Yesterday, I had the great privilege to go to a funeral. It was for my best friend's field hockey coach that died a few weeks ago. I went to support my best friend as this was a long time mentor in her life and after whom she named one of her daughters. She was beloved by so many people and had touched so many lives throughout her short 58 years. While funerals are not always at the top of my list - it truly was an honor and blessing to be there. Attending a funeral is almost as intimate as attending a birth because this life we are given is such a gift. After all, a funeral is a reflection and snapshot of a person's time here on earth.
Because I only knew this woman through stories and through the ways she had changed my best friend, I was able to sit back and truly just listen and hear the heart of every person that was speaking about her. They talked about how when she was diagnosed in the spring with pancreatic cancer, she decided that this was a journey and how she was going to surround herself with people to go for the ride. As they shared about weekly times of laughter, prayer, tears and sorrow - it made me think about our journey.
How many of us are on life's journey and do not surround ourselves until we are in a situation of crisis? How many of us do not sit and just enjoy one another until we realize time is about to run out?
There is nothing wrong with waiting, but we all miss out. We all say we are "busy" but aren't we just busy filling our time?!
I used to do this statement with the youth group and ask them how they would feel if they knew that someone in the room was dying. I would ask how they would change what they were doing. Of course there were many answers of how they would appreciate one another. Then they would ask me who was dying and I would tell them that all of them were dying. It is true!
We do not know what today holds let alone tomorrow. While this may sound like an extreme, we should be living like we have Cancer and start a new journey today. We should surround ourselves with people that can go along our journey to laugh and cry with us. Why do most of us wait?
Who is on your life journey that will carry you all the way to your death?
This wonderful woman, Emma Owen, impacted so many people and always had people along the journey. It was evident by the standing room only. Every story I have ever heard about her was about how she impacted people around her. Even to her death, she made sure to impact those around her. She made everyone in her life feel precious and special.
Live your life today as if you have Cancer - because you do! There is no promise of tomorrow so who is on your journey today?
If you haven't lived your life this way until now. Stop what you are doing now, get un-busy, and take heart to love those around you.
Here is a song from Hillsong that touches my heart.
Take Heart lyrics
[Verse 1:]
There is a light
It burns brighter than the sun
He steals the night
And casts no shadow
There is hope
Should oceans rise and mountains fall
He never fails
[Chorus:]
So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
And take courage again
[Verse 1:]
In death by love
The fallen world was overcome
He wears the scars of our freedom
In His Name
All our fears are swept away
He never fails
[Bridge:]
All our troubles
And all our tears
God our hope
He has overcome
All our failure
And all our fear
God our love
He has overcome
All our heartache
And all our pain
God our healer
He has overcome
All our burdens
And all our shame
God our freedom
He has overcome
All our troubles
And all our tears
God our hope
He has overcome
All our failures
And all our fear
God our love
He has overcome
God our justice
God our grace
God our freedom
He has overcome
God our refuge
God our strength
God is with us
He has overcome
John 13:34
"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way Iloved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Blood loss
What a whirlwind the last 13 days or so has been. I cannot get into great details but my middle daughter has been in and out of the doctor's office for the last 2 weeks. She was hemorrhaging and they could not get her bleeding to stop. While scary, there has been a sense of calm in the midst of the storm. In the middle of an appointment this week with the hematologist, he started asking about Hope's family history. We started to talk about various bleeding disorders and the doctor suddenly became concerned with my medical history more than Hope's. Odd...but kind of amusing. He insisted on taking my blood while he was taking Hope's to at least compare it.
Hope and I showed up to The Cleveland Clinic today to have a lot of blood taken. For those of you who do not live near here, The Cleveland Clinic is a giant campus with buildings where you need a map to find where you are going. We finally meandered and found the pediatric wing ( I personally find it amusing that I got to see the Pediatric Hematologist). We were called back and that very hematologist came out of an appointment and came into our room to oversee the blood draw. He wanted nothing to be left to chance (Can I be a pediatric patient always? I promise to pitch a fit like a 2 yr old to make it legit). While we were having our vitals taken, we saw a boy coming towards us. He couldn't have been more than about 8 and had a bald head as he was dragging an IV cart beside him. The nurse told him he couldn't be down where we were because he was sick. He said he just wanted to play. Then there was another bald child walking towards us. Quickly we realized we were in the Pediatric Cancer area. It could have been very sad. I mean it is horrible to watch any child be sick to any level. It especially pains me to see my own children sick. Here we were ready to get a simple blood draw and these children were fighting for their lives. There is so much we could take from them. Their focus wasn't on being sick. They just wanted to play! Wow! If only my sights could be on just today and what was in front of me rather than worrying about tomorrow. I think we can learn a lot from children. We left the children and went into our room to have more than 10 vials of blood a piece drawn. Piece of cake compared to those kids.
I have spent so much time worrying and not enough time enjoying the present. I know it does me no good to worry or focus on things broken. If I focus on the present and the people in my present so that I can be present in their lives as well, I will be doing what God has asked me. I know we can all say that we won't worry - but don't we do it anyway?!
On a good note, my daughter seems to be on the mend. While we await results of the blood tests to check for disorders - I choose not to worry and enjoy what today brings. I love my family and will do everything I can to pour myself into today and not tomorrow which is not promised to me.
