on the way home from auburn, wyatt and i passed a pretty nasty wreck that happened only moments before. a small sedan had blown a rear tire sending the car into a tailspin and eventually rolling multiple times. several cars were pulled over and about fifteen people were trying to help. the car in front of us pulls over. six college boys pile out and sprint to the car. one on his cell phone, seems to be calling 911. "should we pull over?" wyatt asks. i pause. in all reality, what are we going to do? be another clueless body gawking at the scene? probably. but my heart jerks. you simply do not pass on by people in need...even if there are several others willing to help. "pull over," i say, "what if no one out there knows cpr?" i am certified cpr and first aid. i dig through the bags in my car to find my pitiul first aid kit. it has things for small wounds. i feel sure this won't be helpful, but it may be better than nothing.
wyatt rushes to the overturned car along with several other men. one man comes running with a crow bar. they all lift and push...they get the car angled just enough to pry open the driver's side door with the crow bar. thank God she is conscious. doesn't seem to have any major injuries. the men tell her it's ok as she hangs upside down, eyes filled with tears. they promise to stay with her. they won't move her yet for fear of spinal injuries. we wait for the ambulance and paramedics.
as we hear sirens, wyatt and i get back in our car. others have stayed with the victim as they promised. we drive a few miles before speaking. "i'm glad we stopped," wyatt says. i agree, still a little shaky from it all.
as we drive, i thank God for each mile we go without a wreck. i begin to think about people and how God can use us. those college boys rushing to help. the men pushing the car and patiently waiting for help to arrive. the women watching anxiously as other cars whizz by them. no one had a reason to stop. no one knew the lady. but all those people did. there is surely some divine connection that causes us to feel, fear and care for others- whether you believe in it or not, its there. i saw it in a flipped car on 65.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
12 inch Mr. T
growing up, i spent alot of time at my aunt and uncle's house. most of the cousins did. to a small child, it was magical. more toys and kid stuff than you could imagine, and my aunt was very into the dramatic production of things. everything was over the top. and she had (and still does) this great affinity for all things disney. aunt's house was a wonderland to me.
as i grew older, the decorations and toys and such began to mean less and less and the moments just meant more and more. times with aunt and uncle became my foundation of security and stability. in no way were my divorced parents neglectful or bad parents. i have wonderful parents who raised me well. but in my little heart, safety was at aunt and uncle's where everything always felt ok. there were no dangers in their home, their arms, their love. they created the stability i needed to appreciate the love at home, too.
almost ten years ago, my uncle had a fatal heart attack. my aunt lost any sense of stability and safety she knew with his passing. much like she had created a magical haven for all the children in her care over the years, he had created a wonderland of love, security, and grace for her. when he passed, i suppose for her those secure feelings did too.
and so the clinging began. always a pack rat, years of things were already in her house. but after his death, everything was kept. things began to accumulate such that drawers would no longer close. you could not enter certain rooms because things would block your way. an attic larger than some homes so overflowed with stuff no one could pass the first few feet. the beautiful and magical home became a wasteland of innumerable unnamable items. you could not pass the front threshold without a chill of chaos and desperation. the stuff took over where the security had once been.
i won't say i am surprised. i can only imagine the need for control and to keep things the same in the wake of sudden, unexpected, devastating tragedy. something immeasurably precious to you disappearing without warning, without reason in the blink of an eye? if it were me, i think i may begin to cling to anything in sight to try to keep from going over the edge and losing my mind. but it's a false security isn't it? the things will only give an appearance of the status quo. the things will never heal the hurt or ease the loneliness. the things will never wrap loving arms around you and comfort you, celebrate memories or special occasions. the things will never love you. the things will only take over your home and life...and make it impossible to enjoy and live.
and so it has been for almost ten years. her home has been filled with things but neither magic nor joy.
but now, today, something is different. i go to my aunts with my baby sister. we go just to say hi and see how she is doing. but today, rather than awkwardly stepping over strange and old items, there is a path. there is open space. big chunks of open unclustered uninvaded space. there are boxes labeled things like "sell" and "give away."
