I was stopped at a traffic light on my way to church last Sunday and before the light turned green a dragonfly flew into my field of vision. For several miles she stayed right in front of me almost as though she were guiding my driving. What made this so interesting is that fact there has been road construction on this intersection for quite some time and as of that morning the lanes had been changed. Rather than distract me, the dragonfly helped me focus more clearly and ease safely through the intersection to continue my journey.
I thought of unexpected travelers on our life’s journey with us. I thought of those we need to pay closer attention to … ones we might ordinarily dismiss and being “in the way” or a distraction.
And then I thought too how easily I could have been distracted by the intricacies of the dragonfly – like how her wings moved or the incandescent colors on her body. She could have so captivated my attention that I did not pay attention to the light changing or where I was driving. How differently my drive to church could have been!
My encounter with the dragonfly illustrated to me the importance of the choices in our lives. I choose to follow the dragonfly rather than be distracted by her. Who do I choose to follow? Why? What choices do I make that distract me from the journey God has me on? Which ones keep me on the journey?
WOW! There are so many choices we make every day that have the potential to guide us on our journey or just as easily derail us. And just like the dragonfly encounter, sometimes we have to make split-second choices. Even the smallest ones have life-changing implications.
I’ve been paying more attention to the people and the little things in life since the dragonfly. I think there is a reason she caught my attention and started me thinking about leaders and choices and my journey. I don’t know when I’ll know why she flew in front of me when she did, but I am certain I will be glad she did!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
As an avid photographer I always grieve over lost photo ops. Today I missed a grand one. As I inched my way forward in unexpected midday bumper-to-bumper traffic I crested a hill to see the cause of the delay. There was twisted metal strewn across the road, a wrecker, and several vehicles with flashing lights.
Trying not to be the rubber-necker whose behavior I so dislike, I tried to ease through the blocked intersection without looking. But, I looked. I saw a young female driver in the gentle embrace of a burly Police officer. Her sobs were visible. The comfort he was offering her was palatable.
Where was my camera? I had it with me this morning. Why didn’t I have it with me now? But I didn’t. So instead of lamenting my lapse in judgment for leaving the camera on my desk, I allowed myself to really see what was going on.
The car I assume belonged to the young girl was on a flat bed wrecker. The impact had been on the driver’s side. Had her car been equipped with airbags they would have deployed. I am not an insurance claims adjuster but I feel certain her car will be totaled. No wonder she was frightened and crying!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Police officer hug a victim except on television. But he was being stalwart despite the near triple-digit heat and the horns being honked by angry driver delayed in the accident clean up.
And then I thought back to a prayer I had prayed earlier in the morning. A precious sister in Christ was hurting. My reaching out to touch was via telephone. In my prayer I asked God to allow her to feel God’s loving arms around her. What I saw between the Police officer and the accident victim was what I had prayed for my friend!
God’s loving arms around us. How often we need to feel God’s closeness! What comfort and strength there is from that assurance of God’s protection and love. Stop and feel God’s arms around you. Now, who can you hug in return?
Trying not to be the rubber-necker whose behavior I so dislike, I tried to ease through the blocked intersection without looking. But, I looked. I saw a young female driver in the gentle embrace of a burly Police officer. Her sobs were visible. The comfort he was offering her was palatable.
Where was my camera? I had it with me this morning. Why didn’t I have it with me now? But I didn’t. So instead of lamenting my lapse in judgment for leaving the camera on my desk, I allowed myself to really see what was going on.
The car I assume belonged to the young girl was on a flat bed wrecker. The impact had been on the driver’s side. Had her car been equipped with airbags they would have deployed. I am not an insurance claims adjuster but I feel certain her car will be totaled. No wonder she was frightened and crying!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Police officer hug a victim except on television. But he was being stalwart despite the near triple-digit heat and the horns being honked by angry driver delayed in the accident clean up.
And then I thought back to a prayer I had prayed earlier in the morning. A precious sister in Christ was hurting. My reaching out to touch was via telephone. In my prayer I asked God to allow her to feel God’s loving arms around her. What I saw between the Police officer and the accident victim was what I had prayed for my friend!
