Make Your Dusting Count

    I just finished reading the memoir "The Hare With Amber Eyes"  by Edmund De Waal.  De Waal comes from a Jewish family who originally came from Russia.  They went on to become financial powerhouses in Paris and Vienna.  During WW II, they lost their homes, their possessions and their financial standing because they were Jews.  A few papers, books and a very special collection of Japanese netsuke, intricate toggles once used to close pouches or belts, were all that survived.  The book takes its title from an especially beautiful netsuke, the hare with the amber eyes.
     The Gestapo emptied the family home of its possessions and people and set up shop in the Ephrussi family home.  Anna, the Gentile maid, stayed with the house and continued cleaning and doing chores.  The netsuke sat observing, ignored and silent in a corner glass cabinet.  The cabinet was in a tiny room that used to be Madam Ephrussi's dressing room.  The children of the house would sit on the rug and play with the carvings while Anna helped the lady of the house get ready for the day.  Years later, during the German residence, Anna would put one netsuke in her pocket every day while dusting.  At the end of  each day, she hid the figurines in her mattress.  She did this until she had hidden away all 264 pieces. When Anna dusted and secreted away the tiny figures, she prayed a tangible prayer:  She would see the Ephrussi family again and she would give them these treasures back.
      Eight years after leaving Austria, Elisabeth, a Ephrussi daughter returned and Anna gave her the netsuke.  The intricate, tiny carvings that had once filled an elegant, velvet- lined cabinet were lovingly placed in a brief case and carried back to England, the new Ephrussi home.
    When the author found out about Anna's kindness and bravery, all the people who had known her had passed away.  The questions he wanted to know would remain unanswered; he couldn't even find out Anna's last name.
      Anna's compassion illustrates the nature of kindness.  Kindness is not measured by monetary standards or grandeur.  In Anna's case, a daily act of bravery added up to a kindness that transcends generations.  His Holiness the Dahli Lama, Mother Teresa and Jesus have all stressed the importance, and the power,  of compassion and love.  Each of us, no matter our circumstances, has the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.  The form of this help may be very subtle.  You may simply sit and listen to someone without comment or judgement, providing them a haven.  You may let someone with less items go ahead of you at the grocery store.  You may hold a baby for a weary mother so she can answer nature's call.  The possibilities are infinite.  You may not be privy to the consequences of your acts of kindness, yet you are called to do them.  Kindness, unlike many other things, does not have a scale. Kindness is pure and it IS powerful.

Patient Flowers

      This is the first year I have planted flowers in a mountain climate.  Boy did I start too early!  I planted about the third week in May.  We got snow and wind around Memorial Day.  Needless to say, the flowers did not enjoy the snow treatment.  The were shriveled and sad.  I even covered them to get them through the unpredictable weather.  Once the surprise winter was over, I cut them way back.  I turned them daily. I  gave them fertilizer and lots of water. Truth be told, I also spoke words of encouragement to them. Why not? It can't hurt.   For a long time nothing happened, then two weeks ago,  I looked outside and a remarkable thing had occurred:  They bloomed and they bloomed bigger then the first time. 
     Pastor Scott Fine at Mountain Life Church spoke on Psalm forty this week.   In this psalm David cries out to the Lord saying, " I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry; He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."  Pastor Fine took the entire psalm and showed how it illustrates God's response to our call.  He does not ignore us, he turns toward us, he lifts us up, he gives us a firm footing, he puts a new song in our hearts AND "Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."  When things seem stationary and dead in our lives there is actually a lot going on. The pastor noted that God uses trying circumstances to teach us AND those around us lessons that we would not otherwise be open to learn.  The part of this that tests our faith is timing. God's timing is not our timing.
     I see a metaphor here with my plants.  They were not dead, but regrouping, regenerating.  Was it a pretty process? No. However, there was growth going on beneath the surface that the eye could not see.  So it is with us.  If we wait upon the Lord, if we accept the lessons along our journey, our blooms will be more vibrant and fuller than we ever imagined.  This is not easy to accept, but it is true. Wait, then, bloom.

In Praise of Kind Words

     Here's a nifty idea that can help you connect with members of your family. I originally saw this on Pinterest, but there are many examples on crafty websites.  I got a blank picture frame and used leftover scrap booking letters to spell "I love you because" on a blank piece of paper. When you want to write a note, you simply use a dry erase marker and write on the glass.   I hung this little masterpiece on the wall by my husband's side of the sink.  We leave each messages of encouragement whenever we feel like it or when the other person needs a boost.  Frankly, I didn't think my husband would like it. ( He is a loving and honest person but definitely not sappy).  However, as has happened before on occasion, I was wrong.  Indeed, he liked it very much!
    We currently have our nephews visiting us.  He knows I value being a loving aunt and he knows how much I love these kids.  I was very affirmed because his simple comment illustrates our common values.  He has always been someone to put children, the elderly and those who work for him,  first.  For him,  this is one of the keys to being a leader and being a man.
     I think this would be a fun activity for families with school age children too. My teenager wants no part of this " touchy-feely"  nonsense.  That' fine.  It's been a blessing for us "old fogies."

