Lessons and Nudges

Bill and I are working together to bring a worship service to church in the morning.  It’s been a long time since either of us has done this, and we’ve never done one together.  It’s a divide and conquer effort, right down to the sermon.

I can easily see my grace lesson in this.  When we were asked, we didn’t know what the Lectionary verses were, we just said yes.  So, God provided Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2.  Zinger!  Direct shot and score!  Believe me, God has a sense of humor as well as justice.  It is easy to speak about something you have personal experience with – even if your experience is of what not to do.

I can see many recent days that were full of quite a bit of the stuff in 4:31 that are on the “don’t do” list.  And I can see where the 4:32 – 5:2 parts were missing.  So, for this timely reminder, thank you God!  Tomorrow should be a joy-filled, if a little nervous experience.  Speaking in front of a group requires bravery on my part.  Bill is a natural.

The past couple days have held other lessons and nudges.  It’s always a huge blessing when one of the kids (or both) are able to visit.  Walter spent the week with us, and we made the most of our time together.

I was given the opportunity to fire a rifle on the shooting range.  Guns are not my favorite thing – having been on the nursing end of the deal…and seeing what they can do.  The men in my life gently (snark here) encouraged me to expand my knowledge.  I learned that they are definitely worth the respect I have for them, and it really was an educational experience.

I was blessed to spend a day with Mom at our “little cabin” – very nostalgic – while Bill and Walt put on a new roof.  What a treasure it was to remember 50 years ago, and share laughs and tears of memories.  My Dad would have loved this day – to have had 3 generations on the roof.  Actually, I think there probably was.

Yesterday, I made a dent in one of my bucket list items.  After spending much time watching the kids and Bill on water skis, and secretly wishing with all my heart that I could do that, Bill and Walt again gently persuaded me to try.  I was okay with the idea, until I realized that my head was going to be under water IN THE LAKE.  Do you know what that lake water looks like?  It has visible floater thingies in it.  I am pretty sure that they are not ALL healthy bacteria or whatever.  Then, after that sunk in, I realized that there were things IN THE LAKE that might TOUCH my legs and feet.  Things I couldn’t see.  Bill helpfully pointed out that alligators and snakes weren’t a concern in this lake, and Walt said the leeches stayed close to the beaches where the food sources were.  I agreed to go out in the boat with them, but politely declined water skiing, citing my VERY VALID concerns.  Bill drives the boat out into the middle of the lake and turns it off.  Then he looked at me – like he really expected me to change my mind and jump right in.  NOT HAPPENING!  So, Walter bails over the side of the boat.  He inoculated himself with everything living and growing in the lake.  Bill followed suit.  Then they started using the water skis and having fun.  Totally not fair.  Now, I have to decide.  Am I going to go home, once again disappointed in myself for not trying, or am I going to get wet?

While I wasn’t entirely successful on my first day, I do believe that I will be upright on those damn skis before long.  I think I was close, but realized that I forgot to ask what the next step was once you start to come up out of the water.  By then, my arms were getting tired.  And, yes, my whole body was underwater in who knows what kind of living organisms – and I’m still breathing.  And, yes, things touched my legs and feet – I’m still pretty grossed out about that whole thing.  I did discover that I could put the skis on and stand on the lake bottom in the shallow area.  One of the most “amazing” discoveries?  That if I relaxed into the whole process, instead of trying to fight all sorts of buoyancy, physics, and gravity laws – it was really fun!

Training recap – not so hot on this front – but tomorrow is a new day.  Family time, so much more important!

One last thing that I did while riding in the boat, I tossed a lot of “garbage” into the wind and water.  Bid it goodbye, and watched it blow on the wind, and sink to the bottom of the lake.  No real stuff to pollute the lake, just the stuff that was polluting my attitude.

Grace lessons:

*Say yes when God nudges.

*Give thanks for the people in your life that care enough to make you jump in the lake, despite the gross stuff.

*Love hard, forgive quickly and generously, and work diligently to be the best you you can be.