Floodwaters ...

God willing ... and the creek don't rise ...

That was one of my dad's favorite phrases.  And it has been running through my head ever since the rains began a month ago. 

I know that it means with good luck ... and no major problems ... there will be success in whatever is undertaken.  It is definitely a postive statement of hope & encouragement.

Offering up encouragement.  That's been the theme of my life lately.

But the creek ... it has been rising.  Inevitablely.

With only a little warning ... the rains came.  And when that much rain comes down ... in torrents ... you have unusual consequences. 

Flash flooding is the most immediate.  It comes quickly and recedes slowly.

More serious, though, is the creek-rising type of flooding.  It occurs when runoff from sustained rainfall exceeds the capacity of the rivers, streams, or other bodies of flowing water.

My experience with traditional flooding is that it always catches you by surprise.  The storm has passed.  The sun is shining.  And you are thanking your lucky stars that somehow you were spared ... this time. 

And then, out-of-the-blue ... that dad-gum creek ...it's a-rising!

It comes slowly ... and lingers ... and lingers.

Even if you live close to the water ... the rising water ... creeping slowly ... then suddenly rushing in and washing away .your life as you know it ... it always comes as a surprise.

There has been a lot of discussion about the rain.  References to the 40 days and 40 nights ... Noah ... and such.  It was interesting to me how many of my informed & enlightened friends posted comments on their status' that said things like .... "Guess maybe I should build an ark"  ... in response to the rain.

Seriously.  Didn't they know that building an ark after the rain was falling ... was an effort in futility?!?!  Best guess ... is that it took Noah something like 50-75 years to build the Ark !!

And remember ... God gave him explicit instructions ... to build a BOAT ... way in advance ... to sustain his family & the animals ... during a flood ... in a time when NO RAIN had ever fallen.

Think about it.  God says build a boat because I am going to wash away the wickedness in the world with floodwaters. 

Noah:     Floodwaters?!?! 

God:      Yes. It's going to rain. 

Noah:    What is rain? 

God:      Wait & see.  Do you trust Me? 

Noah:     Yes. Lord.  Use me.

... knowing full well that he didn't have a clue what rain was or what God was planning to do.

Damage ... devastation ... troubles ... that's what most of us associate with flooding.  People that have been victims of flooding ... pretty much lose everything ... then start over ... with nothing ... and life is never really the same ... ever ... again.

One common fatal mistake people make is driving through flood waters.  Did you know that 66% of all flood-related deaths are caused by that one

head-strong, stubborn navigational error ?!?

It's true during the natural disaster that is flooding. 

It's true in the emotional disasters of life. 

Many of my friends are besieged by flood waters.  Not the ones caused by the recent storms.  That's a blessing, for sure. 

It's the creek-of- life-rising that's overtaking my friends.  And, you guessed it,  they think they are still in control ... somehow ... insisting on driving through the flowing water.

Guess they don't realize that just 6 inches of rapidly moving floodwater can knock a person down ... a mere 2 feet of water can float a large vehicle even a bus. Honest. It's true.  One-third of flooded roads and bridges are so damaged by water that any vehicle trying to cross stands only a 50% chance of making it to the other side.

A 50/50 chance.  Not the best odds, I'm thinking.  Unless you're feeling extremely lucky.

Lucky.  That's how I was feeling on Friday.  It was Friday the 13th.  And I felt ... lucky.  All day.  It was a sense of well being ... security ... a knowing that all was right in my world.  Of course, feeling lucky caused me to be a little bit expectant ... you know ... like something good was going to happen ... without warning.

And right on cue.  Something DID happen ... or maybe it simply revealed itself ... a delayed reaction ... in response to all of the rain ...

And since then ... I've spent quite a bit of time ... moving the pieces around ... pondering ... seeing what fits ... what doesn't ... wondering ... how much room is there in my Ark ...

Actually ... the ME in me ... is still puzzling over ... where the lucky is hiding ... at the end of the day ...

This morning, I had a serious talk with my best friend, God, Creator of the Universe.  It wasn't feeling like one of those humorous moments ... when God, greatly amused by me, was going to be ... laughing uproariously.

MJ  --   Used.  That's how I'm feeling. 

God --   Imagine that, MJ.  You feel USED ?!?!

MJ --    It sucks to feel USED.

God --  Isn't that what you asked for ?!!?  Seriously, MaryJane. 

             It's an answered prayer !!!

MJ  --   Whatever, God.  I would never pray for that ...

God ---  Hmmmm ... Didn't you say "Take my life, Lord.  USE me" ?!?!

MJ --    Well, yeah ... but that's different.

