Fascination

     My route to the nursing home to see my husband seldom varies. I've begun to notice the houses and vacant lots. One property caught my eye.
     It used to be a daycare facility. The back yard has a chain link fence. What is fascinating to me is this weeping willow.

       The tree has been neglected, but continues to grow and
grow and grow. It now touches both fences and the ground.
It completely hides the building behind it.
     Somehow the name of the tree is appropriate for this picture---it's been left alone, with no care. You can't sit under the shade of its branches. It's rather sad.
     This started my imagination churning.
     I don't like paying to water my big lawn and then paying someone to mow it. What would happen if we let big sections of our world go wild? I know it would never fly, but I'm thinking about what it would look like. How would it change our lives?
     So when you view this picture, where does your imagination go? Let me know!

Shopping with a Step Stool

      I am always in a hurry when I shop. I know what I need; I know where it is so I get it and go. Prescriptions were ready, so I decided to pick up some skim milk and ice cream. I know-those two don’t go together. I grabbed a cart so I didn’t have to carry cold ice cream in my arms and headed for the milk at the back of the store.

      Alas, it was 4 p.m. and people had been shopping all day. Half gallons of skim milk were now only available from the back of the shelf, and I couldn’t reach one. I am vertically challenged.
      This has happened to me before. In fact several readers have come to my rescue; you know who you are. But this week- no taller people in sight. I even looked down several aisles to see if there were any tall people there. Nope.
       I came back to the milk and then I saw a gentleman at the far end, taking pictures of yogurt. He had a name plate on his shirt, but I could not read it from a distance, so I’m assuming he worked for the yogurt company. Who else would photograph the yogurt display?
       I thought about calling out to him: “Sir, could you help me here?” But I don’t like to raise my voice in the grocery store. What’s that about? It’s not a library! I didn’t want to interrupt his photo shoot either, so I kept looking. I felt a bit like I was stalking the milk display.        
       I studied the bottom shelf which has a four inch metal plate on it, and looked around. Should I stand on that? I could. I decided against it.
       Kudos to the lady who helped me. I said something stupid like, “I’m looking for a tall person.” She politely asked, “What do you need?” She had to stand on tip toe to get the carton.
       I understand the advertising rule: most popular items are eye level or lower so they can easily be chosen. I’m fine with that. I may start bringing my step stool with me though. I promise I will share with others who need it.

God Lets Go Sometimes

     I remember when our son was a senior in high school, asking to go to New York City for New Years, and to the Florida Keys for spring break. How I wanted to say, "NO!!! It's NOT SAFE!" I prayed about it, and I heard, "He will soon be 18. Let him go; I will go with him."
     Phil was trying to find himself, and these forays into the unknown were the adventures that would help mold him. It was so hard. I knew that there were going to be things happening of which I might not approve. But I had to let him go, and see what he learned. I had to trust that God would go with him.
     As I began again this week to read Romans, I came to a phrase I've read many times. This time it has bothered me a bit --- I even woke up at 3:30 a.m. thinking of this phrase: "God abandoned them..." to whatever they wanted to do, even the things that did not please Him. Other versions say, "God gave them up to..." or "God let them go..."
     God lets us go when we insist on our way. He does not always protect us from the consequences of our choices. But He's always watching and waiting for us to turn around and come back home to Him. The next question is: "Why is it so hard to turn around and come back?"
     Sometimes other people have shaped our view of God - and He may not be exactly how He is portrayed by others. If I really know Him, His love, His long-suffering nature, His forgiveness, His grace and mercy, His delight in me...then I can trust Him with my plans, dreams, my very life.