WEEEEEE!!!

 During therapy on Monday night, after I shared all of my trip anxiety with Joe The Counselor, he shared with me the following antedate:

Remember when I used to ride my scooter to work? It got to a point where I would lay in bed each night and wonder what in the world I was doing, being passed and honked at by 18 wheelers, risking my life each day because I didn’t want to go buy a car. The anxiety was almost crippling. But then I’d get on my scooter the next day and WEEEEEEEEEEE! It was so much fun. I was full of life. It was exhilarating!

While we haven’t had any scooter riding exhilaration yet, we have had a nice tour of the Parthenon Museum and learned the difference between an acropolis (a hill) and a Parthenon (a temple). The museum is a re-creation of the current Parthenon on the Acropolis. The whole museum was fascinating, but my favorite part was that it’s built on ruins that were discovered while excavating for the build! 

Here’s to hoping for many WEEEEEEEEEE moments in my life and yours. Really, they are all around. It’s just up to us to notice.

God, help us to notice. Amen. 

If I Let It, Fear Would Paralyze Me

 If I let it,

Fear would paralyze me.

 

There are so many things to be afraid of.

Mass shootings and other forms of violence.

Covid and other sicknesses and diseases.

Drunk drivers and deer and other things that cause wrecks.

Missed connections and other plane malfunctions.

Taking risks and failing.

Death and dying.

Bats.

 

On Saturday night, June Gail My Traveling Aunt said that she’d turn off my lamp for me.

I said, “No. Leave it on in case of bats. I want to be able to see them if they come into my room. It’s dumb. An irrational fear. But a fear nonetheless.”

 

So far, as we’ve prepared for our trip to the Mediterranean,

The excitement of what could-be has been overshadowed by the fear of what-if.

What if my Covid test comes back positive even though I have no symptoms or known exposures?

What if my carry-on is too big and I have to check my bag and the bag gets lost?

What if we miss our connection in Atlanta and we miss our flight to Athens?

What if we don’t get to Athens in time to board the ship?

What if the Viking people don’t meet us at the airport?

What if we get Covid while on board?

What if the heat overwhelms us?

What if I have another kidney stone while overseas?

What if something happens to someone in my family while I’m away?

What if my Passport or wallet get stolen or lost?

What if I drop my phone into the ocean?

 

I know.

If any of these things happen, then we will deal with them as they come.

 

I know.

One step at a time.

 

I know.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. I am the Lord Your God. And I am with you.

 

I know.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

I battle it with medication and therapy.

But if I let it,

It would paralyze me.

 

Dear God: Thank you for tools that fight anxiety and fear—the greatest of which is You. Help those of us who struggle with anxiety and fear to stay healthy and to have the courage to put one foot in front of the other and truly live the lives you’ve given; and help those who don’t struggle with anxiety and fear to understand the true damage that they can do instead of simply dismissing us as silly persons who lack faith. Grant strength and courage for the days that lie ahead, and help us to remember that, somehow, with You, all things are possible. Amen.

 

A Message From G-mama

 Last weekend, a friend asked me if I had any travel sized shampoo.

“I’m pretty sure I do,” I said. “Let me check.”

That one simple question led to hours in the bathroom,

Cleaning out bathroom cabinets,

Throwing stuff away,

Preparing stuff to be given to a ministry that works with persons experiencing homelessness,

And finding a shoebox that contained a treasure that I otherwise would not have found before leaving for the Mediterranean on Tuesday:

A message from G-mama.

 

I don’t remember doing so,

But sometime after I traveled either to Scandinavia in 2016 or the Rhine River in 2018,

I put some traveling items in a plastic shoe box and put the box in my bathroom cabinet.

I guess I thought I’d use the items later.

Instead, the box sat in the cabinet untouched for years.

 

When I opened the box on Tuesday night,

A note was sitting on top of all the miscellaneous stuff.

I read:

 

“Dear Deanna,

Bon Voyage!

May you be safe, well, and happy as you enjoy your trip with June Gail—I look forward to seeing pictures and hearing about it. God bless you always,

Love you, G-mama.”

 

Enclosed was a crisp, new $100 bill.

 

I stood stunned as I read the note, imagined G-mama writing it, and knew that she’d have said the same thing if she were still alive now.

 

June Gail (my aunt) and I are scheduled to embark our Viking cruise ship in Athens, Greece, next Wednesday. There is much anxiety surrounding the trip with Covid, plane issues, luggage issues, heat waves, droughts, and more. I was particularly stressed about things on Tuesday night when I found G-mama’s note. But then I read:

 

“May you be safe, well, and happy as you enjoy your trip”

 

And somehow, at least for that moment, the stress melted away.

 

Dear God: Sometimes you move in mysterious ways. Thank you. And may we, indeed, be safe, well, and happy. Amen. 

Simple Actions Mean The Most

 “Dee, will you send me a picture of Annie?”

 

“Sure, sweetpea.”

 

“Thanks. I’m gonna go down to the dock and do a little watercoloring”

 

And so I sent Amelia the Niece a picture of Annie the Cat.

And so Amelia went to the dock and did a littler watercoloring.

