a good location to connect with people, however, I found it rather difficult to make a connection with any of the strangers there. First, there were very few people in the large waiting area, and those that were there were either engaged in quiet conversation with the friend they brought with them, or engrossed in the book they were reading. I thought about breaking the silence by saying, "Hey what's that you're reading?" but decided that if I were engrossed in reading a book, I'd probably be really annoyed by someone interupting me so they could get in their " daily random stranger connection". So, I kept quiet, but available for connection. It didn't happen - not there.

Eventually, my friend's nurse came out to the waiting room to greet me. Her name is Maria. She looked like she was in her mid-50s (though I opted not to ask her that question!). She was very compassionate and kind to my friend and I. I learned that Maria has served as a nurse in this particular clinic for about five years and has enjoyed it a great deal. Although the clinic was quiet while we were there, she said often times it's incredibly noisy and busy. She's never quite sure when her shift ends, because it's hard to predict the recovery period of any given patient. The reception area actually closes at around 4:30 pm, but she told me that sometimes she has to stay til 10 pm while she waits for the final scheduled patient to fully recover and be ready for discharge. I certainly appreciated her genuine care and concern for my friend. I felt like Maria was doing more than her job. She was connecting.

Connections - Day 12 - Abby & Marta

I woke up with a nasty head cold this morning and considered calling in sick to work, but decided rather to go and trust God for the strength I would need. I am so grateful I went! God's strength is made perfect in weakness.

Meet "Abby" (not her real name) - a beautiful young lady in her early twenties. She has a pretty face, but the the pain and hardships of life are also noticeable in her deep set eyes and by her half-smile. In the course of conversation, her pain comes barreling out - Abby needs your prayers. She has recently made a choice to come clean from a heroin addiction...again. Abby is facing a lot of discouragement and disappointment...again. "Hope" is not a word she comprehends very well and loneliness has been her daily existence. My heart broke for Abby. I shared with her the truth about the Love of God, and that she can know this love, know her Creator, and know real peace and hope by trusting in Jesus and surrendering her life to Him.

Was that a twinkle of hope I saw in her dark eyes? Abby said, "Yes! I need that!" She prayed and asked the Lord to take over. God - You're amazing.

Meet "Marta" (not her real name) - a beautiful young lady in her early twenties. She has a pretty face, but the pain and hardships of life are also noticeable in her tear filled eyes. Marta is originally from a Slavic nation and her family is Muslim by culture - but not necessarily devout religious followers of Islam. Marta is terrified, fearing life will never be the same. She needs your prayers. Marta has an incurable, but non-life threatening sexually transmitted disease. She has kept this secret from everyone for months and months - hasn't even sought medical help yet. She's filled with shame, guilt, loneliness and anxiety. She doesn't sleep well, has recurrent headaches and fears the absolute worst. My heart broke for Marta. I shared with her about another young lady who found herself in a similar situation thousands of years ago - who felt shame and judgment. But then I shared with her about Jesus - who wouldn't cast a stone at her, although He could have. I shared with her about the love and forgiveness of God, and that she can know this love, know her Creator, and know real peace and hope by trusting in Jesus and surrendering her life to Him.

That's right...Marta said "Yes" too. :) I can not tell you how much I enjoyed hearing the confession of faith coming from the lips of a scared little Muslim girl.

Amazing grace.

Connections - Day 11 - Aaron...

I wish you could've come with me today. You would've loved it! I had several wonderful connections with some amazing teenagers from the Rochester City School district. They all have a dream to break out of the status quo and get to college. I had the opportunity to share with them about their created purpose: Greatness! We talked about goals and obstacles, about wisdom and accountability, and about realizing their deepest dreams by making good choices now!

