The Pink Donut

She stood there twisting her tiny fingers together, little bare toes on one foot crossed over the other one. I bent down closer to her face because she has spoken so softly that I didn’t understand what she said. So, I asked her to tell me again what she had said.

She looked up at me with those big, blue eyes and said, “I wanna tell Pop sumpin.” He had just left to go to the store and was pulling out of the garage but her sweet request was irresistible, so we hurried to try to catch him.

Of course, he stopped backing up when he saw us frantically waving from the garage. Then we walked up to the car and he rolled down the window. He said, “What’s Up?” and I told him that Haylee has something to ask him. Once again, she looked up at him twisting her little fingers together and said, “Pop, can I have pink donut please?” I could just see his heart melt. He said, “Pop will try really hard to find you a pink donut!” She scampered back into the house confidently awaiting his return and the yummy treat.

It was a day where we were literally counting pennies to get the few things we needed at the store but there was not a single hesitation on our part to fulfill her request above all else. Why? First and foremost, we love her! Secondly, she rarely asks for anything and is always so excited about whatever she is given. Finally, and quite selfishly, we wanted to feel the joy that her delight in the pink donut would invoke within us.

When Pop returned, she was waiting at the door with great anticipation for the pink donut, never having doubted for one moment that he was going to bring her one. As he handed it to her, she squealed with delight but I’m not quite sure who was experiencing the greater joy – Haylee or us. (Nana and Pop)

In that moment, it occurred to me (I really love it when things occur to me!) that delight that our Father feels when He give us those things for which we ask. NO, not the roof over our heads or the food we eat of the air that we breathe, for these things ought not to be in our pleadings to God. I can assure you that little Haylee never loses any sleep wondering or worrying over things such as this.

But rather, THE PINK DONUT, whatever that may be!

Unlike us, though, God never has to count pennies, as his resources are limitless!* So, why don’t we ask Him for such things? Is it as simple as “You have not because you ask not? (James 4:2) Maybe, but it is more likely a lack of intimacy in our relationship with Him thereby creating a distance between us that makes us feel uncomfortable asking for “favor”.

It’s  very evident in the scriptures that we bring great joy to God.
• Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with singing.”
• Psalm 147:11, “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.”
• Isaiah 62:4, “No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.

It is also quite clear that it is a circle/reciprocal relationship.
• Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
• Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
• Romans 5:2, “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
• Psalm 43:4, “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy.”

I cannot surmise any more eloquently or thoroughly than Paul did in the following passages.
*Ephesians 3:14-21 (NLT) 14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21

So, go ahead, Ask for the Pink Donut!

Lessons in the mundane

Today I decided to clean out a particular room of the house as if I were moving. Believe it or not, that puts a whole new mindset into the cleaning process. As I went through closets and drawers and shelves, I was amazed at how much junk I had allowed to accumulate. Geez, most of the stuff was just "stuff" and taking up space preventing the use and storage of actual usable items.

There were three distinct categories:
1. Things to be thrown away because they are not needed and are taking up valuable space.
2. Things which I did need to utilize and can't because they needed cleaning or some type of repair
3. Things I put on a list which are needed to make the room more functional all together.

And then, I had the obvious epiphany! I needed to sit down and get before my Father and do the same thing with myself. I began to examine those habits and thought processes which needed to be thrown away as junk because they are certainly not needed and are taking up too much mind share. (oh boy, there is more than I care to discuss and it will take more than a day to get rid of those) Then I began to take a look at those things (Love, Kindness, Sharing Christ, Patience, Joy, etc. etc.) which were not being utilized to their fullest from lack of use or they were in need of repair. And (yep you got it) I am making a list of things which I know of at this point which will make me a better human being while on this planet. (whew - this list is really long)

Funny how much can be learned about life while you're cleaning :)

Shopping Divas On a Shoestring Budget

Today, Haylee, Ashley, and I went shopping for Haylee’s one-year birthday present. Haylee is quite the little shopping diva. Ashley was showing Haylee a little ballerina dress that Haylee cooed over and then her mom was going to put it back onto the rack when the lip came out and the tears started. So, we let her keep it in the buggy – what a girl!

