My Rearview Mirror

I pulled out of my subdivision and headed west to meet a friend for coffee.  Glancing in my rearview mirror, I watched as a police car pulled out of a side street and lined up behind me. Instantly I was on the alert.  Was I going the correct speed? Where was my driver’s license and registration (it is a fairly new car)? There was a right turn ahead. Be sure and stay in your lane as you turn. 

Another glance. He was still there. I needed to change lanes.  Blinker on. Checked for traffic. Slowly edged over.  He did too.  But he turned left at the next intersection and I kept going straight.

Whew!

As I drove, I thought about my reaction. He wasn’t out to get me. Police officers are there to help…protect…keep the peace. I see several regularly when I meet my friends at Starbucks. They take their break there. If they get in line behind me I smile and buy their drink. I have police officers that attend my church.

They aren’t the bad guys. 

More thinking as I drove. In fact I was thinking so hard about it I missed my turn and ended up parking in a different spot than usual. A blog must be written. 

So here it is.

The first 30 years of my life I lived tense and on the alert because the God I had been told about was following me. He was watching my every move and ready to pounce if I made a slight error. He was always there and I was always questioning my thoughts and behavior.

Then I discovered a different God. 

My God loves me. If I stray into a different lane, He’s there to help. If I send out the wrong signal, He gently corrects me. I don’t have to be tense and afraid. He’s gentle and kind. Yes, he’s always there, but as a wonderful Friend who cares about me.

I’m free to travel without concern about who’s in my rearview mirror. 

 “This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed His life for us.” 1 John 3:16 (MSG) 

Read more...

You're Going to do What?

As the days of John’s life dwindled, we discussed everything. A romantic walk along the river could instantly turn into a discussion about cremation. A meal at the table was sidetracked with his question, “How do you feel about me dying?” 

So I shouldn’t have been surprised. 

Some background. When we built this house, we had a say in everything. John was very specific about his office. It had a large window to enable him to see the fireplace in the living room and the fire pit on the patio. The cupboards, the countertop around two walls, the lighting…he designed it all. 

It was the middle of the night, when suddenly he’s talking. His voice woke me with a question. “What are you going to do with my office?” 

“John, it’s the middle of the night.”

“I’ve been laying here awake for hours wondering. I designed that office for me. So what are you going to do with it?”

“I’m going to paint it pink. Go to sleep.”

“Joy, I’m serious. What do you think you will use it for?”

“I haven’t even thought about it, so give me some time. Now go to sleep.”

“Okay, a few days.”

A few days later I told him I would turn his office into my financial office, paying the bills, etc. I would also use it for my Bible study room.

He was satisfied. 

Last week I got serious about making his office my own. That was a huge endeavor. Some of his stuff was permanently removed. Other materials were moved to the garage. An under-the-counter file cabinet had been purchased. I now could file the current year in the built-in drawer and use the under-the-counter one for the previous year (Income tax time was upon me). Hanging folders and 1/3 cut files were purchased and marked. Then came the filing that hadn’t really been done for an unspecified time.

Side note: the bottom drawer of the new file cabinet kept sliding open. I would shut it and a few hours later as I passed by the doorway I could see the drawer had come open again.

“John, stop messing with me. I’m doing what I said.”

I completed the renovation two days ago. The file cabinet has stayed closed. But I digress. 

In talking with my daughter one day, she asked, “So what are you going to do to have some pink in your office? You told him you would.” 

I instantly thought of a pink cube that I have no idea what to call it, but one of his motorcycle buddies designed it and had given it to him. It’s similar to a Rubik cube, but just has various protrusions and holes. And I knew right where it was.

It now graces a shelf in my office as a reminder of that middle of night conversation.

Read more...

Wonder

The pastor on the podcast I listened to this morning told the story of his grandmother who lived to be 100. As he talked of the changes in her life from birth to 100, it triggered a memory of my mother. She was six years old when the Wright brothers took their momentous flight. And at the age of 72, she was told men had landed on the moon. (She never believed it….said it was staged).

I thought of the changes in my lifetime.

One year before I was born, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The communication systems used back then are considered archaic in our eyes today. One method was carrier pigeons. Now we have instant communication using the Internet. We know how to make powerful rockets that send cameras far into the galaxies giving unbelievable pictures of what the universe looks like. Yesterday a Tesla car atop a rocket was sent hurtling into space. It’s now cruising around planets.

Those are impressive changes and generate wonder in our minds.

Currently my Life Group is studying a book about heaven. Need I say more? We live in a disposable world. Things break. People hate. If we choose, we can see ugliness all around. But heaven…. such a different story. The wonder of heaven is impossible to comprehend. Those fabulous pictures of our universe give us a tiny glimpse of the glory to come.

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived – the things God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)

Read more...