Saturday, June 16, 2012

I Shall Not Pass This Way Again


"I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing,
therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow human being let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

Stephen Grellet






I enjoy the statement above as well as the poem below.  I've always gotten reverberating feelings of goodness reading the statement by Grellet and I finally had to write about it.  It's such a masterful way of communicating the beautiful simplicity of everyday kindnesses.   I expect, as a Christian, that I have eternal life.  But life before death is full of "Sliding Doors" & "Serendipity" moments (see movie photos, both good ones).  Which road will you choose?  Your choices contribute to your destiny in this world, and in the life to come.  Will you stop to enjoy the best moments here?  Will you make the most out of your free time?  Will you laugh at yourself?  Cry when you need to? Feel beautiful even when the world tells you you are not? Acknowledge the effects of age and find the good in it?  Will you love someone who needs to be loved even when it isn't fun?  Will you give someone else the limelight?  Will you work hard as well as play hard?  Will you take time to smile at a lonely stranger (We are all that lonely stranger at times)? Will you follow through on commitments?  Brighten someone else's life? Share Christ with the world who so desperately needs Him?  

The poem below is simply enchanting.  This woman is sad that she has missed opportunities to love, has duly noted that she has been greedy and avoidant when others are in pain and now, as a dying woman dreadfully experiences what she has avoided.  She beckons others to follow her in loving others well.

"Although it bordered be with flowers,
Although I rest in fragrant bowers,
And hear the singing
Of song-birds winging
To highest heaven their gladsome flight;
Though moons are full and stars are bright,
And winds and waves are softly sighing,
While leafy trees make low replying;
Though voices clear in joyous strain
Repeat a jubilant refrain;
Though rising suns their radiance throw
On summer’s green and winter’s snow,
In such rare splendor that my heart
Would ache from scenes like these to part;
Though beauties heighten,
And life-lights brighten,
And joys proceed from every pain,-
I shall not pass this way again.
And let me listen as I go
To music rare
That fills the air;
And let hereafter
Songs and laughter
Fill every pause along the way;
And to my spirit let me say:
“O soul, be happy; soon ’tis trod,
The path made thus for thee by God.
Be happy thou, and bless His name
By whom such marvelous beauty came.”
And let no chance by me be lost
To kindness show at any cost.
I shall not pass this way again;
Then let me now relieve some pain,
Remove some barrier from the road,
Or brighten some one’s heavy load;
A helping hand to this one lend,
Then turn some other to befriend.
That now I live
As if I might, sometime, return
To bless the weary ones that yearn
For help and comfort every day,-
For there be such along the way.
O God, forgive that I have seen
The beauty only, have not been
Awake to sorrow such as this;
That I have drunk the cup of bliss
Remembering not that those there be
Who drink the dregs of misery.
Would roam again o’er fields so green;
But since I may not, let me spend
My strength for others to the end,-
For those who tread on rock and stone,
And bear their burdens all alone,
Who loiter not in leafy bowers,
Nor hear the birds nor pluck the flowers.
A larger kindness give to me,
A deeper love and sympathy;
Then, O, one day
May someone say-
Remembering a lessened pain-
“Would she could pass this way again.”

~ Eva Rose York


Got it, doing it, loving it.  

Monday, June 11, 2012

Want Lasting Joy? Try Koinonia

Koinonia.  I love that word, which basically means Christian fellowship, or "common unity" also known as "community."  In the New American Standard Bible, it is translated “fellowship” twelve times, “sharing” three times, and “participation” and “contribution” twice each (NAS Exhaustive Concordance).  Basically, it means hanging out with other people who have the same goal of bringing light into a dark world, and in my opinion, when those people are similar in personality, or complementary (spice to your sweetness, etc.), it is SO refreshing! 


On days when I have planned too much, am really tired, or have been wounded by a fellow believer, I sometimes wonder for a millisecond if I might be an introvert who justs want to hole up with my little family in a corner of the world.  A little of this is great sometimes, totally.  If I do it for too long, something bad usually happens like ruminating, or selfish and otherwise boring or anxiety provoking thoughts, to quickly remind me that I am extroverted, in the sense that I derive strength from time spent with others in this world, that I need to share my gifts with others, and to enjoy others' as well.  In other words, it simply means I am ready for koinonia again.  