From there we sauntered over to the toy section in search of the perfect little birthday present – you know – kind of a fancy ride, when we saw a big end cap of gigantic balls. Haylee started saying “baw, baw”, which, of course, prompted Nana to go and get her one. Even though it was bigger than she was, she squealed with delight, promptly tossing it out of the buggy and holding her little hands out to receive it back.

Then we hit the sale racks. Ashley is the queen of bargain shoppers and she found a couple of little things for Haylee. There we were in the middle of Target, me holding Haylee, while her mom squeezed her into a pair of skinny jeans. I must say, for an “almost one year old” she looked wicked cool in those jeans

We looked at things we hoped to be able to get in the future, things we would like to have now, possible Mother’s day presents and reminisced over things Ashley enjoyed as a child.

This day was a gift – a rare and precious gift – and I will treasure the memory as long as I live. Holy moments do not always occur in buildings with steeples and stained glass windows sometimes they happen in the aisle of Target stores and so I say:

This Holy Moment was a gift from God above
This Holy Moment was sent from Heaven with love,
So I’ll cherish this time and with gratitude sing
We never know what tomorrow may bring
So, for this moment, I’ll praise my Lord and King.

Lyrics taken from the song not yet published(soon I hope)

Suicide - Is it selfish or selfless?

Because of our incapability to inhabit the mental state of the suicidal, suicide eludes explanation, forever remaining an unfathomable and disturbing phenomenon. The act of killing oneself invokes feelings in those left behind like nothing else. Bafflement, dismissal, heroic glorification, sympathy, anger, condemnation are but a few of the vast array of emotions, but I would venture to say, guilt might be at the top of the list.

I just recently found out that an acquaintance committed suicide. He was working with us on recording a couple of our songs - beautiful, powerful voice - large personality - never occurred to me this was even a possibility. Then he called one evening and told us that his wife had left him for a woman – had taken their children – and was accusing him of child abuse.

He vehemently denied that he had ever abused his children and was quite perplexed as to why his, now estranged, wife would accuse him of such a thing. It did not seem to us in our dealings with him that he would be the kind to abuse anyone but without living with someone, you never really know. So, my husband, Greg did the only thing you can ever be sure is the right thing to do, he prayed with him and for him and for his wife and his children.

A couple of months later, he called back seeking advice. He had indeed been arrested and was out on bail but did not have enough money for a good lawyer and really didn’t know how to keep from losing his wife and his children. Greg made a couple of suggestions and, of course, prayed with him. If we could have, we most likely would have loaned him some money for a good lawyer but we just simply didn’t have anything to give. He also expressed his disappointment with many who he had considered friends that would have nothing to do with him anymore.

Periodically, over the next few months, we prayed for him often and just assumed we didn’t hear from him because he was busy trying to salvage his life. When we heard that he had committed suicide, we were stunned - then baffled - then the wondering began. Why didn’t we call and check on him; why didn’t we send him a card of encouragement; why didn’t we do a plethora of other actions that might have helped?

Frankly, his innocence or guilt should have had no bearing on our actions. We would have had different advice depending on the truth of the situation but at least we could have “been there”.

I have this mental picture of him feeling completely hopeless and abandoned by everyone. No one should be made to feel utterly alone. (I say this excluding the sex offenders and Charles Manson types) It should not be too difficult to ascertain that the most prevalent feeling I have about his suicide is guilt.

Whether I deem suicide as selfish or selfless one thing I know, the path of destruction that it leaves behind is a virtual Katrina – affecting everyone in its path – the severity depending on how close you were to the eye of the hurricane.

There are several people I know that are going through extreme difficulty right now. I know this, I'm going to call or write, email or visit; anything so that they don't feel like they are going through their storm alone.

Join me - won't you?

Kindness

I am learning that, with rare exception, everyone is going through “something”. Some are struggling with relationships, some with addictions, some with pride, most with financial woes, many with illnesses, and the list goes on-and-on. Therefore, I do not know why I am surprised when I learn that someone I thought was doing just fine has been in a knockdown, drag-out fight with some life issue.


So, to myself, I say, “Practice kindness”! Be aware that everyone with whom you come into contact could use a word of encouragement - a smile - a genuine display of caring.


And, I would add, myself included.