God’s loving arms around us. How often we need to feel God’s closeness! What comfort and strength there is from that assurance of God’s protection and love. Stop and feel God’s arms around you. Now, who can you hug in return?
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
There’s a garden growing in our back yard! I haven’t seen it yet, but I believe it’s there. The soil has been being prepared for some time and Sunday the seeds were planted. Then God watered the yard and it was good. Any day now a study of the area, even from a second story window observation, is going to reveal our summer veggies coming to life.
This is only the second time I have had anything to do with a garden (other than literally eating the fruits from my grandparent’s labors) and this time is going to be different! The first time I was a Miami-raised girl planted in a Midwestern state where our home was at the intersection of four corn fields. Burning my trash in a barrel and canning were new to me. So was gardening. But this southern-bred girl wanted some okra and no one around us had any idea what to do with it so they did not plant it nor did the stores offer it for sale.
Friends offered to give us several rows of their tilled garden. The excitement was palatable! A garden – our very own home-grown produce. So, with eager anticipation, we planted okra and for the life of me I cannot remember what else.
We planted it and left it there. The garden plot was several miles away from our house and the ole adage out of sight, out of mind characterized our care of the plants. We had checked on them to be sure the seeds had sprouted. But we had never watered them. We trusted our friends to do that since they owned the land and surely cared for their garden since it was a significant source of their food. And we never weeded or removed insects who obviously liked this new varietal in their territory.
I do not remember how long it was after we planted the seeds that our friends gently suggested we might want to check on our garden. WOW! We did it! Good sized okra plants … and better sized weeds. To our dismay it was hard to distinguish the too. We harvested a handful of pods from the dying plants before leaving to return home disappointed.
Now I know how absurd our actions were! We had to be willing to work for what we wanted. This year is going to be different. I know that if I want those freshly-picked veggies then I have to care for the plants that will produce them. If I expect something from nothing that is what I will get.
Our walk with God is the same way. If we are not committed to spending time with God, in studying the Bible, with other believers, in ministry and service, and in worship, then we cannot expect to grow in our understanding of God. Time is the perfect growth agent. How much are you willing to give to grow your relationship with God?
This is only the second time I have had anything to do with a garden (other than literally eating the fruits from my grandparent’s labors) and this time is going to be different! The first time I was a Miami-raised girl planted in a Midwestern state where our home was at the intersection of four corn fields. Burning my trash in a barrel and canning were new to me. So was gardening. But this southern-bred girl wanted some okra and no one around us had any idea what to do with it so they did not plant it nor did the stores offer it for sale.
Friends offered to give us several rows of their tilled garden. The excitement was palatable! A garden – our very own home-grown produce. So, with eager anticipation, we planted okra and for the life of me I cannot remember what else.
We planted it and left it there. The garden plot was several miles away from our house and the ole adage out of sight, out of mind characterized our care of the plants. We had checked on them to be sure the seeds had sprouted. But we had never watered them. We trusted our friends to do that since they owned the land and surely cared for their garden since it was a significant source of their food. And we never weeded or removed insects who obviously liked this new varietal in their territory.
I do not remember how long it was after we planted the seeds that our friends gently suggested we might want to check on our garden. WOW! We did it! Good sized okra plants … and better sized weeds. To our dismay it was hard to distinguish the too. We harvested a handful of pods from the dying plants before leaving to return home disappointed.
Now I know how absurd our actions were! We had to be willing to work for what we wanted. This year is going to be different. I know that if I want those freshly-picked veggies then I have to care for the plants that will produce them. If I expect something from nothing that is what I will get.
Our walk with God is the same way. If we are not committed to spending time with God, in studying the Bible, with other believers, in ministry and service, and in worship, then we cannot expect to grow in our understanding of God. Time is the perfect growth agent. How much are you willing to give to grow your relationship with God?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Timing is indeed everything! Lee Ann and I have dreamed of the day we can own enough property to provide a loving home to rescued cats and dogs. Today I wondered if the time had come with benefit only of love and a fenced in yard. Allow me to tell you about Annie Parker and what God is asking you and me.