Had you come with me, you would've met Aaron - a 17 year old young man with a hidden hope of being accepted to the University of Rochester to study dentistry. I say "secret" because it's as though he's almost afraid to believe he could really make it at the U of R. And then there's his buddy, Lonnie, a 16 year old young man who is a delight, but sometimes I suspect he hides his fears of failure behind his humor. He hopes to get to MCC and then transfer to UB or the U of R but doesn't quite know what field to pursue yet. Neither does Lauren, who is a beautiful young lady with a keen head on her shoulders and an eye on college next year. She's studying for her ACTs. Shakira would like to become a pediatrician and her friend Nicole would like to pursue Elementary Education. Nelson is a quiet but very polite 14 year old young man who came up to me with his hand out to greet me. He's not sure where he's headed yet - he just wants to do something awesome. I met several future lawyers, a handful of future doctors, a few future teachers and a guy who boldly revealed he would LOVE to become an astronaut and an NBA star! :) Adam grew up in the area, but currently attends college in Manhattan where he studies English Composition and Drama. He runs the drama club for all these active teenagers and is looking forward to having a few weeks off of work before heading back to Manhattan to finish his education.

I love the experience of being surrounded by so much enthusiastic vision with energy to match! Father God, gather Your young ones to Yourself - remind them of their created purpose; protect their hearts and lives, and guide each of them to their individual destinies in You. Thanks for today - what a gift!

Connections - Day 10 - Amy

Today was filled with people-meeting and now I'm fairly worn out from the day, so I guess I'll only mention Amy.

Amy is a young mom of four beautiful children. Her youngest two are four year old identical twin girls who like to run and jump and skip and laugh! Faith and Allie are full of life and adventure and can put a smile on anyone's face. Amy and her family live "out in the country" south of Buffalo where they have plenty of space to run and play. Amy is also a hospice nurse whose primary role is to help the terminally ill patient find comfort in their final days. She's a woman of grace and peace and I sure appreciated making friends with her today.

Sometimes, I wish these stranger/friends didn't live so far away. :)

Connections - Day 9 - Mark...

I got up early this morning (5:40 am), picked up a friend and headed to one of my favorite Rochester locations: the Saturday Morning Public Market. I try to make my way to the market once or twice each summer. I love the diversity of cultures merging together in one sunny spot in the heart of the city. It's a great place to interact with strangers - as there are so very many strangers scurrying around trying to find the best deal on tomatoes. It's kind of funny that I would choose to go to the city to find what can be found in my own town (perhaps at better prices), but to tell you the truth, it's not the food I'm after - it's the experience! Male and female, rich and poor, young and old, red and yellow, black and white, all are shopping at this site! I love it!

I had many interactions of varying degrees, which was my hope for today. Oh sure, I bought a quart of sour cherries and the nicest looking red pepper, but truly, my goal was to connect with strangers AND observe interactions among strangers. Most of my connections would not get too far, primarily because friendly vendors are more interested in their next sale than they are in taking time to have a leisurely conversation. Who could blame them? They're "on the job" after all. Shoppers were generally busily focused on finding the best deals and interacting with the vendors selling produce. No matter - it was still a good place to "go for it"!

I met "Mark", a farmer from Sodus who let me know he and his family have been up since 2:30 am in order to get their stand set up this morning. Ouch! He had thought about coming to a concert in Rochester last night, but decided it would be better to stay home in Sodus, get what sleep he could, then load up and head to the big city in the wee hours of the morning. My friend bought some fresh picked peaches from Mark.

I also met Mary Kay, a shopper at the Public Market this morning. She was there with her two young adult daughters, purchasing pounds and pounds of honey. In the course of our conversation, I learned that Mary Kay has a 27 year old son who graduated some years ago from Houghton College with a degree in Youth Ministry. Unfortunately, "Michael" has not yet found a job open in his field and so works as a customer service representative for a local company. I told Mary Kay that I would be praying for her son and for that ministry opportunity to open up for him. (She also wanted me to pray he'd find a wife! :)) Nice connection.

