The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty. Zephaniah 3:17a Dad stood behind me, dabbing oil paint on the canvas. My hand rest atop his, so it felt like I was painting, but I knew who held the brush. Soon, Dad slid his hand away, and I grasped the brush. His hand was still underneath mine so I still felt confident. Before I knew it, he was smiling, with his hand to his chin. Occasionally I’d ask … Continue reading →
The reflection of blue lights flashed in my rear-view mirror. Embarrassed, I pulled over. “Ma’am, can you explain why you were speeding?” “I wasn’t paying attention.” When I got home, I looked up potential consequences: one-year revocation of license, lawyer and court costs, license points…. I felt nauseous. Rather than worrying further, I bowed, “Father God, this license is Yours to take or to give as You desire.” I called my husband, and he called our attorney. “I might get … Continue reading →
As my car crawled along the automated car wash track, my thoughts drifted to times past, when my husband and I would take our children through the car wash for the express purpose of playing, “Watch the Bubbles.” “Daddy, my bubble is racing yours!” our son would say. “Mine is turning swishy circles!” our daughter would say. I stroked my silver-steaked hair and prayed, “God, my children are grown, so why do I still want to watch bubbles?” Just then, … Continue reading →
“We should name him Nemo,” I teased as we lowered our goldfish into the backyard pond. But then, there were those two cute dots on his tail. “How about Duce?” my husband suggested. “Perhaps Dos?” I countered. And so, it was decided; his name would be Ducy-Dos. We were happy and so was our goldfish, but that changed the day of the accident. While we were cleaning the pond, Ducy-Dos tumbled into the pump housing. For weeks, I kept the … Continue reading →
I thought it would be easy to navigate my way to the expressway from my new job, but I was not familiar with the neighborhood. To further my confusion, a few street signs were missing. The only sure landmark I had was a child’s soccer ball left in a yard. After passing the ball three times, I pulled my car to the side of the road, wiped sweat from my palms, and prayed. “God, please direct me. I want to … Continue reading →
But ye are a … holy nation. 1 Peter 2:9b KJV “Mom, I fed the chickens. Here’s your sandals back,” my daughter said. “Back?” I tried to hide my dismay, “Did you wear the jeweled ones?” The odor rising from the pleather revealed the answer. “I just borrowed them quick.” I glanced at my sandals. As pretty as they were, they now had a designated purpose. I’d use them to fetch eggs or care for my hens. My jeweled sandals were … Continue reading →
My servant Job shall pray for you. Job 42:8b KJV Before sunrise, Pastor Troy unlocked the doors of Countryside Church. It was his custom to pray for the people before they arrived. He touched the back of the pew where Bessie customarily sat. “Father God, I lift Bessie to you.” A tear trickled down his cheek…. *** Outside, the sun crested as congregants arrived. Bessie asked Sue to keep a secret, “Pastor visited a liquor store.” She lifted an empty … Continue reading →
When I taught the elementary grades, my litmus test for the children’s well-being was to observe them during recess and ask, “Are they skipping?” Even a child at rest will swing a foot, shrug a shoulder, or sway. I’ve learned skipping is a universal expression of joy. In Song of Solomon 7:1-2a, the Bride of Christ is allegorically pictured as a princess wearing gorgeous shoes, and with jeweled thighs. Why? She is spiritually adorned with these so she can … Continue reading →
Slip ‘n slides… They provided swift and energetic water rides for my sister and me during childhood. Mom would sprinkle a few drops of dish soap onto our plastic slide, hook up the hose, and away we’d go. Dad would swoop us up at the other side, and we’d run towards Mom, ready for another go-round. Soon, neighbor kids would hear us, and they would slide with us down the slippery slope. It’s easy to slide downhill on a slip … Continue reading →
She hath washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Luke 7:44b It was “Wash Day.” Elise got right to work. She separated the laundry into piles, loaded the washer, and reached for the cleaning agents. She meticulously measured bleach, detergent, and fabric softener, pouring each into their respective receptacles. She hit the start button, and turned away. As Elise glanced at the remaining piles, she realized the white clothes were still on … Continue reading →