If you’ve seen the movie “Up” then perhaps the interjection “squirrel” has become a part of your vocabulary too! Well this week we’ve said “squirrel” quite a bit in the church that houses our office. One (we hope it’s just one) furry friend found its way inside and has been scampering the halls since Monday. Yesterday a humane trap was set and within a few hours the visitor had taken the peanut butter bait and wanted o-u-t! Two of us took him to the nearby city park to release him.
As we entered the park I noticed a small scruffy dog near the road. Its once white coat was gray and although it didn’t look malnourished I sensed it was homeless. We released the squirrel and didn’t see the dog again. We didn’t see the dog but I did again this morning… on a bridge on a busy street literally stopping traffic.
I allowed the cars around me and the now wet, red-mud colored dog (it rained all night) to stop me from at least trying to get the dog in the car. But a picture of the, I assume, abandoned dog stayed in my mind. I talked with Lee Ann not long after the sighting and I told her about the dog. When I started crying just thinking about him I headed her admonition to do something.
I called our vet for advice and to be sure they could see the dog, found a soft cloth, and headed out for my first animal rescue. By the time I traveled the two miles to the last place I had seen the dog I had named it Annie Parker … Annie for Orphan Annie if it turned out to be a girl and Parker for finding it in the park if it turned out to be a boy.
I slowly drove and walked around the area but no dog. I called as best I could (I am sure anyone hearing me had to laugh since I am accustomed to calling cats!). Discouraged I was about to drive out of the park when I felt an urging to go back to one area again. I did and there was Annie Parker! She/he was not glad to see me. I did all the things I thought I should to lure the dog to me but A.P turned tail and ran deep into the woods. At the break in the trees where she/he dashed in I saw three bowls – evidence someone else cares about the dog with no home.
The story of the lost sheep came to mind as I drove, dogless, out of the park. The good shepherd left the entire flock to seek out the one lost sheep. One is valuable … especially to God. So I said a prayer that God would protect Annie Parker and I vowed to keep coming back to see if I could befriend A.P. to the point of providing safety and a home.
Where are the lost “sheep” around you and me? The cats, dogs, little people, old people, families …. Even one is important to God. How do we let them know they matter to us and God?
If you’ve seen the movie “Up” then perhaps the interjection “squirrel” has become a part of your vocabulary too! Well this week we’ve said “squirrel” quite a bit in the church that houses our office. One (we hope it’s just one) furry friend found its way inside and has been scampering the halls since Monday. Yesterday a humane trap was set and within a few hours the visitor had taken the peanut butter bait and wanted o-u-t! Two of us took him to the nearby city park to release him.
As we entered the park I noticed a small scruffy dog near the road. Its once white coat was gray and although it didn’t look malnourished I sensed it was homeless. We released the squirrel and didn’t see the dog again. We didn’t see the dog but I did again this morning… on a bridge on a busy street literally stopping traffic.
I allowed the cars around me and the now wet, red-mud colored dog (it rained all night) to stop me from at least trying to get the dog in the car. But a picture of the, I assume, abandoned dog stayed in my mind. I talked with Lee Ann not long after the sighting and I told her about the dog. When I started crying just thinking about him I headed her admonition to do something.
I called our vet for advice and to be sure they could see the dog, found a soft cloth, and headed out for my first animal rescue. By the time I traveled the two miles to the last place I had seen the dog I had named it Annie Parker … Annie for Orphan Annie if it turned out to be a girl and Parker for finding it in the park if it turned out to be a boy.
I slowly drove and walked around the area but no dog. I called as best I could (I am sure anyone hearing me had to laugh since I am accustomed to calling cats!). Discouraged I was about to drive out of the park when I felt an urging to go back to one area again. I did and there was Annie Parker! She/he was not glad to see me. I did all the things I thought I should to lure the dog to me but A.P turned tail and ran deep into the woods. At the break in the trees where she/he dashed in I saw three bowls – evidence someone else cares about the dog with no home.