Finally, I met "Carrie". (Not her real name - and not at the Public Market) I bring her up here simply to ask you to pray for this precious, smiling 19 year old young lady. I learned late in our conversation about the pain behind her smile. (Had I not pressed through in our conversation, I would've missed it.) Carrie has a difficult background - the kind that makes you cry...or get mad...or both. Her view of "father" was shattered four years ago, she was kidnapped and attacked a year and a half ago and she found herself unexpectedly pregnant with triplets last year. Then she expressed to me, her very deepest sorrow: she chose not to carry those three little babies and she deeply regrets that decision. She believes in Jesus, believes in forgiveness, but can't seem to shake the guilt. Together, we freshly asked the Lord to come and heal her heart. Would you pray for Carrie too?

Sometimes, there is shocking pain that lies underneath the smile of the strangers we meet every day.

Connections - Day 8 - Lisa...

I had a few good connections today and I can't decide who to introduce you to! Let's start with Lisa - a mom of two boys: Joshua (9) and David (5). She's a very easy going mom, not easily upset even after Joshua had a swelling reaction to a bee sting. She seemed to take it all in stride. She and her family live in West Henrietta, but interestingly, her parents are from Wyoming County. Her mom grew up in Warsaw, even worked at the elementary school years ago. Lisa's grandfather was the first owner of the former Sunoco Gas Station on 20A. Her parents were married in Warsaw, but then they moved up to the Rochester Area where her dad took a position with Rochester Telephone Company, so Lisa was born and raised in West Henrietta.

I also met Janice - a registered nurse who happened to graduate from the same college as I did, but just 3 years later. She's married to a man who is also a nurse and works at Strong, but Janice hasn't worked in the field since having children. Currently she spends much of her time homeschooling her children and participating in a homeschooling support group.

There's one more person I want you to meet, just because I was so personally blessed by our interaction. Her name is Mrs. W. and she's 65 years old. She and her husband have children of their own (who are in their 40s) and she proudly states that she's already a great-grandmother. In addition to all this, she and her husband have been long term therapeutic foster parents and are currently pursuing the legal adoption of a 13-year-old African American boy who has come from a very difficult home situation. They've foster parented him for the past 8 years, but the courts have only recently released him to be legally adopted, and so, although she questions the wisdom of the decision based upon her age and hope for retirement, she believes they will proceed with the deeper desire of their heart and give this son, a solid foundation - a real home of love and acceptance. She said that she asked the Lord about her twilight years, and the hopes she had to enjoy quiet evenings with her husband like most other retired couples. She felt like the Lord said, "There's plenty of time for you...but for now, take care of My boy." And so, she'll set aside her own agenda, again, and be mom for a few more years. I am humbled by her sincere love and humble sacrifice. I feel "richer" today, because of Mrs. W...and Janice...and Lisa...and you! :)

People are truly fascinating treasures ready to be discovered if we'll only look for the opportunity and then go for it.

Connections - Day 7 - Craig

Today I met Craig, a local farmer. He's a nice guy with a passion for all things growing. He comes across not as a big-business agriculturist, but rather just a guy who really enjoys investing time and energy into the art of growing fruits and vegetables. He's probably in his 60s and invited me to come pick blueberries at his farm (Wellsberry) out in Castile, NY. (for a price of course!) He went on to tell me all of the varieties of fruits and vegetables he grows - squash and beans and peas and carrots and, and, and... Someone so enthusiastic about his gardening, probably grows a decent crop. I think I'll probably try and visit his farm this summer. As I was leaving, he said, "Nice to meet you, Kathy!" What a nice thing to hear.

One thing I've noticed this past week, which should be of no surprise, is that men don't talk as much as women. :) They're friendly enough, but so far I've noticed that the middle aged man is less "chit-chatty" and more focused on one subject - whatever is most important to him at the time. Women (regardless of age) seem to be able to flow from one subject to another with great ease. So, go figure - men communicate differently than women! :) Ha - what a revelation. Overall however, people in general seem to be most willing to connect when I am able to keep the focus on them and their interests. It's actually a bit of a challenge for me to find questions and comments that facilitate this outward focus, but we're getting there.

