Proper Preparation

It is pre-dawn at the beginning of a busy winter day. Yesterday, I arrived home late and went to bed early. Early awakening  is the result. My mind spins with the tasks before me and I prepare with my fresh cup of caffeine. It is trash day so I will be sure the bins are deposited at the street side as I leave.

I must arrive early at my office to respond to an inquiry from a state agency, prepare documents for another state agency's certification, check with my bank about delayed paperwork on a vehicle, and leave the office by ten to attend a class to sharpen another skill. Yes, my plan this year is to "learn".

I am learning that I am truly blessed with my good health. Even as I uncover unbelievable shortfalls in some, others circle around and prop me up with encouragement and assistance. I see friends and family suffering from serious health and emotional crisis and offer up fervent prayers for their healing. In the artificially lighted morning, reality is dawning. I shall make my list and check it twice. My presence will be fully active in the present moments, they are a gift from God! I will not fret over yesterday, nor will I concern myself for tomorrow.

I look forward to the predicted sunshine to light my way soon.

Signal

When a wife expects something from her mate, it often comes as a simple request in person, by phone or text. For years I Iamented that Ol’ Abner was very astute when reading my needs, rather his version of my needs. I wished for better light in a dim room and came home to find a large window ready for installation. He had sledge hammered his way through the outer wall and let in the light.  A few months later he brought in a giant projection TV that only that wall would hold, so the lovely window was behind a closed drape with 78” screen in front of it. I was planning a super bowl party! Thereafter, I learned to carefully state my wish.  He generally managed to make it happen anyway.

Our son seems to have adapted to the little signals with a rapid response. I was sitting in his office one afternoon. His phone dinged and he glanced down with a laugh saying “gotta go now”. The simple photo on the screen showed steam being released from the Insta-pot. He understood her message. Dinner was ready! He shut down his work and left for home!

Incident Report

When she was rather young, my sister changed the lives of eight other people. She threw a rock at a little boy. Same little boy returned fire. Hers missed, his did not! I am not certain if the wound was visible, but her loud wailing as she raced into the house convinced our dad that the “unwarranted attack” had damaged her badly. 

New residents in the neighborhood, we had not yet met any of our neighbors, but lil’ sis knew exactly where the varmint lived! Daddy took her by the hand, marched out the backdoor and crossed the alley to the pink house on the corner behind us. When confronted by his mother, the somber young man admitted to the heinous act. In a shaky explanation, he explained that she tossed the rock to him, so he sent it back.

Two parents, embarrassed by their offspring, reintroduced themselves trying not to laugh. My knowledge is vague about  the rest of the first encounter that led to a special friendship between two families.

I will share more experiences that still make me giggle another day, but my parents divorced several years later, we moved and lost touch. Now lil sis has been in touch with all three of the boys, visited in person with her antagonist and tracked down his two siblings. She has planned a lunch reunion next week and ordered my appearance!

Evolving

My chosen word for 2020 is “learn”. At this time it is not going as planned. I have learned that plans change. Coveted skills may not be the ones necessary for me. I have been reading a couple of Bible studies on gifts and fruits of the spirit. This morning I awoke to a dreary fog filled view through my kitchen window, never a good sign in my day.

Pondering the gifts given to me by my creator, to be used to spread “goodness”, I pretty much came up empty. I easily find the “fruits” in my daily life. They are the direct correlation between faith and gratitude. “Gifts” are more elusive for my aging brain. I do not claim the commonly known gifts of song or prophecy or speaking in tongues. Confusion ensued and muddled my thoughts until a friend, offered an observation of gifts she sees in me, but suggested that it isn’t necessary to identify my gifts. I learned that answers aren’t always evident, but moreover, not always necessary!

With that thought, I looked up and saw bright sunshine in a beautiful blue sky from that same kitchen window! I am learning...and I didn’t enroll in a single class!

I choose not to participate

Cedar fever! It is real. Strangely enough, the plant we call Mountain Cedar is actually a prolific species of juniper causing all the sneezing, coughing,  headachy, eye watery misery. I suffered with it the first New Year’s Eve we were in Texas hill country, but over the years symptoms have abated. I think my indulgence in local honey has helped or perhaps I simply developed a tolerance. 

It’s quite a spectacle when the dark colored evergreens begin their aggressive season of bloom. The berries explode in a flurry, emitting a fog of pollen. Newcomers often call the fire department reporting a fire on the hillside.

I’m told the best way to avoid symptoms is avoidance of the outdoor air. Now that is a plan I cannot abide. With temperatures in the mid seventies and a sunny beautiful day, I am so glad my body no longer fights this battle. 

Purity

A purchase of an iron stunned my instincts recently. The instructions advised that “never, ever should distilled” water be used in my expensive new steam producing, raise itself, hot iron. Visions of an iron loaded with impure water collecting filth to spew out on my new white (always a white one) shirt, when the steam function was activated! I was confused and discussed at length with dancing girl. Of course she suggested we research and get to the bottom, before accepting blindly, of this newfound theory!

Our research revealed that water traveling across metal will either deposit minerals on the surface or extract minerals from within the metals. Over time, fissures in the surface will cause cracking and lead to leaks if the pure water is pulling from the lining meant to contain it. Revelation! Now we understand why her iron, having never been exposed to tap water but “pampered with pure distilled water”, has now sprung a growing leak!

My morning musings have now applied the rather trivial observation above, to my inner thoughts about a belief system guided by my faith. To prevent the spitting or spewing that might occur if tap water is overly hard, I read that good quality bottled “drinking” water should be used. In other words absolute puritanical thoughts may generate more harm than good for my spirit. Let me decant that, allowing air to infuse this thought to lighten its impact. 

I will not avoid those with whom I do not agree philosophically. If bad behavior is offensive to me, I will not adapt to it by joining in the action, but love the actor. Jesus came to save the world from SIN, not from sinners! This world does not require that I am distilled. I need a few minerals to smooth my abrasive spirit and nurture my path!

Can I see clearly now?

Vision! I am working to view my plan for the new year. Other than my own mind, decluttering will need to be postponed. "F" words are my focus! I have heard that absurd obscenity sprinkled through so many conversations that my ears feel fried in dirty pig fat! These are MY words:
     Faith
     Family
     Finance
     Friendship
     Fun
Other words with same First letter come to mind, but I am not talking about aphorisms blurted out as expletives. I want words that inspire, positive words! I will not allow my mind to be filled with the clutter that brings Frustration. If my Faith can be encouraged to Flourish, my clarity of Focus will be evident. My Family can Freely interact where love abides. My Finances will Flow as my labor is Fruitful. My Friendships will Fill my heart with joy. The result of Fortunate choices will be Fun.

I AM learning.