Philippians 4:6
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Hope and I showed up to The Cleveland Clinic today to have a lot of blood taken. For those of you who do not live near here, The Cleveland Clinic is a giant campus with buildings where you need a map to find where you are going. We finally meandered and found the pediatric wing ( I personally find it amusing that I got to see the Pediatric Hematologist). We were called back and that very hematologist came out of an appointment and came into our room to oversee the blood draw. He wanted nothing to be left to chance (Can I be a pediatric patient always? I promise to pitch a fit like a 2 yr old to make it legit). While we were having our vitals taken, we saw a boy coming towards us. He couldn't have been more than about 8 and had a bald head as he was dragging an IV cart beside him. The nurse told him he couldn't be down where we were because he was sick. He said he just wanted to play. Then there was another bald child walking towards us. Quickly we realized we were in the Pediatric Cancer area. It could have been very sad. I mean it is horrible to watch any child be sick to any level. It especially pains me to see my own children sick. Here we were ready to get a simple blood draw and these children were fighting for their lives. There is so much we could take from them. Their focus wasn't on being sick. They just wanted to play! Wow! If only my sights could be on just today and what was in front of me rather than worrying about tomorrow. I think we can learn a lot from children. We left the children and went into our room to have more than 10 vials of blood a piece drawn. Piece of cake compared to those kids.
I have spent so much time worrying and not enough time enjoying the present. I know it does me no good to worry or focus on things broken. If I focus on the present and the people in my present so that I can be present in their lives as well, I will be doing what God has asked me. I know we can all say that we won't worry - but don't we do it anyway?!
On a good note, my daughter seems to be on the mend. While we await results of the blood tests to check for disorders - I choose not to worry and enjoy what today brings. I love my family and will do everything I can to pour myself into today and not tomorrow which is not promised to me.
Philippians 4:6
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
A Talking Head...
This topic has become such a HUGE one for me in the last year. Let me have it unfold for you.
As we become more technologically sound, I will contend that we become more inept at communicating at all. The irony in me posting this via blog astounds me - but I will continue.
I have been doing youth work for over 20 years now. It really started to strike me a few years ago at how much communication was starting to break down. Kids were filling out job applications online and wondering why they weren't getting a job. They would break up with one another over Facebook and wonder why their friends knew before they did. Relationships aren't even official unless they hit Facebook and are "Facebook official". We spend hours in the car - talking on the phone or texting from the back seat. Why don't we talk to each other????!!! We send e-mail to avoid conflict or to get answers to questions. While these things all seem benign - I truly contend that we have lost the art of reaching out and truly communicating. The one that got me last week was the new iPhone 4s. You can talk to her and she will talk back and often with a little sassiness. That is cute - but think about it for just a moment. We talk to our phone but not each other. We text rather than get an answer or feeling in person. My own church is one of those where the pastor is on the big screen. When he actually comes in person, there is a completely different feeling in the room. I know that my best friend recently had a conference to go to and all of it was simulcast. Technology is awesome - but we are missing out on ...each other.
I am missing the world! I think we are all so so lonely. We are so desperate for connection, that we are tricking ourselves into thinking that things like Facebook, texting and the internet are real. Yes, they are operated by real people - but we have lost the physical connection. I would soooo much rather hear someone's voice than see a text. Do you know how short a conversation can be on the phone vs. texting. I have timed it on occasion. A simple question can be answered in less than 2 minutes on the phone and over 20 on text. We are wasting time! Here these efficient machines are misleading us into a lul of thinking we are obtaining more time by being quick. Truth is - we are losing time with one another. We are losing time to share our hearts and ultimately time for truth and love. It is such a clever trick and ultimately a distraction from what we are supposed to be doing.
I need to not waste any more time today. I am off to enjoy the life I was meant to live. I am off to stop wasting away.
“That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!” Ephesians 1:18 MSG
As we become more technologically sound, I will contend that we become more inept at communicating at all. The irony in me posting this via blog astounds me - but I will continue.
I have been doing youth work for over 20 years now. It really started to strike me a few years ago at how much communication was starting to break down. Kids were filling out job applications online and wondering why they weren't getting a job. They would break up with one another over Facebook and wonder why their friends knew before they did. Relationships aren't even official unless they hit Facebook and are "Facebook official". We spend hours in the car - talking on the phone or texting from the back seat. Why don't we talk to each other????!!! We send e-mail to avoid conflict or to get answers to questions. While these things all seem benign - I truly contend that we have lost the art of reaching out and truly communicating. The one that got me last week was the new iPhone 4s. You can talk to her and she will talk back and often with a little sassiness. That is cute - but think about it for just a moment. We talk to our phone but not each other. We text rather than get an answer or feeling in person. My own church is one of those where the pastor is on the big screen. When he actually comes in person, there is a completely different feeling in the room. I know that my best friend recently had a conference to go to and all of it was simulcast. Technology is awesome - but we are missing out on ...each other.
I am missing the world! I think we are all so so lonely. We are so desperate for connection, that we are tricking ourselves into thinking that things like Facebook, texting and the internet are real. Yes, they are operated by real people - but we have lost the physical connection. I would soooo much rather hear someone's voice than see a text. Do you know how short a conversation can be on the phone vs. texting. I have timed it on occasion. A simple question can be answered in less than 2 minutes on the phone and over 20 on text. We are wasting time! Here these efficient machines are misleading us into a lul of thinking we are obtaining more time by being quick. Truth is - we are losing time with one another. We are losing time to share our hearts and ultimately time for truth and love. It is such a clever trick and ultimately a distraction from what we are supposed to be doing.
I need to not waste any more time today. I am off to enjoy the life I was meant to live. I am off to stop wasting away.
“That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!” Ephesians 1:18 MSG
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)