The story of the lost sheep came to mind as I drove, dogless, out of the park. The good shepherd left the entire flock to seek out the one lost sheep. One is valuable … especially to God. So I said a prayer that God would protect Annie Parker and I vowed to keep coming back to see if I could befriend A.P. to the point of providing safety and a home.
Where are the lost “sheep” around you and me? The cats, dogs, little people, old people, families …. Even one is important to God. How do we let them know they matter to us and God?
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Anticipation
Anticipation … there’s a lot of it connected with Christmas and a New Year … and I’d like to think in waiting for a new blog post (LOL).
I confess that I had some trepidation as the holidays approached. In the past I have found myself on Christmas afternoon staring at the “naked” tree with no more colorfully wrapped gifts under its branches feeling a sense of remorse that it’s over for another year. But not this year. Advent and the start of 2010 were very satisfying and poignant for me. I share just three snippets with you.
Our Christmas season started with a trip to New York City! Everyone who loves this time of the year should experience it there… nothing can compare with seeing “the” tree in person (both at night and during the day), the store windows, the millions of tiny white lights decorating countless trees, snow in Times Square, the shoppers, and the show the “ringers” put on during their shifts attending the Salvation Army’s red kettles! So many people and so much money to prepare for the season. But where did I see the true spirit of the season? In a small sign, in an ordinary store window, cleverly explaining they were using money not for lavish holiday decorations but for donations to a charity for the homeless. What a wonderful way to honor the homeless babe in the stable.
This is my only child’s first year in the Navy and it looked like he might not get leave for the holiday. What would it be like for his bed to be empty for the first time in 26 Christmases? I found my memories drifting back to years of peeking into his room while he slept. As I did a question began to haunt me. What if the manger had been empty? But it wasn’t and baby Jesus has changed my life and all of human history!
A new tradition we had anticipated adding to Christmas this year was bringing Lee Ann’s mother from the nursing home to spend the day with us. What a reminder that our plans are not our own! As she struggled to breathe just days before December 25th, Mom would cry out a prayer for God to help her. Although her healing was not in the way we had hoped for, her prayer was answered and amid the sorrow there was peace knowing she celebrated Christmas in Heaven this year.
No matter how intimate our relationship with the Creator, God’s ways and God’s timing often baffle us. Accepting God’s plans challenges us. Yet surrendering our anticipation to living one day at a time walking with God is the best way to begin every new day!
I confess that I had some trepidation as the holidays approached. In the past I have found myself on Christmas afternoon staring at the “naked” tree with no more colorfully wrapped gifts under its branches feeling a sense of remorse that it’s over for another year. But not this year. Advent and the start of 2010 were very satisfying and poignant for me. I share just three snippets with you.
Our Christmas season started with a trip to New York City! Everyone who loves this time of the year should experience it there… nothing can compare with seeing “the” tree in person (both at night and during the day), the store windows, the millions of tiny white lights decorating countless trees, snow in Times Square, the shoppers, and the show the “ringers” put on during their shifts attending the Salvation Army’s red kettles! So many people and so much money to prepare for the season. But where did I see the true spirit of the season? In a small sign, in an ordinary store window, cleverly explaining they were using money not for lavish holiday decorations but for donations to a charity for the homeless. What a wonderful way to honor the homeless babe in the stable.
This is my only child’s first year in the Navy and it looked like he might not get leave for the holiday. What would it be like for his bed to be empty for the first time in 26 Christmases? I found my memories drifting back to years of peeking into his room while he slept. As I did a question began to haunt me. What if the manger had been empty? But it wasn’t and baby Jesus has changed my life and all of human history!
A new tradition we had anticipated adding to Christmas this year was bringing Lee Ann’s mother from the nursing home to spend the day with us. What a reminder that our plans are not our own! As she struggled to breathe just days before December 25th, Mom would cry out a prayer for God to help her. Although her healing was not in the way we had hoped for, her prayer was answered and amid the sorrow there was peace knowing she celebrated Christmas in Heaven this year.
No matter how intimate our relationship with the Creator, God’s ways and God’s timing often baffle us. Accepting God’s plans challenges us. Yet surrendering our anticipation to living one day at a time walking with God is the best way to begin every new day!
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