The Ever-widening Path

Yes!  It’s been awhile since you’ve heard from me and I believe I can point to the “ever-widening path” as the reason.  Of course, you know I’ll explain!

You notice I didn’t say my path is going in a new or different direction; it’s headed down the same road.  The destination hasn’t changed, I have!  Perhaps the road has always been wider than I was willing to allow; predictable, routine, and safe are comfortable words in my vocabulary.  However, the more I venture into uncharted territory, the more opportunities for taking risks seem to come my way.  And quite unusual for me, I find it exciting to watch God’s plans unfold.

I’m also learning to pay attention to my inner voice, which is whispering it’s time to let Seeds of Faith go on hiatus. Writing will continue to be one of my passions, but I sense it will take on a new look.  I need to make space for possibilities, some known but I’m quite sure most are unknown!

So thank you for allowing me to share my ponderings with you over the past year and a half.  I so loved hearing from you; your stories and comments were always an encouragement to me.  I have saved every one!

Of course, I can’t end without showing you God’s biggest miracle on the “ever-widening path”!

Our God of Relationships

I’ve been on a journey the past couple of weeks; a journey of reconnecting, restoring, and mending fences.  That much I had planned for, what I did not anticipate was the courage needed to keep my feet on the path.  If a u-turn had been available, I would have gladly changed directions.

And then . . .in steps our God of Relationships: through my husband who reminded me about truth-telling, through a meditation on the power of intercessory prayer, through admitting vulnerabilities, through friends who wrapped their arms around me from afar with their words of love and encouragement, and through an embracing welcome filled with warm gracious hospitality.  I knew I was not alone on this journey.  In fact, it became apparent I was not orchestrating this reunion, it was our God of Relationships.

Think about the people in your life and how God works through them to reach out to you.  I bet you’re smiling right now!

What an amazing relational God we have!

Spud and Brooklyn: Chapter Two

Well, it happened again!  Spud and I were making our way home from our Thursday morning walk, when Brooklyn spotted Spud!  But let me give you a little background of the morning, before I share their interaction.

Thursday is my 6am Bible Study group, which every Wednesday night I second myself as to guess why in the world I ever signed up for such a thing.  I mean I’m retired, I don’t have to get up early any more, you’d think I’d pick a more convenient  time.  But I LOVE this group of women and every week I leave at 7am thanking God that HE has brought us together.  In our closing prayer this morning,  I asked that we be open to how God would show himself to us, as we move through our day.

Since I’m wide awake when I return home and of course Spud is ready to launch into a new day, we go for an extra long walk; which includes horse trails and a pedestrian walkway over a busy freeway!  The morning is fresh and crisp, the birds chirping, and squirrels chasing each other (I think just to tease Spud!). 

I take my phone with me for emergency purposes, believe me when it rings I’m completely startled, as that happens so seldom!  But toward the end of our walk I did get a call from my son.  I wanted to arrange time to have a “Billy fix”!  (Oh and BTW, it is SO La Canada to be walking your dog and talking on your cell.)  I’m in the middle of the conversation, when we round the corner and see Brooklyn and grandpa.

I quickly tell my son I’ll call him back and walk over to greet Brooklyn.  Brooklyn is holding his arms out toward Spud and grandpa is asking him if he remembers meeting him. And did we make progress!  Grandpa showed him how to hold Spud’s treat in his open hand and Spud licked it right up!  Brooklyn squealed in delight and pointed to my bag of treats to do it again.  After three feedings, Brooklyn wiped his hand on his shirt and said, “He be slimy”.

 

As we each went on our way, I said good-bye to Brooklyn and he waved back and said "Good-bye Spu"  that’s right Spu, not Spud!  At that moment, I broke into the biggest smile and thought about the prayer from earlier – here you are, God.  Thank you!

 

So here’s wishing you your own “Spud and Brooklyn” moment today!  

     

P.S. 

Since I didn’t think it appropriate to ask to take a picture of Brooklyn, here is one of Spudster and my little guy, whom I call the “Sheriff of Crankertown”!

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???!!!

Redemption - Playing if Forward

My “God of Divine Opportunities” during  Lent, had something else up His sleeve for Holy Week – REDEMPTION. 

As we entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the cheers and adulation's of the crowd (definitely would be MY kind of parade!), the story slowly started to unravel to the utter abandonment of Good Friday.   All but one disciple deserted Jesus, a fact that had previously escaped me.  The throngs of loving followers turned into an angry mob and there was betrayal by those closest to him.  I’ve heard the story thousands of times, yet this year what rang through loudest was REDEMPTION.

My moments of defeat, disappointments, and failures are actually rather minuscule in the grand scheme of things; but when I’m in the muck and mire, they loom like dark torrents of rain that never seem to end.  And that is just the time a small ray of sun breaks through with a glimmer of hope and offers the possibility of redemption. 

This week I’ve had occasions to share personal redemption stories with women in my small group, my early, early (6AM!!) bible study, and in a front porch rocking chair conversation with a friend.  Only a few of these women have I known for many years and have walked through the valleys and mountain tops of our lives together; while others I am just becoming acquainted with, our journey together only beginning.  However our conversations have shown me it makes no difference; we all have redemption stories and it is in the sharing that God uses us to reach out to others.  Redemption is meant to be played forward.

Watch for your redemption stories.  They come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all around, waiting to be claimed.  Then pass them along; someone needs to hear your story.

Wishing you a Joy-filled, Glorious, Resurrection Sunday! 

Redemption

Ripples of Grace

  flowing downstream

Baptizing hearts

   hardened by hurt

Nudges of forgiveness

   promising release

Healing transgressions

   mercies undeserved

Showers of light

   illuminating paths

Weary travelers called

   to Resurrection Life

Weaving of love

   God to man

Tapestry of redemption

   death to rebirth

March 28, 2013

Maundy Thursday