Today, once again I was reminded of how close we come to Heaven's gates. This morning on my way into work, I received a message that made me so sad, I had to pull over and put the car in park, call in and say I would be several minutes late. (thankfully, I have an understanding boss)
A dear friend of mine went home to be with our Lord this morning the message read. Pulling the car into a nearby parking lot, I quickly returned the call and then sent word into my office. As I bowed my head in prayer for the family, and the rest of those to whom this news would affect in the coming days, I wept. Tears for the loss of this dear man's life, but also joy for the knowledge and belief that he would be there in heaven along side many other dear ones to greet me one day.
Pulling myself together, I managed a smile as my mind flashed mental pictures, my memories of Mr. John Edmondson. Most are from working with him at First Baptist here in Clarksville. He was a staunch believer in Christ and I watched him hand out Bibles to visiting youth and adults that came into the rec center. He could be as tough as nails, and as fierce as a tiger, but I knew a secret..he was a gentle giant. Anytime I brought him homemade peach cobbler..he would light up like I just gave him the winning lottery ticket. He shared his testimony with many and helped turn some messed up lives around. He was quick to admit he didn't always live the way he should have and had made many mistakes, but he was working on repairing relationships and building up new ones. He loved his family and was quick to remind me to put mine second only to my relationship with the Lord. Not much could get past him, he could size a person up just by looking at them. Amazingly accurate he was.
Several years ago, he gave me one of his cards with his information on it and asked me to put his number in my cell phone. I must have taken too long in response as he looked at me and said, "Young lady, I didn't stammer. Are you going to stand there all day and gawk at me or are you going to do this?" I responded quickly by adding his number to my phone. It is still there today. He then told me that I was to call him if I ever needed anything. He was my protector too, as he often would personally walk me to my car whenever I worked after dark. His number came in handy many times! I will miss his advice and guidance.
My friend was called to his eternal home today...and while I no longer will be able to get my traditional bear hug, I know he is on heavenly patrol and finally in no pain. I will miss you my friend. Until we meet again....
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
I'm scheduling some Four leaf clover time...
Throw in two part time jobs, housework, and church activities and I loose focus of what is important! Yes, what I am busy with is important and some of it is necessary to provide a living for our family. But man, when God brings ya back, it is a jolt.
I've got friends who themselves, or a close family member has had major surgery, or found out they have a life threating disease, or had a child attempt suicide. They were all busy people too, who were too busy for the slower, more meaningful things of life; until life got in the way and they are once again reminded of how short life can be.
This puts the 'drama' created by others that bounce in and out of our lives in check. What to wear for a party, what flowers to plant, working overtime on the hope the boss will notice..all dim when a life is on the line.
I've written all this to say, don't forget to schedule some time to do the important stuff. The stuff that you will not regret doing when you are faced with your immortality.
Our son, Cory loves to find four leaf clovers. He delights in it. There aren't many days that go by without me having one or two he has brought in to show me. I used to praise him and go about my business. I stopped that here lately. I have pressed a few and put them about in places that I need a visual reminder to stop and breathe.
What do the leaves symbolize? Here is a snippet from an article I read about them:
One leaf is for FAITH... The second for HOPE...
The third for LOVE... And the fourth for LUCK!
In Irish tradition the Shamrock or 3-leaf Clover represents the Holy Trinity: one leaf for the Father, one for the Son and one for the Holy Spirit. When a Shamrock is found with the fourth leaf, it represents God's Grace.
History of the four leaf clover:
The four leaf clover is a universally accepted symbol of good luck with its origin ages old. According to legend, Eve carried a four leaf clover from the Garden of Eden.
"The clovers also occupied a position in the cultural life of early peoples. White clover (T. repens L.) in particular was held in high esteem by the early Celts of Wales as a charm against evil spirits." Clover Science and Technology". N.L. Taylor, 1985.
Druids held the 4 leaf clover in high esteem and considered them a sign of luck. In 1620, Sir John Melton wrote: "If a man walking in the fields find any four-leaved grass, he shall in a small while after find some good thing.
The mystique of the four leaf clover continues today, since finding a real four leaf clover is still a rare occurrence and omen of good luck.
So, if you are to look at my calendar these days, you will observe some time I have set aside for what's important, under the title..four leaf clover...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Burdened to Share
The last few days have been weighing heavy on my heart. Why? There is sadness all around us. God has brought people into my life that have needs and sometimes they are BIG ones! We have friends who have recently seperated, some who have found out their two year old has been diagnosed with cancer, one who is 32 years old and was lifeflighted out this morning, she had another stroke. Pain and sorrow is everywhere. Come Lord Jesus! Each time I hear of more heartache I pray for HIS return. May we each be burdened to share the Easter story with others this holiday season, and year round!