God --- Nope.  It's not.  Did you really & truly think that I could USE you ...

            without you ever feeling USED?!? 

Ba da bing.   And then ... He laughed ... out loud ... uproariously.

I love rainbows. I collect pictures of them. Friends often send me pictures of the cool rainbows they encounter. I know the biblical meaning of rainbows. And I know that rainbows have always shown up at times when I needed a word of encouragement ... personally ... from God.

All during the rains ... the storms ... the rising waters ... of the last few weeks ... the last few months ... I have been waiting for a rainbow. 

Dump Truck Pot O' Gold
by Laura Criner - 2010

As much rain as has fallen ... you would have thought there would have been tons of pictures of rainbow sightings ... everywhere. 

Haven't seen one ... recently.  Not myself ... for real ... or in a picture taken by anyone else. 

Kinda makes things feel a little hopeless ... a little futile ...

Last nite I dreamed about a rainbow.  I'm pretty sure ... I've never .... dreamed about a rainbow ... before.

Naturally, my curiousity kicked in.  So I googled "dreamed about a rainbow" & here's what I found out:

The gypsies say that to dream of a brightly coloured rainbow
means a happy change is coming.

 

... and there it is ... the answer I have been seeking ... to all of my questions ...

Simple as that.

www.lifelessons-mj-blogspot.com
(c) May 2011

Charmed ... I'm Sure ...

...the rains came ... & the unicorns continued to play ... capriciously ...

as if ... they had all the time in the world ...

That's what I posted as my status ... one day last week ... it sparked a couple of interesting conversations ...

Conversations about unicorns.  And their legends.  About the flood.  The faith of Noah.  About water rising.  And washing away the gritty stuff in our lives. 

Was the rain that fell on those carefree unicorns REALLY
the first rain ... ever?  Sing along with me ...

... Hey, Lord ... I got your green alligators ... and long necked geese ...

Unicorns mean different things to different people.

It is commonly held that unicorns are a symbol for purity, loyalty & devotion ... and some believe that unicorns are healers of the heart.

A healer of the heart.  How cool is that?!?!  That's exactly what my Band of Gypsys are discussing each week ... as we make our way through
WAKING THE DEAD by John Eldredge. 

Yesterday was Easter.  I sent a personal message to a friend ...

"I am come that they (that means YOU) might have life, and that

they (YOU again) might have it more abundantly"

 ~ John 10:10

Not your typical Easter scripture choice, I know.  It had come to me in the night that it was a message that needed to be sent ... the urge was very compelling ... so I did it ... just before I went to church.

Surprise ... surprise ... not.  Del's message was based on John 10 ... he covered thoroughly the verses leading up to John 10:10 ... about the sheep hearing ... and recognizing the shepherd's voice ...

I love it when things like that happen!

So as I wrote this blog, I went to get the link for WAKING THE DEAD.  Check out the very first sentence of the random review I chose as the link:

“Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

Hmmm ... must be a very important message ... too much validation for it to be otherwise.

Now ... back to the unicorn lore ...

In the western world, the unicorn was believed to be wild & untameable .... a risk-taking adventurer, maybe ?

And in some eastern cultures the unicorn was the bearer of good luck.

The unicorn always reaches its destination -- never falling into pits or traps ... honored as a spiritual guide through life for others ...

Another legend highlights the unicorn's drive to bring harmony through insight & understanding ...

... and ... it's believed unicorns only appear when great change is on its way ...

The very same evening ... that I posted the unicorn status ... I went out to play with my friends down in Argenta ... it's always a blast!

And interesting things always seem to happen to me there ... life lesson things ... last time was the Mardi Gras shindig ... when I lost ... and then found my diamond earring ...

... unexpected ... improbable ... impossible ... things.

This time it was the 2nd Annual Celebrate the Grape wine tasting event. 

Doing my normal thing, I was working the door.  Greeting people.  Handing out the special wine glasses ... for the tasting.  Directing them over to the tables where the hand-made charms were waiting to be chosen ... by each guest.

A wine charm is a cool little "bracelet"  ... actually they look more like earrings ...  that fit around the stem of your glass.  Each one is individual & unique.  That way if you set your glass down ... you can recognize it easily as your own ... when you return.

Once the rush of early connoisseurs had arrived I wandered over to the charm table.  I am not sure if the girl sitting there was one of the artists who had created the charms or simply a volunteer like me ... we did not know each other.

As I took in all of the different colors ... and designs ... and variety of charms, I said to her "I want a FUN charm ... that's just right for me!"

... this IS a true story ... I never make these things up ... I promise!

She reached down & selected a charm. And she handed it to me ...

