Hope

This past week a mother and son came by the Church in need of help. There was something in this Mom’s face that spoke volumes. It said she had had a rough few days. It said she was concerned about what was going to happen next. It said she worried that her son would realize how stressed she was about their situation.

I have seen that before. I don’t remember how old I was, and I am not sure where we had been, but I saw that same look on my Mom’s face many years ago. It was some time after my Mom and Dad divorced, but still in a time where things are a little fuzzy. My Mom, my brother, and I were headed home from somewhere. I don’t remember from where or why we had gone there… It was dark outside, I had fallen asleep on the back seat, and my brother had fallen asleep in the back floor board (back when we did not have to sit in car seats or even wear a seat belt). I began to wake up, I think because Mom was crying. Mom made an excuse that she needed a potty break, to stop at an Allsup’s. I was beginning to wake up when Mom went into Allsup’s. She told me she needed to use the restroom, but she never did. She stayed at the front of the store talking with the clerk. I could see she was crying, but not sure why. I later found out we were out of gas and out of money. When Mom walked back out to the car, there was that look. The look that said the future was uncertain. The look that said she was concerned that she had two sons in the car with no gas and no money. The look that said, how could I have gotten us into this situation…

Mom got back in the car and just sat there for what seemed like forever to this little boy, but was probably not more than a few minutes. I do not know if she was trying to figure out what to do next or what. Eventually a police officer stopped at Allsup’s for his evening snack. As he paid for his items, the cashier pointed out to the old blue Oldsmobile, with the crying woman and two little boys. As the police officer came out, he headed in our direction. Mom got out of the car and went towards him. They talked for a few minutes. The officer went back to his car and Mom climbed back in to ours. The police officer slowly drove around to where we were parked. Mom slowly backed our car out and followed the officer, muttering under her breath, “Please make it, please make it, just a little further…” The officer stopped in front of a large metal barn and motioned for my mom to pull around to the side. He filled up our car with gas, talked with Mom for a few minutes, handed her a few pieces of paper with phone numbers in case we needed additional help before reached home.

When Mom got back in to the car, there was a different look on her face. Hope. Hope that tomorrow would be a new day. Hope that things were not as bad as they seemed in this moment… That officer was a bearer of hope that night. At the time I did not understand what was going on, and to be honest I am still not sure what was going on, but that man offered an unfamiliar woman hope, and that hope made a difference.

I pray that the staff and I offered hope to the mom and son that stopped by our church last week. I pray we were a calm in the chaos they found themselves in. These opportunities do not happen every day. When the time comes, are you prepared to offer hope to those who desperately need it? It is an inconvenience to stop our busy lives to attend to those in need, but it shows our character, our humanity, when we do so to make a difference in their lives…

A Rattail and an Earring...

When I was younger, my Mom made sure that my brother’s and my hair was cut regularly and that we were presentable. My aunt cut hair for a living, and one of my Mom’s really good friends was in charge of the School of Cosmetology at our local Junior College. My Mom had her definition of what a “presentable” young man should look like, and if I ever wanted to make a change to my presentation she would ask, “How would you look in a suit?” or “Would you really want to go to church like that?” That was usually the end of me trying to make a change. I never really thought of it, but rarely did I have a suit to wear, and if I did I rarely wore it. Once in Junior High, Mom let me walk to get my hair cut. All my friends were growing rattails, so since Mom was not with me I told the lady cutting my hair I was going to grow a rattail. I walked back proudly having made my decision. However as soon as Mom saw it she made me turn around and walk back and get my hair cut again.

After my Mom passed away, I continued to get my hair cut in the same way and try to dress in a way that was her type of “presentable.” I could still hear her voice asking me, “How would you look in a suit?” Over the years I did let my hair get a little longer than she would have liked. During a few “rebellious” months I parted my hair in a different place and had an earring. It wasn’t until after I got married that I really made some changes. My wife wanted me to have my hair cut much differently than how my Mom would have liked it. I felt like I was doing something wrong by not getting my hair cut the way Mom would have wanted it.

Last fall my wife said she wanted me to grow my hair out. So, I let my hair grow much longer than I have ever let it grow. Recently my wife told me she decided she didn’t like it long. So, I cut it off. Over the past few months I have had people tell me they liked my longer locks or they disliked my locks. Some thought my longer locks made me look younger; others have said I look more “presentable” without them.

We all have voices that speak into our lives. Sometimes those voices inhibit what we do, at other times they spur us forward. Sometimes the voices compete with each other. Part of growing up is learning which voices to listen to, and which voices not to. Have you been listening to the right voices? Maybe you find yourself where you are because of the voices you have listened to. Maybe it is time to stop listening to certain voices and start listening to others. It may be time to stop listening to the voices that want to mold you into how they think you should be, so that you can listen to the voices that encourage you to live into the person you were created to be.

Ashes...

The Season of Lent has begun. You might have seen some of your co-workers, neighbors, etc. with a gray-ish smudge on their foreheads yesterday. In my faith tradition, Lent is a time to take stock of our lives and make decisions on how to make changes so that our lives more closely reflect our beliefs.

Some people use the Season of Lent to eliminate bad habits from their life, or to become healthier, or to spend more time with family… For many Lent has become a time for giving something up. Lent is meant to be a time for us to once again take stock of our lives, what is good and what needs changing.

For many of us we want our lives to be better. We want our relationships to be healthier. We want our waist lines to be smaller. We want our lives to be different in some way, but our lives are so busy it becomes difficult to find time to not only think about how different our lives could be but what we need to do to live into those desires.

Those who lived before us saw wisdom in taking different seasons of the year to focus on something area of our lives. They came to realize if we don’t focus on something we will fail to focus on anything. For me, Lent has become less about giving up something and more about giving myself to something. For me, giving up soft drinks or television just to give something up might not be the best use of this season. But, trying to become a better husband, or a better father, or friend might be much more beneficial. I know if I gave up soft drinks, at the end of Lent I would resume this consumption. But if I become a better husband I’m not going to slip back into being less of a husband.

I hope that you find a way to take advantage of this season, and your life becomes more complete by the focus of the season.

Your Creation...

This last Sunday my youngest son came home from Church with a paper plate. But this wasn’t just any paper plate. This is a paper plate that he created an angel on during his time in our Church’s Nursery. Well, he created in as much as a 2 year old can; he had some help from those watching over him. Someone traced his foot on a paper plate to make the body of the angel. He had some help bending pipe cleaners for wings and a mouth. He had some help gluing on little fuzz balls, googley eyes, and glitter. But this is his angel, and he is sooooo proud of it. He has been walking around showing each of us his angel. He has been trying to tell us about his angel (in a way that only a 2 year old can). He is proud of his creation and he wants to show everyone.

When is the last time you were proud of something you accomplished? When is that last time you did something and could not wait to tell everyone about it, or show others what you were able to accomplish? Each one of us was created uniquely. Each one of us was given abilities, talents, gifts to use and share with the world. Not all of us are able to make plate angels. Not all of us can fix a car or a lawn mower. Not all of us can prepare a meal. Not all of us can speak up for those that do not have a voice. Not all of us can teach children. Not all of us can… But, each one of us can do something! And that something we can do should give us some pride. If there is not anything we have done that we are proud of, it is possible that we are not using our gifts, or at least not using our gifts to benefit the world.

May there be something in your life that you can’t wait to show others. May there be something you are doing that you can’t stop telling others about. Be proud of what you can do, because you may be the only person that can….