And so she made an absolutely beautiful portrait-card of Annie for my dad’s 80^th birthday.

 

We will be putting it in a frame.

 

Amelia didn’t know what to get my dad for his birthday, but she wanted to give him something. And so, she used what she had—her talent for the visual arts—to make him a gift that he will cherish for a long time to come.

 

Sometimes it’s the simplest, most heartfelt, actions (and gifts) that mean the most.

 

Amelia, with her basic set of watercolors and her Dixon Ticonderoga Fat Pencil (the kind that little children use when learning to write), has reminded me of that much.

 

May she be a reminder for you, too.

 

Amen. 

Interview with Dad

 What is your very first memory? I remember being on a blanket down by the Lumber River with my Mother and Daddy and some friends who had an outdoor fire. The men had been fishing and they were cooking the fish and having a good time and I was just a very little boy.

 

What is one of your favorite childhood memories? Christmas morning. I was always so excited about the presents.

 

What is one of your most meaningful Bible verses or passages? John 3:16.

 

What is your greatest accomplishment? I’ve lived to be 80 years old and I’m happy.

 

What were the most significant events of your 80^th year? A growing awareness of God’s presence and an opportunity to minister through preaching and the calling post.

 

What is your favorite pasta shape? Well. Let’s see. What are some of them? The round one with the hole in the middle. The tube. What is it? A ziti?

 

What do you remember about the Civil Rights Movement? That I could never really appreciate the struggle that people were going through—that they’re still going through.

 

What do you remember most about your wedding? There’s so many things. Probably the most hilarious thing was when we were trying to get away, they had stuffed my car full of newspapers and we had to unpack the car before we could go anywhere. And I especially remember the love and generosity of our families as they came to be with us and gave us so many gifts.

 

What is your favorite quality about yourself? I think I’m a compassionate person with a sense of humor.

 

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? I don’t know why, but I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii.

 

What is your favorite all-time outfit? Blue blazer with khaki pants, white shirt, and a solid, maroon tie…with Bass Weejuns.

 

Tell me about when you proposed to mom. When I realized I couldn’t live without her and I didn’t know what to do with her but marry her. And I wanted to be with her.

 

What is your current advice to younger generations?

1)      Be a life-learner.

2)      Don’t get stuck in the present. Always look forward to new adventures while holding on to God’s love.

3)      Choose your friends wisely.

4)      Trust in Jesus.

 

Is there anything else you’d like to say to your fans?

1)      Be grateful for what you have and obedient to the path of life that helps you serve and embrace others.

2)      Live with an attitude of forgiveness and release your anger in appropriate ways.

3)      Accept that only God can control things.

4)      Rejoice!

Perseverance Pays Off

 Tomorrow is my dad’s 80^th birthday.

(I’ll be posting his birthday interview then).

 

It’s a pseudo-tradition in my family to celebrate milestone birthdays with products that contain that number.

Mom and I weren’t certain that we’d be able to find many products with the number 80,

But we set out looking around 12:30 yesterday afternoon.

 

1.5 hours later,

After slowly going up and down every aisle at Dollar Tree,

Carefully examining the small print of every item,

We had garnered 13 different products that contained the number 80:

An 80-count of the product,

A product of 80 (or .80) grams,

A produce with 80% of something, or

A product of 80 calories.

 

Every time we found an 80 item,

We exclaimed with surprise:
“Look Dee/Mom! I found one!”

And then we gleefully added it to our cart.

 

All I could think was the phrase:
“Hard work and perseverance pay off”

Each time we did.

 

When we finished our expedition,

Mom said, “Well that was a fun little adventure.

We got more done than I thought we would.”

 

And we did.

And it was.

And I am thankful.

 

God: Sometimes it’s the small things that mean the most. Thank you for the small things and help them not to get lost in the midst of everything that’s so big. Amen. 

Nothing Under The Sun

 The phone rings on a Tuesday morning:

Caller: “Hey Grandma, it’s your grandson.”

Mom: Emphatically, “Which one?”

Caller: *hangs up*

 

The phone rings on a  Friday evening:

Caller: “Hey Grandpa, it’s your grandson.”

Dad: Overly enthusiastic, “Well hey! How are you? What’s going on?”

Caller: *hangs up*

 

The first time it happened, my dad was confused. He engaged the conversation for a moment but soon realized that the call wasn’t from one of his grandchildren. I don’t remember how the conversation ended but it didn’t end in my dad giving the caller money—thankfully.

 

I can’t imagine the inner workings of persons who prey on the elderly. Who wants to do that? Who wants to trick older people, often lonely and overlooked, often widows and widowers, out of their hard-earned money? Who thinks that this action is at all okay? And who thinks that it is appropriate to use other human beings for personal pleasure and gain?

 

I know that it’s persons from various cultures and backgrounds. I know that it’s scammers and traffickers and crooked businesspersons. I know that it’s even religious persons on religious television convincing viewers to send money for missions that are self-serving.

 

But what I don’t know is how so many persons can justify actions that are against common human decency—not to mention the religious ideals that I, personally, try to uphold. I genuinely cannot fathom a belief system that celebrates thievery and trafficking. It seems so sad to me—chasing money over embracing human lives. And it makes me wonder what I can do to stop it. Can I do anything?

