In the mid 1960's there was a television show called "My Mother the Car". The premise of the show was of a man who's dead mother was reincarnated in his family's car. She would speak to him through the car radio.
God, my Father speaks to me through my car. No, I don't hear His voice coming from the radio, the glove compartment, or any other part. But He routinely has used my car to remind me of His constant presence in and care for my life.
First, there was the manner in which I got this car in the first place, back in 2008. Then there were a number of incidents during my New England vacation of 2013. There was the breakdown that happened the day before my birthday in June. And then there was last Thursday.
About six weeks ago, I took my car in to the shop because of a strange vibration I felt in the brakes. I was a bit anxious that it would be a large expense, but as had happened in June, the repair costs were half what I anticipated. A good thing, too since I knew that when I would have the car inspected in December I was going to probably need two new tires.
When I picked up the car my mechanics informed me that they recommended all four tires be replaced and that two of them needed replaced immediately, they were worn down to the metal replacement indicators and dangerous to drive. SomeDivinehow, I was able to buy four new tires. Two times the planned expense, two months earlier than I expected.
Later I looked at the mechanic's work order and noticed another strongly recommended repair. Apparently, the protective covering around all four of my brake hoses had cracked and crumbled off, exposing the vulnerable soft hoses to damage. If they ruptured, I would be without brakes. Understand that my daily commute is 47 miles each way, primarily over interstate highways. I drive at high speeds over all sorts of road debris and roadkill. I don't know how long I'd been driving with exposed brake hoses, but I've always been able to stop when I wanted.
I made the appointment to have the hoses replaced, along with the annual inspection, for Wednesday and someDivinehow, I was able to pay for it all.
On Thursday morning a coworker messaged me to let me know road conditions were bad, so I left twenty minutes early. His assessment of the roads was actually an understatement! My normal fifty minute commute took ninety minutes.
That morning's commute ranks in the top five of Worst Trips Ever. The first third of the trip the roads were icy. The second third, the visibility was poor with high winds and blowing, drifting snow. The final third portion of the trip, it was both! Frequently I could feel the car slip and right itself. Ice was building up on the wipers, rendering them practically useless I frequently adjusted the wiper speeds, like playing the gears on a bike, trying to get the most effectiveness from variable speeds and hoping to dislodge the ice.
I thought of stopping and pulling over to manually clear the wipers but because of plowed snow and drifts I couldn't see the shoulder of the road and could possibly get stuck. There was more traffic out than usual as well, so I thought it best to stay in the car and just keep moving forward, continually shifting my attentions through small clearances that would appear in different spots on the windshield. At times, I had to lean far over to the passenger side for the only available view.
My shoulders and neck were aching from hunching over. My back was hurting from the strain of my ever shifting positions. Stretch up, crouch down. Lean left, lean right. I was starting to feel real pain, not mere discomfort.
I prayed the entire trip. Honest, white knuckle prayers, to be sure! Like the man in the gospel of Mark -"I believe. Help my unbelief!" (and while You're at it, please keep that FedEx semi from running me off the road). Yet, throughout the entire trip I was amazingly calm - or at least calmer than usual. I knew I had four brand new tires with sure tread, dependable brakes and only the day before, mechanics whom I trust had deemed my car safe to drive.
My faith, though was not in the reliability of my Cooper Discoverer H/Ts or in Ford Engineering. It was in God, who'd taken care of all these things for me, before I needed them. Cooper and Ford don't know me; my needs or desires, the hairs on my head or even my hair color, for that matter. God does, because He made me, gave me all of those needs, desires, etc. He planned them.
Thursday's commute was frightening, I will admit. Despite my faith, it is an imperfect faith, being perfected daily by circumstances in which God places me. And I have no desire to find myself shivering in a snow-filled ditch on I86. But I found that trip encouraging. I saw evidence that some of the faith exercises God has put me through have produced some muscle.
Certainly God has spoken to people from burning bushes and clouds in the sky, but for most of us he speaks through cars, stacks of laundry, full calendars, joblessness, family disputes and the like. He speaks through our everyday lives - lives He lovingly plotted. And what Jesus frequently says is "Will you trust Me now?"
Showing posts with label me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label me. Show all posts
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
The Suck It Up Sisters - Part 1 Vacuums vs Milkshakes
Recently, I had a disagreement with a very dear friend. There was a function neither of us was looking forward to attending. I sucked it up and went. She cancelled out at the last minute, which I did not find out until I got there.
Angry, I sent her a text from the party that said if I could suck it up then she should have as well and shown her face. I was wrong - for being angry and for my mean-spirited text (and for all the evil thoughts I had that no one ever saw or heard or even knows about). I went to her and apologized - to her and to God. Both gave me their forgiveness.
