Awe Inspiring

“Let all who live in on earth stand in awe of God!" ~ Psalm 33:8

Perhaps the most iconic grand pianoforte of all time, its Spanish mahogany case was inlaid with marquetry and ormolu.  A gift from Thomas Broadwood, the most prolific manufacturer of that time, it was selected by five of the finest pianists in London.

Ludwig van Beethoven received the six-octave Broadwood in 1818; the instrument upon which he composed most of his celebrated works.  The piano is estimated to be worth more than $50 million and is understandably roped off and out of the reach of the thousands of visitors who pass by it each day at Hungary’s National Museum in Budapest.

Once during a private tour by wealthy patrons, a young woman couldn’t resist the temptation to ask a museum guard if she could play it for a moment.   The guard, influenced by her generous tip, allowed her beyond the ropes briefly.

She sat at the famed piano and knocked out several bars of Moonlight Sonata.  When she finished, the crowd applauded politely.

As she stepped back through the ropes, the woman asked the guard, “Have all the great pianists visiting the museum played the piano?”

“No, miss,” the guard replied.  “In fact, just two years ago I was standing in this very place when a gray-haired gentleman with long, flowing hair visited the museum.  He was accompanied by the Museum Director and an international press, who had all come in the hope that he, Ignacy Paderewski, would play the piano.

“When he entered the room he stood over there, where your friends are standing and gazed at the piano in silent contemplation for nearly 15 minutes.  The Director invited him to play it.  But with tears welling in his eyes Paderewski the great Polish statesman and one of the few men alive worthy enough to play Beethoven’s piano, declined saying “I’m not even worthy to touch it.”

Paderewski was frozen with awe.  The young woman saw the piano and thought it would be cool to casually play it.

We’re living in a time of ‘awe deprivation.’  Technological advances have made things once thought impossible - not only real today, but normal, expected, even mundane and unimpressive.

We FaceTime with people on the other side of the globe without another thought.  Search engines access millions of pages of data in nanoseconds.  We use global positioning satellites to find the quickest route and avoid traffic.

The speed with which change occurs leaves us struggling to be impressed with much of anything.  The byproducts of being awe-deprived are increased arrogance, decreased empathy, and greater challenge to find real meaning.

Awe is the result of being in the presence of, or exposed to, something worthy of wonder, admiration and respect.  Awe results from an openness and willingness to see greatness and be moved by it.  Let’s put ‘awe’ back in awesome!

“Great Redeemer, Lord and Master, Light of all eternal days; Let the saints of ev'ry nation Sing Thy just and endless praise!” Amen  ~ B.B. McKinney

Tales of Integrity

"A friend will be a friend in times of all kinds." ~ Proverbs 17:17

It was a moment that changed two lives forever.  A nanosecond gone horribly wrong . . . two friends gravely entwined.

At the bachelorette party, just weeks before her wedding, Randi (friend #1) was playfully pushed into a pool by her best friend (#2).  She hit the bottom head first.  Her body went numb as she floated motionless in the water.  A C6 vertebra fracture left Randi no feeling below her shoulders.

Her dear friend (#2), who’d had only innocent intentions, would likely carry some burden of guilt for the rest of her life.  Only in her silent prayers could she speak her heart to God and beg forgiveness.  She didn't feel like she deserved it but she hung the shreds of her sanity on it.

The story of the “Paralyzed Bride” immediately spread like kudzu in Kentucky.  The media wanted to know who caused the unfortunate calamity.  They demanded a name, a face and some answers for an “exclusive” interview.  They’d recklessly ask questions no one had a right to ask: “Do you feel guilty?”  “How can you live with yourself?”  “Are you still friends?” “Does Randi forgive you?”

People would paint them with broad brushes.  Randi - the sweet, wonderful example of human determination; the good one.  Since friend #2 pushed her into the pool, she’s the villain.

Still confined by traction, Randi made a decision.  As her bachelorette friends gathered around her hospital bed, she made them promise to never reveal the name of the person who’d pushed her.  It wouldn’t serve any purpose.  It wouldn’t do anyone any good!

With that decision, they’d keep their dignity, and of course, their friendship.

So, the media changed course – a new twist.  They’d praise her for not outing her friend despite offers of money and prestigious interviews.  “Hollow praise” to Randi’s way of thinking.

Protecting her friend was a natural instinct.  It didn’t make her a saint for simply doing the “right thing.”  Media and money come and go, but friendship lasts a lifetime.  Exposing her friend’s privacy during such a traumatic event never entered Randi’s mind.  Ever!

Epilogue:  The couple’s wedding plans were put on hold temporarily.  They married a year to the day after their original date.  The friend who pushed her into the pool, whom Randi never identified, was among the invited guests.

“I didn’t have to forgive her, Randi explained.  “I never blamed her in the first place!”

During a celebration of their 3^rd anniversary, the couple announced their pregnancy from a surrogate who’s yet to be identified.  But I have a pretty good guess who it might be.