"Here's a UNICORN charm ... it's very special ...

& I think it's exactly right for YOU!"

Made me smile.  Another "earring" story ... on an evening in Argenta ... coincidence ... I think not.
 
I don't believe in coincidences, after all.
 
Standing on the sidewalk at the end of the evening ... I chatted with a man I know only slightly ... but have always liked a lot.  Last time we had visited was last year ... the night of my flat tire ... he had shared with me on that occasion his desire to have his whole heart back ...
 
I told him that I had thought of him often since then.  Wondering how his journey was going.  Then I shared my flat tire story with him ... and we laughed together ... at the absurdity of it ...
 
There we were ... standing on the sidewalk ... while the rain continued ... reconnecting after months & months ... and then ... he told me his story ...
of the healing of his heart ...
 
And he smiled ... the most radiant smile ... full of hope & promise & love ... and rather sheepishly he admitted that he hadn't shared his story
with anyone ... else.
 
... not yet ...
 
Just me ... standing on the sidewalk ...
clutching my little unicorn charm in my pocket ...
 
Unexpected ... improbable .. impossible ...
 
For a few minutes ... we simply stood together ... soaking up the good feelings ... & the rain ... knowing that we were sharing something special ...
 
It was an amazing encounter.  A gift of great magnitude. 

"...Well, now that we have seen each other," said the Unicorn,

"If you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you."

~ THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS by Lewis Carroll

http://www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com/

(c) April 2011

Miracles & God-Things

Today was a weird day.  It was full of God-things.  You know, things that simply can't be explained.


And God-things aren't always wonderful...spectacular....great.  Sometimes they are simple, ordinary....special all the same.


The day started with a rainbow outside my front door.  I love rainbows.  And I know that they aren't always just for me....take today....I was having a sort of disconnected morning....nothing was really coming together as I was trying to leave the house....


....and for the record, the entire day was that way....disconnected.


I stepped outside.  There was this nice rainbow.  And then I remembered what today was....June 3.


It was Mimi's birthday. 


Mimi was my mother's mother.  My grandmother.  She has been gone from me for many years. 


I stood there in awe of God's faithfulness.  There is no doubt that God allowed Mimi to slip through a crack between heaven & earth....for just a few minutes....to smile on me...today....


As if to say, "it's ok, little darling, I am right here....always."


Yep.  This time it was MY rainbow.  It was definitely a God-thing.


Later in the morning I checked my inbox.  Just a few minutes after I headed down the street, a friend had sent me an email with a picture of....you guessed it....the rainbow.  Seems she encountered it on her way this morning, too. 


It was cool.  In her picture, it appears that the rainbow is ending in the back of the dump truck on the road just in front of her.  Wow!  She was sure that rainbow was "hers"....and she wanted to share it with me because she knows I collect rainbow pictures.


It was definitely a God-thing.


All through the day, I allowed myself to wander back to Mimi.  It's been sometime since I've allowed myself to just miss her.  I was her only granddaughter and we were very close.  Our relationship was full of love & very special.


Mimi loved God.   When I was a small child, she lived in downtown Little Rock and would take me along to one of those downtown churches.  It was beautiful & solemn with stained glass windows. 


As I moved into my preteen years, she & Gee moved to "the farm".  It was a few acres at the foot of Pinnacle Mountain which is now considered part of Little Rock.  Back then, it was a pretty good drive from town.  During those years, she attended a small, country church.  Services there involved a lot of standing & singing & standing & singing.


Later, after Gee died, she moved into Plaza Towers.  For the remainder of her life, she attended church at the small neighborhood church that I had grown up in.


Mimi taught me about faith by the way she lived her life.  She prayed about everything.  She read her Bible often.  She was a faithful volunteer who gave her time & energy to a wide range of causes.  It was not uncommon for her to be asked to prepare the invocation or lead the prayer at large and small gatherings.


Mimi probably really didn't give much thought to God-things.  She was more miracle minded, I think.  There's wasn't much that God did....or could do....that surprised her.  And I am grateful for her sharing those beliefs with me year-after-year....even though it took quite a long time for me to reach the place in my walk to know God in the same confident way.


Mimi loved pretty things.  Clothes.  A nice table setting.  Flowers.  Every meal at her house was an occasion.  There were lovely tablecloths or festive handsewn placemants at every seat.  And an arrangement of her own design to set the tone for whatever we were celebrating. 

Sometimes it was simply time together....that was celebration enough.


She was known throughout her circles of friends & acquaintances for her floral arranging talents.  Everyone who knew her knew that she loved flowers.  Daisies were her favorite.


