Snow Angel

“A joyful heart makes a cheerful face." ~ Proverbs 15:13

There are two kinds of people.  Some wake to the pristine world of virgin snow in all its perfection and rejoice.  They smile as they view it from the warmth of their home, fireplace flames crackling and curling, marshmellowed cocoa in hand.

Others bundle up and race outside to catch snowflakes on their tongues, making fresh prints with boots and sleds making their mark on the cold, blank canvas.  They embrace everything about this kind of weather, the subtle crunch underfoot as they stride forward amid low hanging shafts of sunlight illuminating the sparkling scenes ahead.

Two kinds of people - those who observe and reflect and those who engage and feel.  Some say, those who live life to its fullest … and those with regrets.

Maggie fit the ‘active’ category.  She prided herself on being a spunky senior working way past retirement and redefining the notion of dynamic ageing.  At 91, her vision and hearing were waning, and her gate lacked the grace she’d had in younger years.  That, however, wasn’t going to stop her from having fun.

Elderly people tend to stay indoors, so they don't accidentally slip or develop pneumonia.  But to Maggie there was something about snow that made her young again.  Like a kid who gets to stay home from school on a snow day, this grandma wanted to go outside and play.

And there’s one fun snow sport that anyone can do without risking injury, and there's no learning curve.  So with the help of Eric, her great grandson, Maggie got her wish!

Eric supported her as she lowered herself to the ground.  As he struggled to set her down gently, she awkwardly fell backwards into the snow.  What started as a shriek quickly became a chuckle and eventually uncontrollable laughter!

People think of laughter as a noise that comes from the mouth.  Yet when Maggie laughed it was nothing like that.  The laugh was in her eyes as her face flushed with joy and amusement.

It came from deep within; giggles bursting to the surface like yoga for the synapses.  For Eric, those few moments were better than a whole day of skiing or snowshoeing.  Just the sound of her cackles, snickers, and belly laughs, was enough to transport him from the tensions of modern life.  He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of her joyful face with glittering wingspread.

As Maggie concentrated on moving her arms and legs, she exclaimed with delight, "I haven't made a snow angel in a very long time!”  Reminding us all that you're never too young to start a snowball fight, go sledding, or lie down and leave an angel shape in the snow.

Almighty Father, You gave us life to be celebrated, enjoyed, and embraced in all its mystery.  Guide us to our inner child.  Draw us to your playground of creation, God of life, so that we will live more fully.  Amen

Love You Forever

“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be." ~ R. Munsch

The obstetric nurse entered the hospital room with empathy and a stethoscope.  Sara hadn’t felt her baby’s gentle pokes for nearly 24 hours.  She and husband Bob were justifiably concerned especially since their last baby was stillborn at 20 weeks.  But babies can be elusive.

The nurse’s silence sealed their fears before the doctor confirmed it.  Their 18 week old son was no longer alive.

Sarah knew all too well the pain of grief.  She’d finally crawled out from its weight when they learned they were expecting again.   She’d dreamt of a baby boy that held her hand on the way to swings, squealing with delight and demanding higher pushes.  In her mind’s eye he was generous with smiles and free with his hugs.

In that moment time stopped.  All presence of quiet coping vanished.  She slumped on the exam table; deadness dulling her senses and salty tears flowing unchecked.

To make the unthinkable worse, doctors told the couple that they’d not be able to conceive again.

Bob too, took the news hard.  He’d worked part-time at an orphanage while studying to become a Jesuit priest.  He wasn’t ‘priestly’ material, but he loved working with kids.  A prolific storyteller, he’d developed quite the knack for keeping preschooler’s attention.

He often sung silently to himself an ode to his two dead babies; never out loud or written down.  Every time he tried to sing it he cried.  It was his way of grieving.

Eventually, his wife convinced him to take some time off to write down some of his favorite children’s stories.  At age 35, he sent 10 each to nearly a dozen publishers.  Nine said, “No” and one said, “Yes” to a story called ‘Mud Puddle.’  It sold a just 3,000 copies in 1979, but it established Bob as a legitimate writer.