Yesterday afternoon I was standing around chatting with other soccer moms the conversation went from light hearted chatter to extremely serious. One of the moms daughters came to us and asked a somewhat general question that totally floored us. She shared that she was afraid for her friend. Eyebrows went up all around and we all stopped watching our boys practice and gave this dear tormented teenager our apt attention. Her friend in school is a cutter. Apparently her parents have gone through a divorce recently and she is being told she has to spend the summer with her father, which is a total meltdown in her world. Since I have very limited knowledge of the family life, I can only pray for all involved. Anyway, this girl is tired of life and just doesnt see another way. She apparently tried cutting her hand between her thumb and forfinger to see if she could handle the pain. When her mother noticed, she lied and said it was an accident while cutting potatoes for dinner that night. My friends daughter is now crying and said that she is worried that this friend will slit her wrists next since she realized she can live with the pain to her hand. I took the next few moments while the other moms were flooding this poor girl with questions and assuring her she was doing the right thing to just pray. What is going on with our youth today? I was also able to observe the way these other women were handling the situation. One was solid on going to talk to the friends mother right that minute, while another suggested talking to the guidance counselor. We all had moist eyes for this poor child and how she was considering such a drastic and permanent action. The mom and the daughter left practice early with promises from another mom to take the extra boy home from practice and they could get him after dinner.
Have you ever had God seal your lips? He did mine. I am sure of it. I had a million things I wanted to say to that sweet friend who cared enough to share with her mom and her friends; but I couldn't. I had words of comfort come to mind listening to the other mothers talk about the worry they have for their own children, but I couldn't open my mouth. The only time I was able to say something was when I was able to hug that mom on her way to her car and whisper to her that I will be praying. She stopped, stepped back and just looked at me. "Really? You don't even know this girl or her family and you want to pray?" All I could do is nod. She hugged me again and told me thank you. I don't know if that was a good thing or not with her, I guess I will find out as we see each other three or four times a week. Maybe that was a chance to witness in a small way.
With my eyes watching my boy practice and listening to the other moms with my ears, I just prayed in my heart for the rest of practice. One of the moms shared about how this was really close to her heart as when she was in college her brother shot himself to death. Apparently she was supposed to watch him while her parents ran an errand,as he was grounded for drinking with his friends. She was watching TV in another room when her brother told her he was going out to wash his car. She heard a door shut and moments later she heard the shot go off. He had found one of his dad's loaded guns and killed himself in his room. This friend of mine still carries that guilt today. She said she blames herself all the time and she is super sensitive to hurting teens. She even works on a local hotline for troubled teens.
My heart aches for this situation and the many others I know nothing about. I can only pray that this girl gets the help she needs and that her parents take time for her and quit hurting each other.
Yesterday afternoon I was standing around chatting with other soccer moms the conversation went from light hearted chatter to extremely serious. One of the moms daughters came to us and asked a somewhat general question that totally floored us. She shared that she was afraid for her friend. Eyebrows went up all around and we all stopped watching our boys practice and gave this dear tormented teenager our apt attention. Her friend in school is a cutter. Apparently her parents have gone through a divorce recently and she is being told she has to spend the summer with her father, which is a total meltdown in her world. Since I have very limited knowledge of the family life, I can only pray for all involved. Anyway, this girl is tired of life and just doesnt see another way. She apparently tried cutting her hand between her thumb and forfinger to see if she could handle the pain. When her mother noticed, she lied and said it was an accident while cutting potatoes for dinner that night. My friends daughter is now crying and said that she is worried that this friend will slit her wrists next since she realized she can live with the pain to her hand. I took the next few moments while the other moms were flooding this poor girl with questions and assuring her she was doing the right thing to just pray. What is going on with our youth today? I was also able to observe the way these other women were handling the situation. One was solid on going to talk to the friends mother right that minute, while another suggested talking to the guidance counselor. We all had moist eyes for this poor child and how she was considering such a drastic and permanent action. The mom and the daughter left practice early with promises from another mom to take the extra boy home from practice and they could get him after dinner.
Have you ever had God seal your lips? He did mine. I am sure of it. I had a million things I wanted to say to that sweet friend who cared enough to share with her mom and her friends; but I couldn't. I had words of comfort come to mind listening to the other mothers talk about the worry they have for their own children, but I couldn't open my mouth. The only time I was able to say something was when I was able to hug that mom on her way to her car and whisper to her that I will be praying. She stopped, stepped back and just looked at me. "Really? You don't even know this girl or her family and you want to pray?" All I could do is nod. She hugged me again and told me thank you. I don't know if that was a good thing or not with her, I guess I will find out as we see each other three or four times a week. Maybe that was a chance to witness in a small way.
With my eyes watching my boy practice and listening to the other moms with my ears, I just prayed in my heart for the rest of practice. One of the moms shared about how this was really close to her heart as when she was in college her brother shot himself to death. Apparently she was supposed to watch him while her parents ran an errand,as he was grounded for drinking with his friends. She was watching TV in another room when her brother told her he was going out to wash his car. She heard a door shut and moments later she heard the shot go off. He had found one of his dad's loaded guns and killed himself in his room. This friend of mine still carries that guilt today. She said she blames herself all the time and she is super sensitive to hurting teens. She even works on a local hotline for troubled teens.
My heart aches for this situation and the many others I know nothing about. I can only pray that this girl gets the help she needs and that her parents take time for her and quit hurting each other.
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