Connections - Day 6 - Roxanne

Today I had a few good connections - but only one with a complete stranger. Her name is Roxanne and she lives in town here. I saw her sitting on a bench at the park and I sensed the Lord say, "Go connect." So, I walked up and sat next to her - commenting first on the cute little puppy she had with her. She has one son, age 30 and a daughter, age 21 who also live nearby. Her son is married and he and his wife are out of town for a few days - but they were worried about their new little 8 week old puppy so Roxanne offered to be "Grandma" for the cute little guy. (VERY CUTE) The little pup's name is Luke. What's funny, is that her cat's name is also Luke. (Of course I had to tell her that my 17 year old son's name is ALSO Luke.) It was evident that Roxanne wishes she had grandchildren, but she's not sure her children will be interested in it at all. Her siblings have grandchildren and she's feeling like she's missing out. For now, "Luke" the pup is filling her need, but I could hear the deeper longing for grandchildren. I tried to encourage her by saying her children were still relatively young, and may find a growing desire for children. :) She thanked me for stopping to talk with her. Oh Lord - thanks for directing me to Roxanne. Hear the longing of her heart - and Father, reveal the longing of Your heart for her.

The other couple of connections are worth mentioning - only because they seemed significant for me. One was Landon - a young man who married my good friend, Tammy. I met him once in June, but that interaction was nothing more than "Hi, glad to meet you." Then on the day of their wedding, I did say, "Congratulations"...so nothing majorly significant. Today I had the pleasure of talking with both he and his beautiful bride and found out what a really great guy he is. His passion is ministry, his message is the gospel, and he seems to have a very vital relationship with the Lord. I loved hearing about his experiences as a missionary to Mexico, and hearing about his vision for the future!

And then I happened to run into "Beth" - a young lady I haven't seen for years, and one I barely ever connected with in the past. Whenever I think about these sorts of interactions -- reconnections with past semi-acquaintanances, I am saddened that I didn't try then, what I'm intentional about now...reaching out, connecting, and really listening to these almost-friends. Today, Beth and I were suddenly face to face and she responded with a great big smile and a great big "Hi!" Both of us ended up talking a mile a minute trying to catch up as though we'd always related this way, but you know what? We never had. We jumped into a relationship connection as though it had been previously established and it all started with a great big smiley, "Hi!" :)

Lord make me approachable - and make me bold in love.

Connections - Day 5 - Sarah

Meet Sarah. (not her real name) Sarah was a patient of mine today. (which is why I can't tell you her real name. :) She has beautiful red hair and pretty blue eyes. Sarah has a peacefulness about her in spite of the fact that she was facing the possibilty of life changing news. At 19, Sarah has her whole life ahead of her. She just finished her freshman year at a local college on her long journey to a doctorate in Special Education. She has already made her decision before stepping into the exam room - if the test is positive, she's simply going to be one of those mommies who raises her children while pursuing her dreams. In this case, and probably to her relief, Sarah won't have to concern herself with that challenge - her test was negative.

Now, my job involves meeting strangers - so that makes this contact relatively easy. My job ALSO involves evangelism. Although initial stranger connection can be a bit challenging, some may view evangelism more of a challenge because the course of conversation has a goal in mind beyond just gaining basic knowledge about another person, that ultimately ends with a question looking for a response from the stranger. I've been so grateful for my job because of this element - evangelism. I've had to learn to share the gospel quickly but enthusiastically, bringing it to a close by presenting the invitation . I sort of follow a pattern when sharing the gospel. First - I present the reality that many people lack peace and hope. (usually the stranger agrees). Then I share the "problem": sin and selfishness which brings separation from God. I follow that up by telling her about God's love demonstrated through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross so that we can be reconciled and finally I present the invitation. It might sound "routine", but the truth is, the life of the gospel is a passion that burns in my soul so I try to just "tell it like it is" - passion and all. :) You can imagine it's a good day when someone accepts the invitation and chooses to trust God with their life through faith in Jesus.

