I read back through a couple of my postings and I have to chuckle! Such inspirational thoughts--I know that they were inspired by Someone outside of myself. And how do I know that? Because, I'm in the grubby business of life right now. There may be wonderful colors in my life that only God can see...I sure can't.
But, this really isn't about me, is it? We have a new family member living permanently with us. Well, as permanent as life is here and now. Changes are constantly popping out around the next corner. My mother-in-law, Evelyn, has come to be cared for by Travis and myself. Her daughter watched over her for 5 years and is completely burned out, so we stepped up to take a turn.
What a ride we're on! You never know from day to day what's going to be on the agenda! All I can say is that whoever invented "Depends"--Diapers for Adults, needs a big hug! Mind you, accidents happen--but not on purpose, so that makes it easier to deal with!
The other morning, I popped into the "tulip room" to say good morning. Evelyn has named it that as I have a bright yellow comforter with tulips on her bed. She stared up at me and said, "Who are you?" I answered, "I'm Lucy." She said, "No you're not, Lucy has longer hair." I chuckled, "Oh, I have my hair pulled up with a barrette." I let it down and she got the biggest smile on her face. "Oh, there you are!!!" (Do you remember that scene in the movie, "Hook", where the little lost boy is pushing Peter's face around and then exclaims, "Oh, there you are, Peter!")
Did you know that little kids get very upset when adults in their worlds, change their hair style or color? So, quite often, we are talking to a little girl living in an adult body! At other times, Evelyn pops back into the picture and we have some very adult conversations!
I keep thinking of a quote that I heard from Rick Warren (Purpose-Driven Life). God has called us to SERVICE--not SERVE US! That's been a huge help in adjusting my schedule, my time, my feelings to taking care of an elderly person in the last stages of her life!
Like I said, you never, ever know what's coming next! But, life really is a great adventure! And we have a choice! We can grow with each circumstance or we can hunker down in self-pity, anger, having a discontented heart, etc.
I choose ADVENTURE today!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The 9th Life in a Cat's Life
Two days ago, another cat showed up here at the airport. He was gray and white, very skinny, but just as friendly as Hensley, a Russian Gray that showed up several years ago. Hensley has since passed on...so when I saw another kitty with his same long, lean look and constant purr, I was excited!
He was very hungry--all I had on hand was a stale hotdog bun, but that seemed to fill his belly, at least until I could get some regular cat food. I bought a small bag of food, but he seemed to have trouble chewing it.
Rusty, our dog, was his usual gracious self--when it comes to cats, but did emit a few low growls when the cat came close to his bowl! :-)
I made an appointment with the vet, took him in yesterday afternoon, but received the sad news that he was dying of Feline Leukemia. In fact, his scruffy, unwashed appearance, constant lying down (even with the on-going purr) and tenderness in his mouth was indicative of a fatal disease. There was really no choice to be made...he needed to be put down.
So, I paid the bill and left him in the sympathetic arms of the vet. As I drove away, I was thinking about God's creatures. The Lord must have sent him to us at just a time in his life when his suffering needed to be alleviated. We could have ignored him--shued him away, but I think that we need to have God's heart towards animals. The Lord has put His creation into human hands to care for--not to abuse, nor to exploit, or torment!
Now...with that said, it's time to go mow!
He was very hungry--all I had on hand was a stale hotdog bun, but that seemed to fill his belly, at least until I could get some regular cat food. I bought a small bag of food, but he seemed to have trouble chewing it.
Rusty, our dog, was his usual gracious self--when it comes to cats, but did emit a few low growls when the cat came close to his bowl! :-)
I made an appointment with the vet, took him in yesterday afternoon, but received the sad news that he was dying of Feline Leukemia. In fact, his scruffy, unwashed appearance, constant lying down (even with the on-going purr) and tenderness in his mouth was indicative of a fatal disease. There was really no choice to be made...he needed to be put down.
So, I paid the bill and left him in the sympathetic arms of the vet. As I drove away, I was thinking about God's creatures. The Lord must have sent him to us at just a time in his life when his suffering needed to be alleviated. We could have ignored him--shued him away, but I think that we need to have God's heart towards animals. The Lord has put His creation into human hands to care for--not to abuse, nor to exploit, or torment!
Now...with that said, it's time to go mow!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Surrender
My friend, Mindi, inspired me to sit down and write again. I will not bore any of you with my excuses. I'll just write!
I just read something interesting. And I quote, "God expects us to surrender to Him. When we look at everything God has made, we might see what could help us to understand. The sun, the stars, the flowers, the trees--they are all in His power."