Koinonia brings joy to me.  I'm not talking about sitting near someone without speaking or talking about merely surface level topics, but in engaging with others and being "real," relating with others on the journey of our shared faith.  I am totally over pretense and totally into authenticity.  I really see that the Lord made me to be nurtured, challenged and loved by others in this world.  I also am called to nurture, challenge and love others.  Engaging others is part of our divine call, and the sooner we realize we need others to help grow us and that they need us to do likewise, the sooner our lives will be fulfilling.  Only when we have true koinonia in our lives do we really have good balance.  Only then are we purposeful, united, and reapers of true wealth, which far surpasses the lonely, Howard-Hughes-ish lonely life at the "top."  Let's also remember that although FB has its awesome connective ways of drawing us into koinonia, it does not and cannot replace face to face, real community.  Instead of perusing it for hours in a day, or scanning to see if a comment was enjoyed by others, our time is better spent writing a personal fb message to begin true face to face koinonia, or an encouraging one to a faraway friend who could use koinonia but might not have much.  It brings so much more lasting satisfaction.


Koinonia is not essential for a longer quantity of life necessarily, but ensures higher quality.  When you engage with others, you risk hurts, germs, and a host of other annoying things like sin and strife.  We all contribute to this imperfect cycle of spreading bad vibes, at least once in awhile.  However annoying that is to contend with, the benefits of koinonia far outweigh the costs.  One striking example of the importance of koinonia is in the recorded life of Corrie Ten Boom, who was persecuted for hiding Jews in WWII.  She received torture in concentration camps because of doing what was right in a time when her country's leaders made it illegal to do so.  In her book, The Hiding Place, she credits God's provision for koinonia as getting her through the camps, such as during lice-infested Bible study meetings, and singing and prayering with others in secret.  After being released, she didn't hole up and decide she'd made the wrong choice.  Instead, she went on to continue doing the right thing, shared the gospel of Christ with thousands, and loved others in the world, despite the risks of being hurt again (and yes, I am sure she sinned along the way, also).  She saw tons of miracles, had true adventure, and real joy in her life.  Fellowship with other believers cannot be sacrificed, pushed aside, or ignored, if you want that same joy and purpose.  It is a life-giving command from our loving Father, a gift for those who will receive it. 


Thus, even if you are uncomfortable with getting to know others on a deeper level, I encourage you to risk it.  If you get hurt again by another believer (you will, at some point), sit with it, acknowledge your own part in it if there is one, and allow the whole experience to draw you closer to God, who never fails us.  Then try again, using the wisdom you gained from the hurt, and see that God brings healing and joy.  Let's be purposeful today with our spare moments, give freely with open arms, and stay connected to others who share our passion to share God's light with the world.  It's totally worth it.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Almost There!

We are almost done with our homeschooling year of one first grader and one preschooler.  One of my greatest triumphs and hardships both, this year, has been schooling my girls.  I planned a homeschool year of fun field trips, creative projects, and a lot of good lessons together.  I had this kind of a year, in many ways, but in so many other ways, it was not as great as I thought.  In other ways, the life lessons learned, and the time spent, were far greater.  I know it's one of those times when, as the cliche goes, "I made plans and God laughed."  Not a sinister laugh, my any means, but a laugh of "I-know-what's best-better-than-you."  And He did, too.  I got a super-duper wonderful new son out of the deal. It's just that I ended up spending my first year in a new state, and the entire school year pregnant, with the exception of April/May/June in which I have been recovering and nursing a newborn infant.

Things I have learned during this time may surpass the things my kids have learned in their year of school, especially in terms of life lessons.  I learned that God gave me a lot of support to get through my unexpected pregnancy (I can be a bit of a control freak so it through me off  just a tad), I learned that God carried me through moments of pain, doubt and fatigue, I learned the power of the prayers of the saints' (all the folks praying for me), I learned that God had given me children that adore the new baby (I had no idea they'd love him so much!), and I learned that God would give me everything I needed to do this past school year well.

