I Almost Forgot to Write About Jean

This would be completely unacceptable, because I promised her I would.

So...  some of you have heard the story about Splash Mountain.  I'm just going to admit, right now, that I was a little put off that someone else's Splash Mountain picture became the focus of the media only days after our little adventure, but whatever.  We'll all frown next time.

What I neglected to report was that after our refreshing plunge, Sara and I reached what could only be described as slap happy.  We got in line for the Jungle Cruise, because... you know... it only makes sense to subject yourself to corny jokes, in the middle of the night, when you're already pretty funny...

It took about three seconds for a sweet, older lady to determine that the two women behind her in line (um... us) must certainly be drunk.  In her defense, she had no idea that we are good Nazarenes, and we were laughing about everything.  I think she asked at least half a dozen times what we had been drinking.  She was not convinced when we told her only frozen lemonade and water.  She asked us where we were from, and we responded with conflicting answers.  This only added to her entertainment, because she misunderstood and thought we had met, for the first time, that morning, as opposed to understanding that we had intentionally made travel plans to meet at the airport.  As our conversation went on, it got better and better.  By the time she learned that we had left seven children at home to travel to Disney World by ourselves, she couldn't take much more.  She asked, "How old are they?"  After listing the ages of all of the children, I assured her that they have competent fathers.  Then we told her that we ate cupcakes for lunch.  She wanted to know what the children ate.  We explained that we had no idea.  We made a joke about the Disney safety precaution sign that said to supervise children.  I said, "We don't have to do that, because our children aren't here!"  I think Jean finally determined that it was better that we had left the children at home.  She threatened to call our husbands.  She asked a Jungle Cruise cast member if there is a Disney jail.  He threatened to detain us in It's a Small World.  We got control of ourselves long enough to board the boat.

At some point, we realized that Jean was all alone.  Originally, I thought she belonged to the family in front of us, but she didn't.  It's sort of crazy that you can find lonely people even at the happiest place on earth.  I mean, I really have no idea.  She might have been traveling with family or friends or a travel group.  They may have been spread throughout the park or waiting for her to reconnect after her trip into the jungle.  But, at least for a few moments, she was alone... until she wasn't... because two over-the-top, exceedingly silly mothers without children had joined her in line, joined her on the ride, laughed all the way through it...

When we disembarked, I couldn't help myself.  I had to have a selfie with Jean.  We took several, because it was dark.  It's a terrible picture.  She was absolutely enamored by the capability.  As it turns out, I am super talented at talking people into taking their first selfies... with me... come on, it's a life skill...

I told her that I'm a blogger.  I told her that I was going to write about her.  I asked her name and she gave me what she thought was her email address.  In the interest of privacy, I'm not going to post it here, but truly, friends, it was so generic there is absolutely no possible way that this is actually her e-mail address.  I am tempted to send the selfie, just in case...  When Jean walked around the corner, Sara and I doubled over in laughter.  I said, "I think we just ministered to her."  Sara said, "I think she just ministered to us!"  And she was right.  Absolutely right.

Hebrews 13:2, "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it" (NIV).

This has me thinking...  I wonder how often we miss the blessing of having people run through our lives, even if only for a moment.  I highly doubt I will ever run across Jean again.  It's sad, really, because she was so much fun!  My life is better for having met her!  I should talk to strangers more often...

L.

I Didn't Even Like Sara

Recently, and probably especially since it's an election year, I have run across a lot of quotes, memes, personal communications, etc. that seem to indicate that we should surround ourselves with people who think in exactly the same ways we do, because this is how to protect ourselves from being influenced by others.  This is how to prevent change.  If you're looking for a safe life, you might consider taking this advice.  I don't really do safe.