In this case, Sarah seemed moved, and said she wanted to accept the invitation to reconcile with God, but that she just felt a little hesitant about it. I won't press a person, just because I believe strongly that the decision has to remain theirs. I've had to learn that if someone doesn't accept the offer of salvation, it doesn't necessarily mean I failed to communicate it effectively. The Lord reminded me that many rejected His offer even when HE shared the gospel--but it's still hard. Sarah allowed me to pray for her and so I did - and so I shall. Father God, draw this sweet girl to Yourself and help her hear Your tender voice calling her to Your heart. Set the invitation ever before her until she opens her heart and receives Your love and mercy. Thanks!

Connections - Day 4 - Nick

I spent the day with Jennie, as we drove down to Pennsylvania to deliver her younger sister, Anna to their father, Rick. We met up in Williamsport at a Wendy's restaurant. That's when I met Nick.

Nick is a kind Christian gentleman in his 50s who was eating a cheeseburger by himself at a table near where we sat to eat our lunch. He actually broke the "ice" first when he commented on the fact that we prayed before we ate our meal saying that it was an encouragement to him. That made a nice "on-ramp" to keep the connection going.

Nick is a small business owner who lives with his wife just outside Williamsport. He runs a mobile Cheeseburger Stand and follows the fairs around the state to provide all that lovely carnival food we all so enjoy. (I thought it funny that he was eating a Wendy's cheeseburger when we talked.) Nick and his wife attend an area fellowship where he is in charge of the drama department and very much enjoys writing most of their scripts.

He and his wife have just one child, a daughter, Nicole who is 25 years old and lives in Lancaster County where she is hoping for a position in youth ministry at a large church there. She also works in registration at the famous "Sight and Sound" theater ministry located down in Lancaster. It's clear that he is very proud of his little girl and encouraged me to "look her up" the next time I go to Sight and Sound Theater.

This was a pleasant and easy interaction, made easier by the fact that he bravely stepped out first by commenting on our prayer before our meal. I found that as he responded to my initial question (Are you here on your lunch break?) that I was both hearing him, and trying to come up with some more questions that would encourage the flow of conversation to continue. I feel like I'm building a toolbox of questions that help with making these cold contact stranger connections a bit easier, and look forward to the time when it all happens more naturally.

I told Nick, as he thanked me for talking with him, that I'd pray for him. Would you join me? Father God, thank you for this man of God, Nick. Let Your hand of protection and peace rest upon he and his wife and please draw them ever closer to You. I pray for Nicole, that she would be blessed as she pursues ministering to youth in Your name. Guide her steps, provide for her needs, and reveal more of Your Father heart to her -- even through her loving earthly father, Nick.

Thanks Dad!

Connections - Day 3 - Sylvia

You would think a Sunday would be relatively easy to have a stranger connection, but not so today. First, there were relatively few strangers in the congregation today. I actually received a text from a friend asking me to try to connect with two particular strangers, but because others were jumping in to meet these two, I thought I would wait for a more convenient time to introduce myself. I did attempt to meet one other stranger who had been lingering a bit after service but I found it enormously difficult because she didn't seem at all interested. I suppose it might be daunting to have a bunch of smiley Christians all clamoring to welcome you - maybe even get you saved. :) I had kind of been counting on church for my stranger connection today, oh well.

This afternoon, we held a baby shower for my daughter-in-law, and although we had 40 people there, I pretty much knew everyone. I was able to connect with some folks I haven't connected with for a while - I was more intentional about it and think that's important. I even connected with one person I hadn't really met before today, however, we also didn't have much a conversation so I won't count that. It's odd how I spent so much time with a large number of people, but I was unable to connect with a stranger on any meaninful level during that time.