The kids?  Well, somehow they learned a lot too.  They got good "school" education and plenty of life education, they learned to cooperate and be assertive at several playgroups or "school" events a week, have successfully gotten through two recitals, have begun a new sport, have done a ton of chores, they both learned to read, do math better, swim better, and they learned a lot about our country's beginnings.  The harder life lessons were that my oldest definitely feels the pangs of 1st grade "reality testing" - that life from this point forward is much more and also harder than coloring, crafts, and abc songs.  My preschooler/almost kindergartener, learned that schoolwork can be challenging, and that being a bigger kid requires being brave and a little more independent and focused.  They learned mommy has limits, but that God does not, thankfully.  They've had such a great year, thanks be to God!!

Now that we are done with this part of the journey, I wait impatiently to know more of our story - I love secure plans.  There is a lot up in the air though, and I am sometimes anxiously wondering how the next chapter goes.   If I know anything, I know giving the specific answers early is definitely not God's chosen way of doing things with me, but He does give me the most important pieces of information during my wait.  His peace that surpasses all understanding, His infinite mercies, His great love, His victory over the sting of death, His promise to be a lamp before my feet and a light before my path, and much, much more, not the least of which, a great family by my side to bless the whole journey!


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Baby Love

I am really not a baby person, really I'm not.  I am always crazy about my own kids of course, and older kids in general, but when I see a baby as I shop or go out anywhere, I don't stop to coo, gurgle, fancy his personality, or guess her thoughts.  I have discovered, each time I have another child, that many others are baby people.  I get stopped everywhere and anywhere by others, so they can chat a moment with the kids, especially during the baby years!

Now that my older kids are four and six, I can see why others like the baby years.  Little Jack is so stinkin' cute!  I forgot about this endearing period of time and it's making me wonder if after these years are gone, I will become one of those "baby people."  I know I am definitely cooing a lot with Baby Jax, one of my many terms of endearment for my little, sweet, adorable, huggable, super-cuter, bebe!


Friday, June 1, 2012

It's All Been Said Before

Yes, it has all been said before but isn't it therapeutic to say it again?  Especially if you're a woman.  And I am.  And so I will.  Where is the personality going in our culture?  Thank God for artists, and maybe I need to hang out with a few...because if I see another run of the mill Starbucks (and yes, I do realize I am sitting in one as I type this) I am gonna...go in with a sigh.  I loved living near Ann Arbor, MI before kids, and I guess it spoiled me.  There were so many eclectic coffee shops and little diners that were quaint, well-cared for, and really poetic looking.  Starbucks is like the "Fox Books" in You've Got Mail, and the coffee shops of old, are like Meg Ryan's "Shop Around the Corner," which gets bought out.  I love personality (hello, I am a therapist by trade) and I know there's still lots and lots of it in the world.  I just live in an area, a nice area, that happens to like things neat, orderly, and well, Starbucksy.  Luckily, I am still here to trip things up a bit.  I am the only one over 18, and am the only one drinking a kid's chocolate milk while these youngsters sip their....whatevers, I am not looking up to see, but I imagine it's lattes.  Anyway, I am going to get a life and do a bit of more book writing and less complaining :)  It's all been said before, anyway.

The Love of Classics

I recently attended a writing group, where the most experienced writer in the group told us to read voraciously in the genre we are writing for.  I can't get my nose out of the great books, so does that mean I am destined to write a classic?  I don't think so, it probably means to read more current children's books and get my head out of the classics.  Still, you never know what the Lord will do with the raw materials you surrender.  Maybe my books will be classics in the sense that generations of my future family, such as great-grandchildren will be reading from them and learning from them, or at times just relating and feeling reassured by them.  Now that I think about it, those things would be wonderful, and in some ways, far greater than any hopes of being on a random "classic" best seller list.

Still, I want to share the love of my favorite classics with everyone I can, since they breathe truth and life and love into my spirit like almost noting else can, apart from God's word and my family.  We even named all three of our kids after classic writers and characters (Quimby (Ramona), Lewis (C.S.), and Jane (Austen) since their books are so simply delicious to us.  So far, the kids are too, granted I get a break every couple of weeks :)

Favorite classics I can't get enough of?  The above authors/characters obviously, along with Alcott, Dickens', and Laura Ingalls Wilder, Tolkien, Twain, and Ten Boom.