our aunt sits us down. she says she is wanting to make some money by selling off some of her stuff, but she is not sure how and she needs our help. she has snow village houses lined up to be cleaned and shipped. she has china and crystal and knick nacks and this and that...all ready to be sold. and there it is: the 12 inch Mr. T doll. still in the box form 1983. never played with, never enjoyed by a child. my sister pulls the string and he tells us to always listen to our parents and that he pitties the fool. the speech is slurred but we laugh anyway. my aunt tells me she is ready to sell it and hundreds of other items. she is ready to clean out and take control of her house and her life again.
so, the 12 inch Mr. T is now on ebay. no one has made an offer on him yet, but he is still there. he reminds me daily that God is in the business of changing lives and taken the broken parts and turning them into miracles. no matter what worldly things you have clung to or attempted to use a filler for the Lord, He can and will be huge in your situation, right the wrongs and heal the hurts. He will put your life back together if you let Him. i thank God for choosing to change my aunt's life and bringing the magic back. i thank God there is a 12 inch Mr. T in a box in my house labeled "sell for aunt" and not blocking her path to life, love, and joy.
as i grew older, the decorations and toys and such began to mean less and less and the moments just meant more and more. times with aunt and uncle became my foundation of security and stability. in no way were my divorced parents neglectful or bad parents. i have wonderful parents who raised me well. but in my little heart, safety was at aunt and uncle's where everything always felt ok. there were no dangers in their home, their arms, their love. they created the stability i needed to appreciate the love at home, too.
almost ten years ago, my uncle had a fatal heart attack. my aunt lost any sense of stability and safety she knew with his passing. much like she had created a magical haven for all the children in her care over the years, he had created a wonderland of love, security, and grace for her. when he passed, i suppose for her those secure feelings did too.
and so the clinging began. always a pack rat, years of things were already in her house. but after his death, everything was kept. things began to accumulate such that drawers would no longer close. you could not enter certain rooms because things would block your way. an attic larger than some homes so overflowed with stuff no one could pass the first few feet. the beautiful and magical home became a wasteland of innumerable unnamable items. you could not pass the front threshold without a chill of chaos and desperation. the stuff took over where the security had once been.
i won't say i am surprised. i can only imagine the need for control and to keep things the same in the wake of sudden, unexpected, devastating tragedy. something immeasurably precious to you disappearing without warning, without reason in the blink of an eye? if it were me, i think i may begin to cling to anything in sight to try to keep from going over the edge and losing my mind. but it's a false security isn't it? the things will only give an appearance of the status quo. the things will never heal the hurt or ease the loneliness. the things will never wrap loving arms around you and comfort you, celebrate memories or special occasions. the things will never love you. the things will only take over your home and life...and make it impossible to enjoy and live.
and so it has been for almost ten years. her home has been filled with things but neither magic nor joy.
but now, today, something is different. i go to my aunts with my baby sister. we go just to say hi and see how she is doing. but today, rather than awkwardly stepping over strange and old items, there is a path. there is open space. big chunks of open unclustered uninvaded space. there are boxes labeled things like "sell" and "give away."
our aunt sits us down. she says she is wanting to make some money by selling off some of her stuff, but she is not sure how and she needs our help. she has snow village houses lined up to be cleaned and shipped. she has china and crystal and knick nacks and this and that...all ready to be sold. and there it is: the 12 inch Mr. T doll. still in the box form 1983. never played with, never enjoyed by a child. my sister pulls the string and he tells us to always listen to our parents and that he pitties the fool. the speech is slurred but we laugh anyway. my aunt tells me she is ready to sell it and hundreds of other items. she is ready to clean out and take control of her house and her life again.
so, the 12 inch Mr. T is now on ebay. no one has made an offer on him yet, but he is still there. he reminds me daily that God is in the business of changing lives and taken the broken parts and turning them into miracles. no matter what worldly things you have clung to or attempted to use a filler for the Lord, He can and will be huge in your situation, right the wrongs and heal the hurts. He will put your life back together if you let Him. i thank God for choosing to change my aunt's life and bringing the magic back. i thank God there is a 12 inch Mr. T in a box in my house labeled "sell for aunt" and not blocking her path to life, love, and joy.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
don't ever say you can't
remind me to never say, "i can't." bc i feel sure this guy didn't!