I was exhausted after the shower, and just wanted to crash at home with my family, I knew I was still missing my day's stranger connection - and so I ventured off to the local grocery store to wander around, and pick up a few items while hoping to bump into someone willing to get past "Hi" with me. I was so tired, I decided to just check out and in my head, I began to formulate my day's blog entitled "Day 3 - Failure" :) however -- I met Sylvia in line. (Yay, Sylvia!) I got caught up in so much conversation with Sylvia, I had to let other people go in front of me while we continued chatting. Sylvia is a middle aged school teacher and proud new grandmother of a 7 pound, 4 ounce baby boy, born this past week at Highland Hospital in Rochester to her second born son and daughter in law who reside in Scottsville. This is her first grandchild and you could tell from her beaming smile. Maybe that's why it was easy to connect - because I was wearing the same smile having just come from my daughter in law's baby shower. I find that it's easier to connect with someone who you have something in common with....you just have to find that commonground as early in the conversation as possible in order to keep the ball rolling. I also found that if you keep the focus on the stranger's life, rather than telling her all about your life, she remains engaged in the conversation. (Interstingly, I also had a decent connection with my check out guy, Jordan, but I won't elaborate on it here. Just to say, on a day when I thought I'd have no connections, I ended up having two...so far.

Lord, help me keep my eyes and ears open!!

Connections - Day 2 - Julie

This is Day 2 of a journey I'm on to connect with strangers. If you're interested in reading about the background concerning this adventure, you're encouraged to read "Connections - Day 1" - my blog entry dated July 9, 2010.

I have been out and about quite a bit on this sunny Saturday, and I've had plenty of opportunities to meet and talk with strangers along the way. Because of that, it was an "easy" connection day, however, I believe the Lord has encouraged me to pay special attention to particular connections because He wants to train me in the ways of relationship. Today, through my "stranger connection", the Holy Spirit revealed some difficult realities about me and my self-focused life. Although it was painful in some respects, I am exceedingly grateful for the light of truth because I believe the Lord is ushering me out of the cloistered, self-protective life, and into a more confident vulnerability in relationship.

I'd like to introduce you to Julie. Julie is a pleasant, middle aged woman with four grown daughters and several grandchildren. One of her daughters adopted a beautiful baby girl eight months ago from a Buffalo area agency, and that baby is an answer to prayer for this family. Julie has had some difficult things happen in life in the past couple years, most recently a house fire destroyed a three-apartment home she and her husband owned. Her 86 year old father-in-law, one of their tenants, was burned in the flames and spent some time recently in the hospital managing pain, and getting skin grafts. Thankfully, he is going to be fine. They're going to hold a benefit in town soon, to raise money for their displaced tenants and I'm hoping to be able to attend that benefit. I am so very grateful that I had this connection with Julie.

So far, so good, right? You may be wondering why I said that God used this stranger connection to reveal the awful selfishness of my heart. The sad fact is, Julie has lived next door to me for the past 8 years, but until today, I couldn't have told you what her first name was. I met her today, for the first time, at her daughter's garage sale - that's right: for the first time! Why have I not pursued this friend before? Busy-ness? Insecurity? Fear of rejection? Timidity? Probably all of those things and more. Some may say, "She's not really a stranger - she was your neighbor" but as I said, I never met her before. I've waved "Hi" as I've driven by her walking along the road, but not once, did I pursue a conversation of any substance with her. :( I'm confident this is the stranger connection God ordained for today - reminding me that sometimes strangers are right under our noses. We don't have to look far. Perhaps God put Julie in that house next door, so that He could reveal His heart for her, through His life in me. How wrong it has been of me to hide that life and light. Father, forgive me, open my eyes, and help me cross the barriers. Thank you for Your grace and continue to teach me YOUR ways of relationship.

For the purist out there, who may still feel as though Julie was not a "true" stranger, let me introduce you to Dan - a complete stranger I had the pleasure of meeting this evening. Dan just graduated from high school two weeks ago and has enlisted in the Air Force. His dad wanted him to enlist in the Navy because his grandfather was a sailor, but when he talked to the Naval recruitment officer, he was encouraged to indicate that he was a Native American so he could be specially assigned to Naval security (because minorities were given special consideration for that position). Dan is not Native American, but he is a young man of integrity. He decided that he could NOT knowingly lie in order to obtain his preferred assignment, so instead, enlisted in the Air Force. His desire is still to work in security and enforcement, but he's willing to serve however the Air Force determines. He's still waiting for his orders that will determine his future and soon after he will head to a Texas Air Force base for training. In the meantime, Dan works at Wal-Mart.