Lord, You’ve blessed us with friends who love us, who share our sorrows, who laugh with us in celebration, who bear our pain, who need us as we need them, who weep as we weep, who hold us when words fail, and who give us the freedom to be ourselves. Thank you!

Kevin's World

“Unless you become more like children, you’ll never enter Heaven." ~ Matthew 18:3

We were invited by some friends for dinner at their home - a place off the beaten path that provides a great setting for reflective conversation.  One of the highlights is always their son Kevin who greeted me with a throaty hug and “I love you!”

Kevin was born mentally disabled 21 years ago.  Apart from his size, there are few ways in which he’s an adult.  He reasons and communicates with the abilities of a 7-year-old, and always will.

After our initial welcome, Kevin returned to one of his favorite pastimes – swinging on the rope swing his Dad hung years ago from an oak tree in the backyard.  Not until he sat on the weathered seat, and tightly clutched the frayed cords, did he finally release all the stress that everyday encounters present.  Kevin closed his eyes, relishing the almost-floating sensation and returned to his own world.

“Does Kevin realize he’s different?” I asked Dave, his father.  “Do you wonder if he’s satisfied with his life?” 

Dave pondered the question before answering: 

“Kevin doesn’t recognize differences in people,” Dave began, “he treats everybody as a friend.  His heart is pure.  His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they won’t be.”

Kevin is never happier then when he is working.  Whether he unloads the dishwasher, vacuums the carpet, or walks the dog, his heart is completely engaged.  When his tasks are complete, he knows how to relax.”

“Kevin believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you’re wrong you apologize instead of argue.  Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he’s hurt, angry or sorry.  He’s totally transparent; always sincere.”

“And he trusts God.  Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.  Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that’s difficult for “educated” people to grasp.  God seems like his closest companion.”

“In fact,” Dave confessed, “I envy the simplicity and security of Kevin’s faith.”

It’s then I realized that Kevin’s not the one with the handicap - I am.  My obligations, my fears, my ego, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I don’t submit them to Christ.

Perhaps Kevin comprehends things I can never learn?  After all, he’s spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of Christ.  And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are revealed, and we’re all amazed at how closely God lives in our hearts, maybe I’ll know that God absolutely heard the simple prayers from the man on a rope swing.  Kevin won’t be surprised at all.

Dear Lord, thank You for all the people who enrich my life and make it meaningful by their true friendship.  Let them live under Your care and bless them always.  Amen

Freckles

“A joyful heart is good medicine." ~ Proverbs 17:22

Grace was putting on her makeup under the watchful eyes of her.  After applying lipstick, her 6 year-old granddaughter Hayley looked up with admiring eyes.

But when she opened her mouth to speak, the words came out fitfully; sounds half swallowed by a weepy noise.  ”Gramma (long pause), I can’t wait …‘til I’m … old enough … to wear … makeup!”

Whimpering gave way to sobbing.  It was the kind of desolate crying that comes from someone drained of all hope.   There was rawness to it.  Her whole body shook; defenses washed away in those salty tears.

Grace had never seen Haley so deflated.  She made no attempt to conceal or even wipe away her tears.  Even birds would go quiet to hear the giggles from deep inside the chest of this typically-effervescent child.

“Sweetheart,” Grace began.  “What’s bothering you?”

Hayley’s eyes glazed with tears.  As she blinked, they dripped from her eyelids and slid down her cheeks.  Her lower lip quivered as words slowly made their way out of her mouth.

“The kids make fun of my freckles,” she wailed.  “They call me Hayley Doody on the school bus.  The boys call me turkey egg and ginger.  I hate my freckles!”

Grace turned away from the mirror and knelt down next to her sweet grandchild.  “Dandelion blossoms are like brilliant freckles on a field of green.”  It was a line she’d read in a magazine many years ago, something that had always stuck with her.  To Grace it meant that even when beauty is right in front of us, not everyone can see it.

Hayley looked confused.  So Gramma tried a different angle.

“Honey, when I was a little girl I always wanted freckles," she said, while tracing her finger across the child's cheek.  "There are all kinds of flowers and they’re all beautiful.”

“I’ve never seen a flower with freckles,” the girl replied, and ran off to her room, slammed the door shut, and cried herself to sleep.

When she opened her swollen sticky eyes the next morning, the first thing she saw, lying on the pillow near her head, was a fiery-orange flower covered by spots.  She’d later learn that the ‘Tiger’ in Tiger Lily, refers to the black spots on its petals.  They’re often given for a 30^th wedding anniversary to symbolize humility and devotion.

In this story, freckles offer a metaphor for what we’re born into, and how we choose to cope with difficult circumstances.   It seems human nature to have a slant toward the negative.  It’s easy to spot the faults and issues in things.  The good news is that even if we weren’t born a glass-half-full person, we can train ourselves to see more of the positive.  It’s about what we focus on.