Pretty tables. Flowers. Kindness. Faith.  These are the things I remember most about Mimi.  And she loved me unconditionally.


A lot of who I am is a reflection of her.  And even though I am far from perfect, I think she would be proud of who I am today.....the things that are important to me....my values & my faith.


The rainbow this morning reminded me of Mimi's passing....and the miracle that immediately followed.  It was bigger than a God-thing....it was a plain & simple miracle.


During Mimi's last days, she was hindered by diminished eyesight.  It had been a long time since she'd been able to drive herself.  That never slowed her down.  That morning she baked two pies.  One for herself....or maybe for some company that would be coming for a meal in the next day or so.  And one for her neighbor who lived a few floors down who couldn't get around so well.


I wasn't living here at the time.  We talked often. Several times a week. 


So as the pies were cooling, she called to tell me about her day.  After our conversation, she left her apartment with the pie & went to visit her shut-in neighbor.   When her visit was done, she entered the elevator on the third floor of her building and when the doors opened on the fifth floor ....her floor....she was found there on the elevator.


Just like that she was gone.  And in the elevator where she would be found quickly....not alone in her apartment where it might have been days before anyone realized that something was amiss.  It was a blessing....yes, THAT was a God-thing!


So the family gathered.  Arrangements were made.  And flowers began arriving.  On the day of the funeral, there were so many beautiful flowers it was as if you were lost in a garden.  Mimi would have loved that. 


After the graveside service, flowers were sent home with friends & family.  Flowers were dispatched to the church.  And gorgeous sprays of fresh cut flowers were left at the cemetery. 


It was mid-week....September....and it was HOT!  The sprays were taken off their stands.  The water ran out onto the ground.  And Mimi was covered in a lovely blanket of flowers.


Several days passed.  The things that had to be taken care of immediately were handled.  It was time for my mother & I to return to our respective homes....out-of-town.  On the way to catch my flight, my mother & decided to stop by the cemetery for one last visit with Mimi.


It was hot.  There hadn't been a drop of rain in the days since the funeral.  Surely the flowers had all dried up & withered in the heat.


Imagine our surprise when we arrived there and found ALL of the arrangements....laying on the ground....in full bloom....unwithered....glorious, vibrant, beautiful....ALIVE!


There is no doubt that Mimi had been there tending to her flowers....making sure that they were watered & cared for until we returned....it was her way of letting us know that all was well....


All was well.


It's a true story.  Honest.


The arrangements looked as if they had been delivered fresh from the florist.  My mom decided to take two of the arrangements back to my brother's house with her to "replace" some of the flowers that hadn't lasted the week....inside with constant attention. 


At the time, we were both too numb to fully understand the wonder of it. 


But that's how God works sometimes.  He shows us something today....that's special....but we don't really get it until sometime later....when we are ready....or we simply need a reminder....to believe.


Fast forward a few years.  My mother and I were sharing a visit. It was shortly after her husband....my stepfather....had passed away.


And we wandered into a deep conversation about God....and faith....and the Bible.   She asked me, "Do you really believe everything in the Bible is true? That it happened exactly the way it's told there?"


I looked at her a little stunned. 


My mother had taken us to church regularly throughout our childhood.  She taught Sunday School to five year olds....and she was asking ME if I believed that the stories of miracles....impossible things... in the Bible were true.


I said, "Yes, Mom, I do."


After a period of silence, I realized that possibly she was struggling....to believe.


It's easy for that to happen.  Life just starts unfolding....things that aren't really good happen....and sometimes prayers seem to be unanswered.  And you hurt...and you wonder....surely if God can do all of THOSE things, He wouldn't let these things happen in my life.


So I reminded her that we....she and I....had actually witnessed a miracle. One that was personal & that God had prepared just for us.


It wasn't grand....it wasn't earth-shattering....it wasn't important to anyone else...only she & I. It was impossible for those flowers to be alive. There was no logical explanation for it.


It was simply your garden-variety miracle.


She smiled.  I think maybe we both cried a little.  She had forgotten about the flowers. 


Which is OK....God knows we all forget from time to time....He understands.


The really cool thing is that He doesn't ever forget about us.  Even when it seems like He's no where around.


And on days like today....He sends us rainbows....as a reminder of His faithfulness....


You see, it's not that I had forgotten about the flowers....it's just that I hadn't thought about them in awhile. 


Today was definitely disconnected.  And for every random annoying thing....there was a weird implausible solution.


So it was perfectly natural, I think....for God to remind me of the flowers....of miracles.... today....on Mimi's birthday....with a rainbow....

It was definitely a God-thing.

www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com
(c) Mary Jane Sawyer, June 2010