Before committing them to paper, Bob often told his stories to live crowds.  One day while performing at a theatre, he made up a story on the spot to accompany the song that had been in the back of his mind.  Almost magically a story poured out about a mother who’d sing her son the same lullaby at night during every phase of his life - even when he was fully grown.

It was the first time anyone, including Sara, heard the now iconic "Love You Forever" story.

Robert (Bob) Munsch first published “Love You Forever,” as a picture book in 1986.  This touching account of a mother’s evolving relationship with his son has become one of the best-selling children’s books of all time – selling over 30 million copies to date in multiple languages.

The Munsch’s have since become adoptive parents of three.

God our Father, Your beloved Son took children into his arms and blessed them.  Give us grace, that we may entrust these unborn babies to your never-failing care and love, and bring us all to Your Heavenly Kingdom.  Amen

Savior or Servant?

“If you want to stand out, then step down.  Be a servant." ~ Matthew 23:11

In a cramped room that smelled of sweat, deodorant, and shampoo-scented steam, Coach Bagley readied his basketball team for the big game.  Frankly, it was the BIGGEST game of his career.

His Farmville Eagles had a chance to make school history.  After 27 losing season, Coach had not only posted his first winning season, but today they had a shot at the conference championship.

A man not known for fiery speeches - was on fire tonight.  "When we walk onto the court, those butterflies will turn to ferocious Eagles.  You’ve gotta want this night to last forever."

After a quick prayer, they left the locker room to a boisterous crowd of delirious fans.  Who could blame them?  With a population of just under 1,500, Farmerville had but one stoplight within its city limits of roughly two square miles.

The Eagles played just one school smaller than itself during the season.  They were out-numbered, out-sized, out-everything.  Could tonight could be THEIR night?

Bagley had announced before the game that a local businessman had donated money for a 4-year college scholarship for the team’s MVP.  The recipient would be chosen by the team’s 9 players after the game.

Maybe it was the scholarship … or perhaps blazing desire, but the Eagles soared that night.

Thomas hit almost everything he launched, finishing with 27 points.  Danny (aka “Dimes”) added 14 points and 11 assists.  Despite being the shortest Eagle, Darnell flawlessly moved the ball up the court and directed the offense.  Tug, short for Tugboat, ‘owned the paint’ collecting rebounds with reckless abandon.

Because there was no girls’ basketball team at Farmville, Sydney played with the varsity boys.  Her warrior-like hustle earned her the nickname “Squito” for her mosquito-like agility.

After celebrating with fans, the Eagles entered the locker room for one final task.  Each was given a sheet of paper and asked to identify who they believed to be the team’s most valuable asset.

It took just a few minutes before Coach tallied the results.  He looked up after nodding agreement.  “Seems right to me, too,” he said wiping away a single tear.

“By unanimous vote, I’d like to congratulate Meredith Olsen, our Equipment Manager, who you’ve chosen as our Most Valuable Player.  Away from the spotlight, she stayed well beyond practice to ensure uniforms and practice gear was washed, organized and ready for the next day.  She even laundered the cheer uniforms and mascot costume.”

Meredith led the team by serving.

She demonstrated what Christ meant when He washed His disciples feet.  Jesus became a servant to become our Savior.  There is but one God.  If you want to be great, you must serve others.

Almighty Father, help us to be better than we are.  Teach us to be more like you, and less like the world around us.  Help us to put aside our selfish desires and vain ambition. Teach us to be true servants in both word and deed.  Amen

Honey for the Soul

“Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." ~ Proverbs 4:32

Naomi’s body language told it all.

While people scurried about the Village mall, her shoulders slumped forward; a common trait of those depressed as they try and be smaller and take up less space.  Her gait revealed a lack of energy and enthusiasm.  And her eyes cast a blank, listless stare.

But even though it hurt, she tried her best to smile.

What made matters worse, shoppers scurried about unaware that she even existed.  Her heart ached; she was invisible to everyone around her.

Nothing seemed to be going right in her life.  Sometimes Naomi just wanted to curl up into a corner somewhere and hide forever.  Nothing could be worse than feeling alone, rejected and unloved.  People were simply too busy with their own lives to bother with her.  She needed a hug, even if were only the fragile beginnings of friendship.