Holy God, I’ve come to You burdened with worries, fears, doubts and troubles. Give me new strength, hope, and confidence.  Prepare me to meet the constant struggles of daily life with a deeper faith and trust in You.  Amen

Misfits

“Good homes are built on wisdom, compassion and understanding." ~ Proverbs 24:3

I was born in an old wheelbarrow in an unused toolshed with four siblings.  Two were stillborn; another was born crippled.  Mother disposed of him I guess.

She gave us our dog names – Blaze and Shelby.  When we were old enough, Mother taught us to hunt and forage for food.  She also taught us to avoid humans.  They could be dangerous.  The day I saw a man kill Mia, a fox who lived under the shed with her kits, I knew she’d been right.

Mother disappeared one day and we were alone; abandoned and afraid.  We stayed near the old shed for a while.  I liked the garbage pile, its warm shelter, and the field mice sharing our space.

When Blaze decided to move on, I followed him away from our first home.  He was my whole world.

We lived in the forest or in empty doorways eating from garbage sacks or hunting wild game.  I recall packs of wild dogs who inflicted the many scars I bear today.  I also remember the humans – some with gentle hearts; others crazed with brutality.

Some nice people from the park took us home one day.  But Sam and Mindy weren’t used to living with dogs.  And when we messed on the floor, ate their son’s toys and lunged at skateboarders, Sam decided he’d had enough.  He drove us into town, tossed us from his pickup, and sped away.

Blaze scraped his nose from the fall; I landed hard on my shoulder.  We rested for a while by the side of a busy road.  We noted a bag smelling of chicken under some bushes across the highway.

I was about to dash across when a car screeched to a stop near us and a man jumped out.  He commented on how cute Blaze was and decided to keep him.  I guess I wasn’t cute enough or he didn’t need two dogs.  He drove off and I never saw my brother again.

But I got ‘dibs’ on the goodie bag.  It wasn’t however, full of chicken.

Wrapped in a tattered blanket lay a tiny newborn baby.  I carried the abandoned child under some barbed wire towards an old woman tending her flower garden.  She immediately took the baby to a hospital where she responded well to treatment.  No one ever claimed the girl.

I’m an old dog now and that woman cares for me . . . and the little girl now.  Three misfits living comfortably together.  A fire casts long shadows over the rug where I relax.  Flames crackle and hiss.  I feel the warmth of a fire on my nose, my tail and my paws, and I remember when I wasn’t warm, well-fed or loved.

Home is where love heals.

“Jesus, thank You for leading me home.  It took a long time through many travails, but I trusted You.  I pray, Lord, that as You created this family, You’ll continue to lead us daily. Woof, woof!” ~ Shelby

Humility on Fire

"Act justly, love mercifully and walk humbly with your God." ~ Micah 6:8

The old man awoke to soft sheets as the morning light trickled through dense blinds.  Shedding the remains of a soulful dream, he soaked in the warmth of his covers before letting his face kiss the sun's rays.

He’d almost forgotten that he was in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, one of the most luxurious in all of Shanghai.  His spacious room was more like a guest suite in an Italian palace.  The bed was king-sized with pure white, Egyptian cotton sheets.  He had his own desk, a sixty-six inch SmartTV, a sprawling Corinthian leather sofa, and, on the other side of the floor-to-ceiling windows was his own private terrace overlooking the Huangpu River.

And the bathroom!  In addition to the waterfall shower, there was a tub big enough for a football team, and a Jacuzzi.  Handcrafted Italian marble throughout; a far cry from the hollow cube of windowless concrete that had been his home for 27 years.  The old man shuddered to think how much it might cost a night.

He rose and immediately knelt near his bed for daily prayer.  His was a crowded, hectic life now.  Opportunities for time alone, much less for prayer, were limited.  Yet despite scheduled priorities, prayer for him lay at the root of all others - at the root of life itself.

Without prayer, he’d begin to take credit for the good things in his life, chalking them up to his own skill, knowledge, wisdom and hard work.  He’d soon forget that all those attributes were gifts from God who gave us the mind, body and conditions that enabled us to develop those qualities.

Then he made the bed; making perfect hospital corners.  He folded the beautiful duvet cover in thirds at the foot of the bed just like he’d found it the previous night.  He finished by carefully arranging a variety of pillows and shams to give it the luxury hotel look.

He always made his own bed – no matter where he traveled.

When the hotel manager learned of this, he was embarrassed.  Chinese hospitality requires that the person who cleans and arranges your room - does exactly that.  Doing it for yourself is thought to be an insult. “Please don’t do this again,” he pleaded.

The old man asked the manager to bring the ladies who would be cleaning the room, so that he could explain why he himself made his own bed so that they would not feel insulted.  He never wanted to hurt anyone’s feelings.

For politicians, humility and power are a rare combination.   Nelson Mandela never really cared about what powerful people thought of him, but he did care about what less important people did.  A breathtaking combination of charisma and old-fashioned courtesy, he was small, subtle … and oh so humble.

“Honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, pure generosity, absence of vanity, readiness to serve others - qualities which are within easy reach of every soul - are the foundation of one's spiritual life.” Amen  ~ Nelson Mandela