Father - thank you for Dan and his heart to serve and to live true. It's encouraging to know there are young men committed to integrity, and willing to lay their lives down for their country. Please reveal YOUR heart to Dan, guide and direct his steps, and help him surrender his life to You. Thank you, Father.

Connections - Day 1 - Lily

I have some truly wonderful Christian friends who are more like family to me than anything else. We get along well, worship together, and find many things to talk and laugh about.

Recently several of us were at a celebration, sitting at a big round table, preparing to enjoy some food together, when a young mom and her 8-year-old daughter came and sat at our table. They sat directly across from me. She introduced herself to all of us and we exchanged the normal niceties but then continued to talk and laugh among ourselves. With so much in common, and so much history with one another, it was easy to keep the flow of conversation going. Unfortunately, we weren't making any effort to include our new table-mates in our riveting discussion. To include them, would require some measure of boldness and could be very awkward. It's interesting how we can sometimes view ourselves as very open and fun-loving -- not recognizing we're only like that when we're with "our own kind". I guess that's really more sad than interesting. Jesus told us to go and preach the gospel and make disciples, but we can't even figure out how to say, "Hi."

God made us for relationship. We are all desperate to feel the love and acceptance of others, sometimes so much so, that we forget that those "others" are also in desperate need. In our insecurity, we clamor for affection and approval through relationship, but then once we feel relatively content with our relationship quota, we stop looking to connect. "I'm friends with you and you're friends with me....what do we need her for?" The truth is, maybe she needs YOU - or rather maybe she needs the Jesus that's inside you. (and maybe you need the Jesus that's inside her!)

I've been thinking and praying about this quite a bit lately - trying to analyze why it is we prefer to stay cloistered in our social-networking world. While thinking this stuff through, I believe the Lord has put a challenge before me that I've really hesitated considering too seriously. I believe He's asking me to intentionally connect with a different stranger every single day for the rest of this month (July, 2010). I've hesitated because I recognize I really do live a cloistered life, literally spending hours each week in the basement of our church working on administrative type tasks. I'm afraid days will go by when I don't even come across a stranger that I could connect with and I'll fail the challenge. But because I really do believe God is the One behind this "experiment" of sorts, I also believe He will provide the people He wants me to connect with - friends I've simply not yet met. I also believe He'll probably train me in boldness, push me past my fear of the cold-connection, and help me find some confidence in just talking with strangers.

And so...the challenge begins.

Here are a few parameters:

A "Stranger" is someone I have not yet met, or established any sort of relationship with.

A "Connection" is something that gets past the "Hi. How are you. Have a nice day" stage. It means actually finding out something meaningful about that person - making a real connection and remembering their name the next day.

I won't limit myself to just ONE connection per day, however, I will look for at least one each day, even if I have to break out of the basement and go track down a stranger somewhere! :)

Just for fun, I plan to blog about each encounter here. I really want to learn about what makes the cold-connection so hard and what might help to make it a little bit easier. Mostly, I just really want to introduce you to these amazing precious ones that I would've otherwise overlooked.

Day 1 - Meet Lily. Lily is a beautiful young lady with much to say. She practically bounded into the church, full of life and energy. She was easy for me to connect with because of her own outward friendliness. In fact, I learned much from her, on this Day 1 of the Challenge to Connect. For instance: Just be you. No reason to put on airs and pretend to be someone you're not - that's too much work. Be assertive in your approach to the stranger by initiating conversation, but remain open so that they can see the real you too. It makes the stranger feel safe. (at least that's how I felt. "Safe" as assertive Lily initiated conversation and asked questions about me.) Lily likes exploring, likes new things, likes to eat, and likes strangers! Oh, and one other thing about Lily: she's three years old. :) I'm grateful God put her "first" in line of the new friends I'll meet this month. It may seem like an easy "connect" since she's only a child - but I do believe God put her first to encourage me not to overlook ANYONE in my pursuit to connect because "of such is the Kingdom of God." Thanks God - for Lily. Draw her to You, so she can know how very much You love her.