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." Proverbs 12:25

Find Your Small Things

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
― Mother Teresa

     This weekend I attended a ministry celebration for a dear friend.  She celebrated 18 years in Christian ministry.  She could have celevrated her 50th birthday, but instead chose to celebrate her time in service to others.   Our culture often glorifies the individual; it was faith affirming to celebrate selflessness and service.  The music, the fellowship and the prayers made the occasion profound.  We sang " Holy Ground" and the church was, indeed, holy ground.  My friend co-celebrated communion and she stood beautiful and strong in her robes.  When some one is answering their true call, you can see it.
    If you are a believer, you are called to use your gifts in service to others.  We are not all ministers, rabbis or priests.  We are called to serve in different ways.  Some, like myself, are called to help those who struggle with mental and physical challenges.  Others may be called to protect God's creation.  This ministry can involve nurturing the environment and God's creatures.  Parents, soldiers, police, sisters, brothers, uncles and aunts, there are as many opportunities for service as there are people.  There is no small job and no small gift.  As Mother Teresa said, "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."
     At the service this weekend, we sang "Order My Steps".  If you are wondering what your gift is and what you should spend your time on, ask your God.  Be still and ask.  Don't be impatient like me.  Trust that you will receive an answer in God's time.  Each person vibrates at a unique frequency.  You are part of a greater whole, a larger piece of music.  You will find your small things and the world will be better for it.  Be patient and be blessed.

The Wise Gardener

    This weekend Pastor Scott Fine (Mountain Life Church)  centered his sermon around the following quote:  "Do not be deceived:  God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." (Galatians 6:7)  The remarks touched on different ways we can flourish:  reading scripture and really integrating it into our lives,  acting with intention and keeping like minded company were a few of his points.   The Bible is rich in agricultural and gardening metaphors and since I spent all of yesterday working in the yard,  it gave me time to think.

     The front of my house is shaded while the back is a sun filled meadow.  We live at 7500 feet above sea level and get lots of snow so these are all factors that the wise gardener must consider.  Shade loving plants thrive in the cool of the front porch whereas the meadow welcomes sun worshipers.  Hmm.  People are similar.  We all have the capacity to flourish  yet we need different environments. We all have unique lessons to learn.
       As I cleared the dead leaves in the front flower bed I was thinking that it would help the plants breathe easier.  God does the very same for us. " He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (John 15:2)  When you take the dead branches and blooms off a plant, it allows the nutrition to go to the parts of the plant that are still vital and alive. I believe God gives us situations for our highest good.  I will admit that there have been times that I have questioned the wisdom of the Almighty.  However, I know my doubt is a product of my own short-sightedness.  I cannot see the big  picture until events have played themselves out.  Proverb 3:5-6 states: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight."
     Jesus calls us to go and bear fruit (John 15: 16) and he gives the command: " Love each other."  He did not say love those who are easy to love, love those you agree with,  or love those who love you.  He meant everyone.  As Pastor Andy Stanley (Northpoint Community Church, Alpharetta , GA) said, "How dare we unlove someone?"   God knows the recesses of our souls.  He gives us people and experiences that open our hearts and shine light in every corner.  He truly is the Wise Gardener.   May you flourish.

     

His Grace is Sufficient for Me

     As if bronchitis and a sinus infection were not enough, my thyroid  (probably feeling left out of the general merriment) is also out of sync.  Surely I am one of the only people who could be sick for nearly a month and not lose any weight at all.  I was getting winded walking up the stairs and attributed that to the chronic wheezing in my chest.  Happily the wheezing is gone, yet the fatigue goes on.  An astute doctor checked my thyroid levels and lo, they are half what they should be to function normally.  So, now I will gradually increase the dose and check the serum blood levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) until I reach the therapeutic level.  Excellent.   
      At least there's an answer.  I was beginning to think I was losing my mind.  I certainly have NOT been losing any weight despite  strict diet and exercise.  I feel like I am trapped in someone else's body.  I've decided to take a new, radical approach, the hardest one of all:   Patience.  I will garden, walk, weight train, eat healthy, rest and get my medicine levels right.  I will not run until my heart feels like exploding.  I will not kick box until my lungs burn.  I will wait patiently. Supposedly, strength arises for those who wait upon the Lord.  I am now broken and I am ready to wait.  In 2 Corinthians Paul illustrates the Lord's view of weakness:  "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  I have tried everything else; it doesn't work.  I am ready Lord;  I will wait upon your perfect timing. So I wait, and hope the "weight" will cooperate.  May you walk in His light.

Go in Peace

     I have been out of commission with a bad virus this week.   I went to the doctor to keep my viral self from morphing into pneumonia.  (Although I am a nurse, it is very hard to listen to your own lungs!)  I have spent the better part of the week hacking and struggling to breathe.  I have been so uncomfortable in my body that I could not sit still.  It got me thinking about the interface of our spiritual and physical bodies.
     I've seen many a movie where the loved ones tell the dying, " You can go now, it's OK."  Until the other day, I never really pondered the necessity of this gesture.  If I were dying, and my son needed me, I would hang on as long as I could.  I know this because I know how stubborn I am.  I am sure that eventually the body would give out, but I believe the spirit has some say.
     When my grandmother was dying she said,  " I'm scared."  What did I say? I said nothing.  I regret this and I regret it deeply.  It would have been better if I had said, "I would be too" or  " I understand" or well, anything would have been an improvement over my non-response. 
      Next time, when a loved one is dying I'll do things differently. I will reply and I will honor that very delicate place where body and spirit meet.  If a soul is ready to cross over they need support and faith.  I believe there's life after death.  Do I understand the nature of it? No.  Do I believe there's part of us that endures? Yes I do.  The awkward part about having loved ones die is we tend to make it about us.  Their illness and departure is about them.  When they leave, our loneliness and sorrow is about us. There's a time and a place for both.  Next time, I'll do a better job.  May  peace, mercy and compassion be yours.