A few days later she and I exchanged texts:
ME: I'm going to order us t-shirts that say "The Suck It Up Sisters". Should our logo be a vacuum cleaner or a straw?
SHE: Ha! Ha! Definitely vacuum We suck up all our garbage. :) Plus straws make me think of milkshakes and now I want a milkshake. :D
With all due respect to my friend, she's wrong, The logo should be the milkshake. It's not our job to do the cleaning because Jesus already has. For example:
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow..." (Is 1:18)
And then there's:
"For all of us have become like the one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment..." (Is 64:6) BUT... "He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying 'Remove the filthy garments from him'. Again he said to him, 'See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festive robes.'" (Zech 3:4) (emphasis mine)
To support the milkshake, there are these verses:
"Taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Ps 34:8)
"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Ps 119:103)
"Your words were found, and I ate them; and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts." (Jer 15:16)
Certainly, there are times when we're called to "suck it up". There is:
"Then Jesus told His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matt 16:24)
And:
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Yet, all too often I suck it up in the wrong manner for the wrong reasons. I put on a mask of happiness because "God loves a cheerful giver" (2Cor 9:7) or at least that's the reason I tell myself. In fact, it's more likely I don't want people to think badly of me or I want people to think I've got it all together.
Removing my mask makes me vulnerable. There will be people offended or who won't like the real me (ouch);or some will try to comfort or help me, bruising my self-reliant pride (double ouch); or they will confront me on some sin they see (oh, just kill me now!).
In so many instances, my reasons for sucking it up are sinful. Yet, as my pastor often says, once something is identified as sin it's easy because we know the remedy for sin - repent and believe in the gospel. Yes, I know it's easier said than done; but it's true and well worth the effort
The Promised Land was described as a land flowing with milk and honey. The Word speaks of fruits of repentance (Matt 3:8). I see a strawberry milkshake there, folks! Or banana smoothie whatever your pleasure.
It's really hard to suck up the milkshake through a mask. The little mouth holes aren't big enough and they knock the straw around. To fully enjoy what God has offered us through Jesus we need to remove our masks. Some of those around us might be surprised by what we really look like, some will be frightened away. But those that know and love us best already knew what we looked like anyway. And none of them know us better or love us more than Jesus.
Angry, I sent her a text from the party that said if I could suck it up then she should have as well and shown her face. I was wrong - for being angry and for my mean-spirited text (and for all the evil thoughts I had that no one ever saw or heard or even knows about). I went to her and apologized - to her and to God. Both gave me their forgiveness.
A few days later she and I exchanged texts:
ME: I'm going to order us t-shirts that say "The Suck It Up Sisters". Should our logo be a vacuum cleaner or a straw?
SHE: Ha! Ha! Definitely vacuum We suck up all our garbage. :) Plus straws make me think of milkshakes and now I want a milkshake. :D
With all due respect to my friend, she's wrong, The logo should be the milkshake. It's not our job to do the cleaning because Jesus already has. For example:
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow..." (Is 1:18)
And then there's:
"For all of us have become like the one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment..." (Is 64:6) BUT... "He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying 'Remove the filthy garments from him'. Again he said to him, 'See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festive robes.'" (Zech 3:4) (emphasis mine)
To support the milkshake, there are these verses:
"Taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Ps 34:8)
"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Ps 119:103)
"Your words were found, and I ate them; and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts." (Jer 15:16)
Certainly, there are times when we're called to "suck it up". There is:
"Then Jesus told His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matt 16:24)
And:
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Yet, all too often I suck it up in the wrong manner for the wrong reasons. I put on a mask of happiness because "God loves a cheerful giver" (2Cor 9:7) or at least that's the reason I tell myself. In fact, it's more likely I don't want people to think badly of me or I want people to think I've got it all together.
Removing my mask makes me vulnerable. There will be people offended or who won't like the real me (ouch);or some will try to comfort or help me, bruising my self-reliant pride (double ouch); or they will confront me on some sin they see (oh, just kill me now!).
In so many instances, my reasons for sucking it up are sinful. Yet, as my pastor often says, once something is identified as sin it's easy because we know the remedy for sin - repent and believe in the gospel. Yes, I know it's easier said than done; but it's true and well worth the effort
The Promised Land was described as a land flowing with milk and honey. The Word speaks of fruits of repentance (Matt 3:8). I see a strawberry milkshake there, folks! Or banana smoothie whatever your pleasure.
It's really hard to suck up the milkshake through a mask. The little mouth holes aren't big enough and they knock the straw around. To fully enjoy what God has offered us through Jesus we need to remove our masks. Some of those around us might be surprised by what we really look like, some will be frightened away. But those that know and love us best already knew what we looked like anyway. And none of them know us better or love us more than Jesus.