 

I try to teach good morals and values. I try to live by the motto “Love God. Love People. Do the Work.” I try to buy fair trade products. I try to “reduce, reuse, and recycle.” I pray. I give. I sing. I write. But then I watch my parents receive phone calls that try to take advantage of them, and I hear young men’s voices hopeful of a score, and I wonder where in the world we’ve gone so wrong…or maybe, what’s worse, I wonder why in the world we haven’t gone more right.

 

Ecclesiastes tells us that nothing is new under the sun. The issues we deal with now may have the face of young men calling Grandma and Grandpa, but exploitation of the poor, elderly, and widows is nothing new. Scripture tells us that much.

 

And so…I wonder…what’s the point?

 

I wonder…how do I find hope and encouragement in a dark, dark world—a world not much different than the world that’s come before?

 

I know the answer is supposed to be Jesus. And I do believe in the light of Jesus. But even Jesus’s name is used to harm people—and they succeed. Where is God in that? Is God weeping, too?

 

Dear God: Sometimes I get angry. Sometimes I get confused. Sometimes I wonder where you are outside of your beautiful creation that we are destroying and outside of the hands and feet of those who are genuinely trying to serve you. People are trying to force You on others but turning others away from You instead. People are using your name in vain. Evil is rampant. Darkness is palpable. Nothing is new under the sun. And yet I still seek You. I don’t know what else to do. Amen.  

The Right Place at the Right Time

 My friend and 5^th cousin Heidi The Librarian loves Charleston, SC. Whether alone or with friends or family, Heidi tries to visit Charleston at least once a year. For the past two years, I have had the privilege of tagging along.

 

Heidi is a creature of habit. She tends to go to the same places and do the same things. To a certain extent, I am, too…except, evidently, when I go to Charleston. With the exception of the Charleston standards—visiting the market and going on a carriage ride—what we did this year was completely different than what we did last year. And if we go back next year, then I’d like to do different things again because…why not?!

 

...

 

On Thursday afternoon, Heidi and I had a couple of hours to fill. We decided to take a pedi-cab ride to the harbor and hoped to snag a swing under the harbor gazebo. Evidently, swings hard to come by.

 

When we arrived at the harbor, there were some street peddlers set up under the harbor gazebo. The boys were making roses out of palm leaves and approaching female tourists who wanted to be near the water. They were loud and somewhat pushy. When Heidi and I refused a rose due to lack of cash, the boys told us that they accepted Venmo :-o! Because of their presence under the gazebo, though, the swing nearest their set-up was vacant.

 

It just so happened that there was a Carnival Cruise Ship docked in the harbor that day. And it just so happened that the swing where we were sitting had the best view of the ship. And it just so happened that as we sat, the ship prepared for departure and sailed out to sea. Neither of us had ever watched a ship embark in person. It was neat! And what is even neater is that there is absolutely no way we could have planned being in that place at that time for that event! We simply happened to be in the right place at the right time.

 

…

 

When is a time that you have happened to be in the right place at the right time? Where were you? And what happened? I’d love to hear!

True Freedom

 During yesterday’s sermon, my pastor told the story of a church deacon who went to a visit a young couple in the hospital after they’d had a baby. The baby was born with Down Syndrome. The deacon, not knowing what to say, simply held the baby and declared her beautiful. Still not knowing what to say, the deacon prayed with the couple and simply thanked God for the miracle of life and asked God to bless the newly expanded family.

A few weeks later, the couple wrote the deacon a note and thanked him for the visit. At the end of the note, the wife spoke candidly about how much his simply welcoming the baby had meant to the couple. Everyone else had greeted the family with words of apology that their baby had been born with Down Syndrome. The couple didn’t need words of apology, though; they were overjoyed with their daughter just as she was.

The deacon felt that his lack of words had been a failure. In all actuality, his simple welcoming had been just what the couple needed.

…

I was getting my ears pierced once when the piercing guy said something that stuck with me.

He said, “One of the reasons I love my job is because I get to be with people during special moments in their lives. Almost all piercings are either celebratory or therapeutic. It’s special to be able to bear witness to such times.”

The ear piercer doesn’t hold a job oft considered life-changing or impactful. In all actuality, his calm and gentle presence is just what many people need.

…

My mom went to a funeral in Charlotte a couple of weeks ago. Mom and dad had served a church there over 40 years ago. While dad has always been the front man of the church, my mom has always played a quieter role—playing piano and teaching Sunday School. It was during one of her Sunday School classes that mom congratulated one of her young adults on completing a 10k. She had seen his name in the paper and thought it would be nice to read it aloud to the class, so she did, and then forgot about it.

40 years later, at a funeral, that young adult, now older, told mom the story of how much her small gesture had meant to him.

Mom had no idea that a simple action could mean so much. In all actuality, her words of affirmation had been just what the young man needed.

…

True personal freedom doesn’t always come through huge actions.
True personal freedom comes when we are Welcomed, Loved, and Seen.

Today, on this Independence Day, may we be a people who set others free.

Amen.