So, here's the deal.  As a general rule, I make friends and adversaries quickly.  It seems that I am a first impression kind of person, which is sort of sad, because I am also a little bit slow to warm.  On the rare chance that people give me a shot at a second or third impression, I do pretty well with that, but we live in an instant gratification world, so I have a few very good friends who, mercifully, loved me immediately, and then there are a whole lot of people who are OK with the fact that I mostly spend my life in chameleon mode (Can I blend in with that wall?  If I sit here, will I be invisible?  Oh crap...  I'm in my purple flower pants...).

Sara and I met over twenty years ago.  We never really liked each other.  The truth is, we never really knew each other.  But let's face it, after twenty years, the odds were definitely against us ever being friends.  Something like a zillion to none.

And then something weird happened...

A couple of years ago, Sara and I found ourselves in the same place at the same time, and we had a couple of civil exchanges.  It seemed groundbreaking to me.  I sent her a facebook friend request, because... you know... we had spoken words.  She accepted it.  I started to see tiny glimpses into her life.  She started to read this blog.  It occurred to us that we didn't have entirely polarized views on everything in the world.  We were sort of nice to each other.

I don't really understand what happened next, but before I knew it she was one of the half dozen people on the planet who might occasionally send me a text.  Her name started making the list of people to include in a group message when I was in crisis.  The facebook algorithm people started sticking her face in the "bestie" slot.  And in the middle of my soul care days in January she suggested that we make a trip to Disney World together.  I laughed.  Then I checked flight prices.

I never, ever thought we would be friends, but there we were on Splash Mountain...

You want to know this story.  Really, you do.

Sara and I do not agree on everything.  As an example, Sara thinks that when it is 70 degrees out, it feels like 5.  For whatever reason, she thinks this is a terrible time to ride something that might leave her cold and wet.  She might have called me an idiot as we got in line... and as I boarded the front row... and as we ascended the lift to the final drop.  Oh... wait... she didn't call me an idiot during that last part, because she was too busy praying to the animatronic vultures in hopes that the ride would shut down,  but I digress...  This unlikely friend of mine seriously took her sweatshirt off (I couldn't even figure out why she needed a sweatshirt...  I was dying of heat stroke in my cami), rolled it up, stuck it under one of her other many layers, and proceeded to talk to it throughout the entire ride, referring to it as "sweatshirt baby".  By the time she uttered the words, "This is the dumbest thing that has ever happened to me," I was laughing so hard I was crying, because honestly... being friends with Sara might actually be the dumbest thing that has ever happened to me!  And with that, I would like to encourage you to do dumb things.  Really.

John 13:35, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (NIV).

Love is not rational.  Friendship is risky.  I mean, she could have killed me in my sleep, this weekend (There was some brief reference to how she would probably go to Disney with a serial killer, but I'm trying not to be offended...).  But she didn't, and now I have a very good friend that I would have missed, completely, if I had insisted on a monochromatic life.    

Sara and I probably have much more common ground than we would have imagined.  We probably have much more common ground than anyone would have imagined.  In fact, we spent some time wondering what our mutual friends must be thinking as we posted pictures of our weekend trip.  There are probably some people who had jaw dropping moments.  There might be a few people who are wondering if they need to make a countermove, because, quite frankly, the two of us being friends might be a little bit frightening.  It shakes the status quo.  There is no telling what kind of trouble we might cause.  Seriously.

But here's the thing.  If you take a chance on being the kind of disciples who set aside non-essentials to love one another, good things begin to happen.  Heck, I even think I could set aside essentials in order to show love at this point.  It doesn't mean that you stop having convictions or opinions.  It means that you are kind even when you interact with people who are different than you.  Think on this.  There is probably no one in the entire world who agrees with you about everything.  If you're only willing to associate with people who are just like you, it's going to be a very lonely life.

 
L.

Soul Care is Great, But...

It seems we always have to return to life.

Psalm 56:1-3 "Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack.  My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me.  When I am afraid, I put my trust in you" (NIV).

And...  that feels more like real life. 