Thursday, November 06, 2014
The Lantern
On the basement shelf sits an old kerosene lantern,
The finish touched only by time.
The globe is covered by dust, collected in it’s curves.
And rust is beginning to mar the base’s seams and edges.
Cobwebs hang in the corners of the shelf
And dust that’s landed evenly over the surfaces
Show no activity here for a long time.
No fingerprints or scrapes in the layers
This lamp was placed there long ago
With dreams of adventures and trips to come
But newer models came along
Lighter, sleeker, easier to use, brighter.
Its charred mantle gives evidence
Of having once been lit,
That once it brought forth a soft glow;
But it sits forgotten and replaced.
There’s still fuel to be burned
Still able to provide warmth and light someone’s way
It waits expectantly,
Ready for a match.
Wednesday, November 05, 2014
Antique
It’s harder for old, broken hearts.
Antiques are worn, weathered, fragile;
And parts are harder to find.
Care must be taken when handling.
Only skilled craftsmen should even try,
But they’re rare and in short supply.
None appreciate their character,
Their strength or soft lines,
The beauty of their intentional design.
There’s still useful life remaining!
Love untapped! Waiting to be
Wanted. Desired.
Needing only minor repairs,
Hidden fortunes sit overlooked!
Wondering. Dreaming. Hoping
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Swinging on a Pedulum
Too much and not enough
I swing on the pendulum of life.
Too much and not enough
Love, intelligence, experience
Too much and not enough
Too tall, too short. Too young, too old.
Too much and not enough
Not smart enough, nice enough, patient enough
Too much and not enough
Back and forth I swing
Too much and not enough
I struggle through each day
Too much and not enough
These words repeat through my brain
Too much and not enough
I long for someone to still the dizzying sway
Too much and not enough
Will someone ever tell me "just right"?
I swing on the pendulum of life.
Too much and not enough
Love, intelligence, experience
Too much and not enough
Too tall, too short. Too young, too old.
Too much and not enough
Not smart enough, nice enough, patient enough
Too much and not enough
Back and forth I swing
Too much and not enough
I struggle through each day
Too much and not enough
These words repeat through my brain
Too much and not enough
I long for someone to still the dizzying sway
Too much and not enough
Will someone ever tell me "just right"?
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Bizarro Barb
A few months ago, curious about my web presence, I Googled myself. There were many references to Barbara Best. Most were something like Santa Barbara Best Vacation or Barbara's Best Cheesecake, etc. However, one hit really hit home. It was another Barb Best - a REAL live person, with my name, with her own blog and everything. I now follow her on Twitter and we are Facebook friends.
Reading her Blog and getting to know her, I'm reminded of the Bizarro Superman comic book. Or for a more recent reference, the "Bizarro Jerry" episode of Seinfeld.
The other Barb Best appears to be opposite me, from a parallel universe. From her pictures, she appears to be short; I'm tall. She's blond; I'm brunette. She lives on the West Coast; I live on the East Coast. She won the 2010 Erma Bombeck Global Humor Award; I think I could be a finalist in the Erma Bombeck Housekeeping Award.
It's confused me quite often when I see a Tweet or Facebook Post by the other Barb Best. My first reaction is that someone must have hacked my account and posted as me. I wonder if she has the same reaction. I wonder if my friends think I've suddenly become funnier or her friends think she's having a dry spell. She hasn't unfriended me, yet so I must not be detrimental to her career.
Recently I saw from her Twitter feed that the other Barb Best is going to be at Lucy Fest in Jamestown, NY. I work in Jamestown, NY! I immediately messaged her when I saw this and we plan on meeting; I'm looking forward to this unique experience. I have only one concern. Which one of us is Bizarro?
Reading her Blog and getting to know her, I'm reminded of the Bizarro Superman comic book. Or for a more recent reference, the "Bizarro Jerry" episode of Seinfeld.
The other Barb Best appears to be opposite me, from a parallel universe. From her pictures, she appears to be short; I'm tall. She's blond; I'm brunette. She lives on the West Coast; I live on the East Coast. She won the 2010 Erma Bombeck Global Humor Award; I think I could be a finalist in the Erma Bombeck Housekeeping Award.
It's confused me quite often when I see a Tweet or Facebook Post by the other Barb Best. My first reaction is that someone must have hacked my account and posted as me. I wonder if she has the same reaction. I wonder if my friends think I've suddenly become funnier or her friends think she's having a dry spell. She hasn't unfriended me, yet so I must not be detrimental to her career.
Recently I saw from her Twitter feed that the other Barb Best is going to be at Lucy Fest in Jamestown, NY. I work in Jamestown, NY! I immediately messaged her when I saw this and we plan on meeting; I'm looking forward to this unique experience. I have only one concern. Which one of us is Bizarro?
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