98% or 2% ?

Recently I attended a women’s retreat at an incredibly beautiful retreat center near Santa Barbara.  Everything about the weekend was great; the weather, the setting, the speaker, the small groups, even the food was delicious!

Well, let me amend that just a bit, ALMOST everything was great.  My dear friend, with whom I’ve attended these retreats for many years, slipped, fell, and what we thought was a badly sprained ankle turned out to be a broken fibula, which needed surgery!  My first response, upon learning of her fall, being the compassionate caring person that I am, was “Does this mean I have to drive your car – a stick shift – all the way home?”

But I digress….

You know how sometimes God speaks to you out of the blue, when you’re not even anticipating a “Breaking News Alert” from above?  That happened to me on our first evening in the small group.  I shared how 98% of my life was good, but I have this nagging 2% that continues to capture the lion's share of my focus.  A very special lady in our group spoke these words of wisdom, “ Yes, isn’t that just what we do, turn the 2% into the 98%?”

OK God, I hear you loud and clear!  It’s up to me on which 98% I choose to put my attention. 

The rest of the retreat was icing on the cake!   And PTL, I drove my friend and I home without burning up the clutch or stripping the gears!

The Six-letter Word . . .

Change!  This has probably never been a word used to describe one of my stronger skills for navigating through life!  I prefer routine, traditions, predictable, status quo etc.– you get the picture?  I clutch firmly and hate to let go, whether it is something as big as employment, as complicated as relationships, or as simple as going to a hairdresser (although this was actually one of the more difficult changes for me to make!!) 

Perhaps I’ve always figured if circumstances didn’t change, I had control over the situation (control – now there’s a seven-letter word I’ve always loved!)  Kind of silly when you stop to think about it, how can I stop change?  There are all kinds of opportunities waiting, if I only move out the clutter and make space for them.  I guess I’m a slow learner, but I am making progress.  I mean I did switch hairdressers after twelve years!

So how about you?  What is that six-letter word to you; friend or foe?  Or maybe it fluctuates on the continuum  - just like change itself!

Change

Decades tiptoeing

around it,

as if avoidance

could halt

life’s natural progression.

Days, months, years,

wrapped in

tidy packages

tied with

predictable ribbons.

Still,

it finds

an opening,

unwilling to be

boxed in

or

shut out.

Ever present,

never ending,

sometimes gently,

sometimes forcefully,

often unexpectedly,

intruding on order

and carefully laid plans.

Until it is

welcomed

and

embraced.

Lovingly invited

on the journey,

as a familiar friend,

not an

unwanted stranger.

April 12, 2013

Spud and Brooklyn

What is it about my Spudster and little kids that just melts my heart and screams to me of God’s presence? 

It happened again today on our morning walk.  We were meandering down the road, at the end of one of our longer routes, when I spotted a man carrying a little boy.   The gentleman (I’m guessing the grandfather) was patiently pointing out trees, flowers, the truck carrying the gardener’s equipment etc., when this little guy in his arms (maybe 18 months) points to Spud and says “Doggie, doggie!” 

Grandpa put Brooklyn down (I always introduce Spud to his admirers by name!) and asked if he could meet Spud.  So here comes little Brooklyn, wobbly and yes –a tad bit tentatively – to meet my boy!   Brooklyn put out his chubby finger and touched Spud’s nose and then his head, not quite sure how to go about making the acquaintance of this massive white dog in front of him!  I offered the opportunity for Brooklyn to give Spud a treat and with Grandpa’s permission, I placed it in the palm of his little hand.  Understandably, Brooklyn didn’t know the next step to this whole scenario, but Spud did!  Spud ‘gives paw’ before he gets something special – and that is just what happened with Brooklyn!  Spud put his big old paw in that little palm!  Of course it all worked out, because the treat fell to the ground, Spud quickly ate it and Brooklyn giggled in delight!

We continued our journey down the street; only my eyes were no longer dry, as I heard Grandpa saying, “That was Spud!”   I realized I would be doing the same thing with Billy in the not too distant future. 

So it’s only 10:20am and life feels full of God today! 

And just because I can’t resist, here’s a picture I took of Billy this week, when I was babysitting.   Will miracles never cease???!!!