I can hardly wait for Day 2!

Beach Vacation

The family and I went on a vacation a couple of weeks ago, to the beach at Ocean City, Maryland. We had a wonderful time, hanging out, playing in the sand, going for walks on the boardwalk, and eating! Before going on this particular trip, I felt as though the Lord asked me to set aside some alone time with just Him. I was fairly excited about the thought that God wanted my attention, assuming He was going to teach me new and wonderful things! So each morning, I would wake up before 6:30, take my beach chair, and walk out to the beach to sit and be still for a couple of hours. I read a little, prayed a little, but mostly I just sat. At times I would "try" to hear God, assuming He had some things to say to me, but quite often I would only sense Him saying, "Don't strive - just be. Rest a while with Me." (Ha - that rhyme was unintentional.)

Many times the Lord instructs me as I read the word or through gifted teachers, even by just a sense of His voice throughout every day life. I so appreciate those times when I am a student of the Holy Spirit. I am used to God being a Teacher - it's quite often how I have related to Him in my walk throughout the years. I have to say though, during these times at the beach, He seemed to put down His teacher's chalk, and sit in His own big beach chair right next to me. This may seem kind of strange, but it was like He was on vacation too. Just chilling with me on the beach. He wasn't really talking in an instructional way at all, but He certainly was very present.

During each of these early morning visits, I was regularly impacted by two awesome images, both of which were significant illustrations of God's love.

The first is fairly obvious: I was impressed by the vastness of the mighty Atlantic. I would strain to see the edge of the endless sea and find myself getting slightly dizzy as I tried to see what was unseeable. So much water. The surf was kicking up quite a bit while I was there, which revealed only a fraction of the power resident in that huge ocean. So deep, so wide, so measureless. Yes, as you can imagine, it was easy to find insight into the greatness of the love of God while sitting by the sea. I was especially struck by the constancy of the rolling waves, always pushing towards me - always reaching out to touch the edge of my world. If I did not move my position, eventually those waves would wrap themselves around my feet as the tide would eventually and most certainly come in. It always comes in. Even more than that, if I got up from my seat and intentionally moved towards the water - meeting the wave at it's point of impact, I would surely be overcome by the force of liquid power. His love: so constant, so powerful, so persistently pursuing the object of His affection. Let the tide roll in - here I come, ready or not! SPLASH!

The other image that I often saw while sitting by the shore, was that of a dad with his little girl. It wasn't the same dad, with the same little girl - but various father/daughter interactions that for some reason, all seemed especially highlighted to me during my week on the beach. I was impressed by the willingness of one dad to get up so early in the morning just to collect seashells with his very wide awake daughters - seashells mind you, that would no doubt find their way into a forgotten mason jar in the basement of their home. This dad was not worried about the practicals of seashell collection - no, he was out there for one reason: to be with his little princesses and revel in their glee-filled squeals and delightful discoveries. I watched as one dad passed up surfing with the big guys so he could build a sand castle with the apple of his eye. The sandcastle was surely doomed for destruction with the next tide, but not before a joyful memory was made. And not just a memory - but I believe an investment was made into that little girl's heart - the assurance that she's absolutely cherished and always will be.

As I said - although I thought perhaps the Lord might use my vacation at the beach to instruct me in the principles of kingdom living, it seemed He was more intent on just hanging out and resting. I didn't take any notes. I didn't even bring a notebook. Instruction didn't seem to be on His agenda...

Hold on! Wait just one minute. In spite of all the rest and relaxing by the sea, somehow, I feel like I've come away from that time with greater understanding of my Father's love for me. Just how did He do that? I thought we weren't doing the instructional teaching thing. Huh. Maybe God was showing me that He wants to be more than my Teacher. Maybe He wants me to know that a Father's way of teaching, is sometimes less about instruction and more about spending time with His little girl doing the things that delight her heart. Ha ha ha...

Oh, we have such a good Dad, you and I.