The voice on the other end of the line

This summer was one of great comings and goings, many visitors, overnight guests, and short and sweet road trips to visit family.  And in the process, my credit card bill gathered dust, somehow neglected on my desk, until I received an email notification marked,  "Did you forget something?"

Ooops.  My inattention to detail and lack of organization teamed up as partners in crime.  And to make matters worse, the late fees and interest charges amounted to more than the bill.  A big ooops.

I ate my big slice of humble pie, paid what I owed, and then yesterday, I called the company to beg for grace.  I knew I was in the wrong, but I was hoping for some kind of credit for good behavior.  The automated voice instructed me to enter my account information and wait for the next available "relationship manager."

Not an operator, not an account technician, but a person whose responsibility is managing relationships.  I loved that job description.  I was no longer a number, a faceless overdue account, but treated in a different light.  Heather, the woman who answered my call, started by giving me her name, as if we were meeting for coffee.  She was courteous and gracious.  And I wondered how significantly her job title changed how she saw herself, and consequently, how she approached her work and how she viewed me -- as a negligent individual, a complainer, or a real person with a name who is seeking help.

How do I approach those whom God has put on my path today?   Every task and every person is not a random interaction, but a divine appointment.

How I view my relationship with God and how I see myself impacts everyone around me.

I am crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me
and gave Himself for me.

                      Galatians 2.20

No Exceptions

My husband and I were shopping earlier this summer in a store that boasted 25 percent off everything.  As the cashier began ringing up our purchases, some of the items received the discount, and others did not.  "Oh, the promotion doesn't apply to sale items," she explained.  She then handed us the flyer which in HUGE type declared the percentage off, visible twenty feet away.  But in a font-size too small for the naked eye, the text elaborated the exceptions - certain styles, specific racks, and any items already marked down.

As I ran this morning, I thought about this truth about God:

For the LORD is good,
His steadfast love endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.

                           Psalm 100.5

No exceptions. 

May I keep His words before me,
          no matter where,
          no matter what,
                    even in this.
His strength.
His love.
His truth.

What I did on my summer vacation

I did not wear a watch this week.
I left my cell phone behind.
And when we finally got home last night,
    I found 691 unread and neglected emails
           still waiting to be opened,
           jostling in line like unruly children.
What did I miss?
Nothing at all.
     I relished in the freedom of being untethered.

I cannot remember when I have had this much fun.


My cup overflowed this week.
With the exception of one day last summer,
we had not been all together as a family
               in almost four years.

This mama's heart was so full,
   it is incredible I could even
   zip my suitcase closed.

Even watching our two-year-old

         grandson eating his breakfast cereal
  -- each bite surrounded by questions,
          why?  what dat called? --
     oh, so precious,

      and etched in my memories forever.

I breathed in the grace
of being with our four grown daughters 
      talking and walking
      and making meals
               all crowded in the kitchen
                       at the same time.
I watched our sons-in-law
      as daddies loving well their children
      and as husbands loving well our girls.

We laughed outloud.
We ate ice cream almost every night.
I watched Howie jump with two-year-old excitement
         and my heart did the same.
At almost six months,
       baby Adrian will remember none of this
       but know through the years
             how much he is loved.
At the supper table one night,
         in the middle of a meal,
    our three-year-old granddaughter Maggie
 leaned over
               and asked,
    "Even when I am grown up,
        will you still be my gramma?"
Oh, sweetie.  Indeed.
Always and forever.

We took family pictures --
            the best souvenir of all --
     just an image captured
             to remember this
         for the rest of our lives,
                  a precious and rare gift.
I lay in bed at night,
     unable to sleep
      just for the sheer joy
                 knowing everyone was here.

Reflection in the Deepest Part

I was playing with our youngest grandson, a little one who will stare fully into my eyes, searching deeply and speaking volumes without words.  In the light of the room, I could see myself in his eyes,  And in turn, he is reflected in mine.

I thought about that interaction when I read this verse:

Keep me as the apple of Your eye,

hide me in the shadow of Your wings...

                       Psalm 17.8

The original Hebrew phrase "apple of His eye" literally translates "little man of the eye."  It refers to the tiny reflection of yourself in another's pupil, the center and deepest part of the eye.  The term refers to one who is a greatly cherished person, or that which is most precious and protected.

When I look at you, I can see myself in your eyes, and you can see yourself in mine.  Cherished, precious and protected.

That is how God loves you.  You are reflected in His eyes.  And He is reflected in yours.  There is no more intimate relationship.

He found him in a desert land,

and in the howling waste of the wilderness,

He encircled him, He cared for him,

He kept him as the apple of His eye.

                       Deuteronomy 32.10

1/10th of a mile short of obedience

One day last week when my training schedule called for a day of rest, the weather was too glorious to waste.  When I got up at six, the temperature was a delightful 59 degrees.  I stood on the screen porch and breathed in the deep crisp air like drinking a glass of ice water.  After several weeks of heavy, hot and humid air, this was like winning the weather lottery.  I rushed through my early morning responsibilities, laced up my shoes, grabbed my hat, and I was gone.

It felt like running through air conditioning.  I needed to do eight miles in preparation for my long run that Friday.  When I hit Main Street, my watch registered 3.9 miles. Time to turn around.  It is not worth the effort to cross the intersection just for 1/10 of a mile.  No need, I thought initially.  I found myself justifying the gap.

A tenth of a mile is not a big deal, typically measuring about the length of a city block.  On this particular trail, I could even SEE  the four mile mark, the big oak tree where to turn around.  Would it make that much difference if I didn't finish it off?  But what if it did?  What if that teeny little tenth of a mile made the difference in completing this marathon or not?  Would that motivate me to go that extra block?

I decided to finish it fully.  As I crossed the street, I thought about my reading this summer in the Old Testament about the kings of Judah.  Even most of the good kings, Scripture says, "did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but the high places were not taken away."

"But" is the one-tenth mile short of full obedience.  The people worshiped the LORD, but they also served the idols.

What does God's Word say about fully following Him?  I don't see the words "kinda" or "sort of" listed in Scripture.  When we tell ourselves, "it doesn't matter," God basically says, "What part of obedience don't you understand?"  It is not about adhering to rules, but knowing God has a reason for it.

"And if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all the commandments which I command you this day...And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God..."  Deuteronomy 28. 1-2

We are all in favor of full blessings overtaking us.  But what comes first?  Obedience.  Not kinda, sort of, but "love the LORD your God with ALL of your heart, and ALL of your soul, and ALL of your mind, and ALL of your strength."  Follow Me fully.  Take it out that last tenth of a mile.

What if the kings of Judah had followed fully?  What if, I do?

I may never see what difference it makes.  But God promises, it does.

I don't want any regrets at mile 17 of the marathon with 9.2 miles to go.  Nor any regrets as our grandchildren grow up. I want them to know what following fully looks like.

Take obedience out fully that last tenth of a mile.  And watch what God does with it.

...that you may be filled
with all the fulness of God.

               Ephesians 3.19

Has the LORD as great delight
in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold,
   to obey is better than sacrifice,
   and to hearken than the fat of rams.

                           1 Samuel 15. 22