Let me pause here. I started thinking about the things in nature. They really don't have ANY choice about anything, do they? Trees are made to drop their seeds. Seedlings grow wherever they fall--good or bad soil, doesn't matter. Birds migrate, make nests, raise their young, migrate, die...all because that's what they're programmed to do. Flowers bloom wherever they are planted. Hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, drought...comes and goes, but nature doesn't have a choice as to what it's subjected to. And surprisingly enough...it lives on--just as it is programmed to do!
We, as humans, are the only creatures with CHOICE! We can do, or say, or be, or....anything we choose to do or say or be....We can choose to get up in the morning if we want, we can choose to drink or eat too much, we can choose to love or to hate, to hold a grudge or forgive, to open ourselves up to God or shove Him away. We can choose to surrender our lives to His Power or not!
I have been thoroughly enjoying a little flower garden that I've planted (with lots of help) along the front of the our house. Every morning, I walk out beside it to see what new thing might be poking it's head up out of the ground. When the irises were blooming, I was thrilled! I couldn't get enough with staring down inside the flowers to enjoy all the varying colors represented in one bloom.
And...I'm much, much more motivated to keep it weeded now. I won't begin to tell you what a mess it was last year...no flowers, a few bushes and hundreds of weeds! If my flower garden is going to look beautiful, it's my responsibility to maintain the upkeep of it. Doesn't God do that with us? He's asked us to surrender to His Will...to bloom where we are planted...to respond to His Care! Won't He care for us more than I would for a few irises and hostas?
I think that I often live as if I don't believe that's true! I get frustrated, angry, grumpy, lazy...and bury myself in pursuits that are meaningless! I forget that the Lord is leaning over me...gazing into my life and experiencing great pleasure at colors that I don't realize I have! As I come out of myself--quit focusing on silly, negative thoughts and turn my face to the Son...Surrender to Him becomes more and more of a great adventure!
And that's what we all want...purpose and adventure in our short time here on earth. We have no idea what awaits us on the other side of death! We get glimpses of heaven as we read about it in the Bible, but who wants to live a purposeless and mindless life here and now?
I think I'll be a Daylily today! (those are the next flowers in my garden to bloom!) I wonder what color or colors will pop out as I quit thinking about myself and start thinking about those around me, but most of all about the One who is the great love of my life!
I just read something interesting. And I quote, "God expects us to surrender to Him. When we look at everything God has made, we might see what could help us to understand. The sun, the stars, the flowers, the trees--they are all in His power."
Let me pause here. I started thinking about the things in nature. They really don't have ANY choice about anything, do they? Trees are made to drop their seeds. Seedlings grow wherever they fall--good or bad soil, doesn't matter. Birds migrate, make nests, raise their young, migrate, die...all because that's what they're programmed to do. Flowers bloom wherever they are planted. Hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, drought...comes and goes, but nature doesn't have a choice as to what it's subjected to. And surprisingly enough...it lives on--just as it is programmed to do!
We, as humans, are the only creatures with CHOICE! We can do, or say, or be, or....anything we choose to do or say or be....We can choose to get up in the morning if we want, we can choose to drink or eat too much, we can choose to love or to hate, to hold a grudge or forgive, to open ourselves up to God or shove Him away. We can choose to surrender our lives to His Power or not!
I have been thoroughly enjoying a little flower garden that I've planted (with lots of help) along the front of the our house. Every morning, I walk out beside it to see what new thing might be poking it's head up out of the ground. When the irises were blooming, I was thrilled! I couldn't get enough with staring down inside the flowers to enjoy all the varying colors represented in one bloom.
And...I'm much, much more motivated to keep it weeded now. I won't begin to tell you what a mess it was last year...no flowers, a few bushes and hundreds of weeds! If my flower garden is going to look beautiful, it's my responsibility to maintain the upkeep of it. Doesn't God do that with us? He's asked us to surrender to His Will...to bloom where we are planted...to respond to His Care! Won't He care for us more than I would for a few irises and hostas?
I think that I often live as if I don't believe that's true! I get frustrated, angry, grumpy, lazy...and bury myself in pursuits that are meaningless! I forget that the Lord is leaning over me...gazing into my life and experiencing great pleasure at colors that I don't realize I have! As I come out of myself--quit focusing on silly, negative thoughts and turn my face to the Son...Surrender to Him becomes more and more of a great adventure!
And that's what we all want...purpose and adventure in our short time here on earth. We have no idea what awaits us on the other side of death! We get glimpses of heaven as we read about it in the Bible, but who wants to live a purposeless and mindless life here and now?
I think I'll be a Daylily today! (those are the next flowers in my garden to bloom!) I wonder what color or colors will pop out as I quit thinking about myself and start thinking about those around me, but most of all about the One who is the great love of my life!
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