Monday, October 11, 2010
chicago marathon: hope
a good friend, bailey ran the chicago marathon sunday. very impressive! he ran in honor of his little niece, anna, who was born with cornelia de lang syndrome, or cdls.
what is cdls you might ask (bc i know i sure did)? cdls is a syndrome or collection of signs (observable body changes) and symptoms (problems observed by the patient). cdls presents and affects a child from birth with a myriad of issues including mental retardation, gastroesophageal reflux, seizures, heart defects, cleft palate, bowel abnormalities, feeding difficulties, and developmental delay. sometimes people with cdls have missing limbs or portions of limbs, usually fingers, hands or forearms.
wow- as i type that out it hits me what obstacles anna and her family will face in the coming years. i honestly cannot imagine being in anna's parents' position. but, i just have to share this: everyone who has met anna's parents have said what a blessing it is that anna was born into such a special and Godly family. anna's parents are so very excited to have her join the family! they do not look upon the cdls as some kind of burden, but rather just a unique set of challenges to face alongside their youngest child.
but why run a marathon in honor of someone anyway? sure, to raise money and awareness. but i think there is another deeper reason. you run to show that you stand with others facing the challenges and trials. you run the marathon bc through daily traning and long hours hitting the pavement and pushing yourself through extreme physical stress you begin to understand the long term commitment and endurance it takes to daily tackle the unique challenges associated with cdls, or cancer, or heart disease, or aids, or world hunger or whatever cause it is that makes you run. you run the marathon to learn to push past the pain, past the weariness, past the temptation to quit, bc those who face the rigors of your cause in the real world do not have the option to quit. they can't take a water break or day off from a child facing leukemia or severe mental or physical handicaps. they have to persevere no matter what, and training for a marathon gives you a small taste of what it can be like to keep going when you think you cannot.
the race itself, with all its excitement and butterflies and cheers and volunteers, gives hope. the marathon gives hope that one day, if not today, there is a reason to celebrate. maybe its bc we find a cure or better way to approach a problem, maybe it's just bc we find a way to live joyously with the cause...whatever your victory, crossing the finish line gives hope to your cause.
i see God's fingerprints all over endurance sports. if we, in our weak and pitiful human capacity for love are willing to devote hours and hours of training and painful miles to inspire and bring hope to people we love and even people we do not know, how much more then does the Lord love those same people and us? how much harder does He work for His children? how much more does He act on that love? immeasurably more. and how fantastic is it that He puts people here right in front of us to show us that? very fantastic indeed.
bailey originally set out to raise $2000 for cdls. he raised nearly $8000. he ran the marathon in 4 hours 55 minutes- in 80something degree heat with a foot injury. bailey, you are inspiring. thanks for being the feet of hope.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
it's not about selling pumpkins
each year, the youth from our church (with lots of help from adult members) puts on a pumpkin patch. each day people volunteer to work the patch and help sell as many pumpkins as possible. all of the money goes to support our youth's mission work locally and abroad. the fact that the youth does enough mission work to actually need additional funding is stunning in and of itself. but what is even more impressive is that God uses that pumpkin patch not just to help fund work done is His name, but turns even the fundraiser itself into a venue that sheds His love on the community. God never ceases to amaze me with His creativity in spreading love. below is from youth's dad who has poured his heart and sweat into this year's pumpkin patch. pretty neat!
it's not about selling pumpkins. it's about outreach and community and mostly family. it's providing an activity for young families to slow down at the end of the day. it's mom and dad gathering the children and experiencing togetherness with each other in God's fall of the year running, taking pictures and maybe picking out a pumpkin as a family for home. it's about a peaceful place in the heart of mobile and hopefully getting closer to God. it's about revival, of self, of family, of midtown, of mobile.
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