Oh, this day...  All I really wanted to do was watch The Lion King... and The Lion King 2... with my five year old who thinks it's great if Mommy goes away to conferences, as long as it culminates in a day of snuggling on the couch and pretending we're jungle animals.  I also read Psalm 57:4a, "I am in the midst of lions," (NIV) and thought to myself, "Yes... please... let's take that one out of context, today!"  But here it is, early evening, and "Hakuna Matata" seems like the stuff that children's movies are made of... uh... wait...

Here's the deal, friends.  We cannot control anyone else.  As a matter of fact, seeking to control is not very loving.  But we can do something about ourselves...

"My heart is firmly fixed: O God, my heart is fixed" (from Common Prayer).

Ironically, I don't think there is anything common... at all... about that prayer, but I hope it will be mine, especially because I need this to be true on days like today.

I Corinthians 4:12-13a, "We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly" (NIV).

Maybe there is still a chance that I can feel the love tonight...

L.

The Kingdom is the Happiest Place on Earth

Well here I am, fresh off vacation, currently wondering how I can best return to real life in the real world.  It's harder than I wanted it to be. 

Walt Disney was a genius.  He created this alternative world (although he didn't see it open) where people were supposed to be able to completely forget about reality for awhile.  One of his ideas that has always been intriguing to me is that construction would be hidden from sight at Disney World.  In this magical place, you wouldn't see all of the ugliness that has to happen in order for something beautiful to be built.  I always liked that a lot.  I think I liked it right up until today.

And so, I was a little distraught when we showed up at the Magic Kingdom and found the castle entrance blocked (Oh, please... is every single door closed?  Even the magical ones?) and plenty of cranes... and construction workers... and noise...  It felt like real life.  I was not looking for real life.

If I'm honest, there were a few moments of disgust when passing by the castle moat and courtyards.  This kind of mess is not supposed to break into the Kingdom.  Oh... crap...

What if the Kingdom breaks into our messes?  Not the Magic Kingdom, of course, but what if we allow the Kingdom of God to break in?

So often, I think we view the Kingdom of God as something to come.  Maybe we even view it as something of a fairy tale, disconnected and protected from the reality that is life happening all around us.  When we view it as something that will one day appear out of nothing, without any sweat, blood or tears, without any mess or noise; I think we deceive ourselves.

Perhaps the Kingdom of Heaven is, instead, like the happiest place on Earth, where dreams come true, not simply because we wish for it to be so, but because people join God and work through the heat and dust and ugliness to create something beautiful together... to create something beautiful for others...

I desperately want to engage calling like that.  Can I still wear my tiara?

L.

Wow, I Can't Believe I Just Saw That, Wednesday...

So, my blogging schedule has been really off for about a week.  I'm hoping to remedy that, starting tomorrow.  It's a very interesting time of life to say the least.  Ordinarily, I wouldn't make a Wednesday night post, but I came across this picture in an article I was reading (which I am not going to link here, because it's really not worth the controversy):

It is, however, worth a discussion.  This particular display (with which you may or may not be familiar) is aimed at children, and I can't quite figure it out.  To me, it seems that the intention is to incite fear.  The world's not safe.  Lock your door, and don't come out.  Then, you'll be safe.  Because that's what God wants.

Maybe I just don't get it, but I thought we were supposed to go into the world to share Christ, not hide behind locked... chained... dead bolted doors.  And I never got the impression that being a disciple of Jesus was supposed to be safe.

I think one of the most evil Disney villains ever is Mother Gothel, from Tangled.  If you're not familiar with the story, she steals a baby (Rapunzel) and then locks her in a tower for her entire childhood, claiming that she is keeping Rapunzel safe while really using Rapunzel for her own well being.  Let's not pretend that our children belong to us.  God does, indeed, entrust them to us for a little while, but let's not lock them into our homes (or maybe worse yet, our narrow worldviews) in such a way that they cannot become the people who they were created to be in the world.  Maybe the world's not safe, but I guarantee you, the life behind that locked door isn't either.  Let's do less worrying and more living...

L.