She walked into the aisle that carried her favorite items.  Naomi couldn’t find the Peanut Butter Cups through the tears misting her eyes.  What was the point of living anyway?  Who would care if she suddenly disappeared?

Reaching for a prized chocolate treat, a stranger approached.  He’d noticed her dejected body language; then said the kindest words she’d heard in a very long time.

“You have a beautiful smile, you should use it often,” he said.

“Excuse me?” Naomi asked wiping moisture from her eyes.

“I saw you coming toward me and just wanted to tell you that,” he said before walking away.  It definitely wasn’t a pickup line; it seemed authentic and sincere.

For Naomi, those simple words made all the difference; as if invisible holes had poked her skin and all her tension leeched out.  She tilted her face toward the brilliant light shafts breaking through the clouds above and her gloom began lifting.

She beamed!  Someone had noticed her.  She wasn’t invisible after all.  "Perhaps," she wondered, "this is happiness; what comes when the battle’s over."

The moral is twofold:

1.       Be kind and gentle with your words.  Just a simple word of encouragement can impact someone’s life today.

2.       Body language can tell you a lot about someone’s emotional state.  Learning to recognize the nonverbal signs can help us extend needed compassion to those who may be struggling.

Kindness has many synonyms - love, service, charity.  But they all imply action; tangible things we can do every day.

God designed our bodies perfectly for that purpose.  Each part has a unique role to help other parts function better as a whole.  We have two eyes trained to see twice as much, and two ears to hear double the amount we speak.  Therefore, we should approach others as humble learners earning the privilege to speak.

Dear Lord, teach me to love tenderly and vulnerably.  Help me to not shrink away from others because of fear, and miss opportunities to extend a loving, charitable, helping hand when they arise.  Amen

The Vinedresser

"I’m the Vine; you are the branches. Those who believe in Me will bear much fruit." ~ John 5:15

I always dreamed of owning a vineyard.  So on this south-facing slope, it became my life’s mission.

A practiced vinedresser schooled me on how to tend my grapes.  He was old and bent, but his smile was inviting.  His hands were gnarled but they held everything tenderly; wisdom gained from experience.

For one entire season, we walked the morning-wet fields.  He taught me everything I needed to know about the secret world of the vines.  Surrounded by grapes, I learned to pray for gentle rains, generous sunshine, and cool nights.  He also shared the spiritual symbolism of his work.

“Humans develop much like plants,” he said.  “There’s nature and nurture, and a balance above and below the earth.”  From the time they’re grafted and take root in the soil, vines need careful and constant attention.  Like our children and friends, grapes ripen slowly, thriving with decades of kindness and affection amid a fragile environment.

“A bountiful harvest doesn’t happen by accident,” he warned.  “Without pruning, there’d be no fruit to gather.  A vine has only enough energy to nourish a few canes.  Let all of them grow and none will flourish.”   We want it all.  But we must decide how best to use our energy; how many activities and possessions we can feed.  The answer’s not as many as we think.

“Good vinedressers know their vines, branches and the soil they’re growing in,” he revealed.  “They know what’s needed and when.”  We often don’t know what’s best for us.  But our Heavenly Vinedresser does.  Because God loves us, He constantly ‘prunes’ us.  He’s not angry; He’s hard at work in His vineyard.

“Keep trimming what’s dead or misshapen, lest you end up with a tangled mess,” he suggested.  “Train the vines on trellises - not to restrict them but to support them, just as Jesus, the proverbial ‘Vine’ supports and sustains us.”

“And when it comes to harvest time,” he advised, “move around and let the sun hit the vines from different directions.  Lift that leaf where more grapes are hiding.”  There are so many surprises if you walk around and look at things from different angles.

It got me thinking about looking at people from a different perspective.  Like the branches, sometimes you have to get down and crawl on your knees and look pretty hard.

And finally, a vineyard can be wiped out in five minutes of hail.  That too, is a lesson in faith and hope.  All is not lost; the vineyard will recover.

As I rock on my porch in the cool evening shade, I give thanks for the fruit of my vines and the God who made it all possible.

“Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we’ve received the wine we offer You: fruit of the vine and work of human hands.  It will become our spiritual drink.” ~ Roman Missal