Never Ever Dull
With every conversation, I always seem to end with "Never a dull moment"....our lives are rich, complex, and beautiful stories. Join me in laughing about everyday things and appreciating life-bumpy roads and all.
You can pick where you live. But you can’t pick your neighbors. Thankfully, I hit the jackpot when it comes to neighbors. Just a few days after moving into my first home as a single mom with four kids, we had a snowstorm. In this part of North Carolina, this translates to some snow mixed with threatening ice. Heavy with ice, a dogwood tree split and the branches landed on the side of my house, blocking off the driveway. My oldest son tried to saw and pull the branches off the roof, but the task was daunting. I remember looking up and seeing an 80-something year old man walking towards us with his saw, some rope, and a bit of a grin. Quietly, he roped the branch, told my boys what to do, and took charge of the situation. It was bitterly cold so we exchanged names, expressed our gratitude, and returned to our homes. His help that day sparked the beginning of a friendship. Mr. Petty became our favorite handyman, landscape consultant, plumber, and electrician. We could chat about everything from daffodils to quartz countertops. Yet, one conversation was a game changer. After learning that I had returned here to be close to my widowed mother, he mentioned that his house-bound wife was from that same small town where I had grown up. Each day, I'd share more about my life and he began to connect the dots. The picture revealed was one only God could create. It turned out that his wife grew up in the same town as I had grown up. My mom taught her when she was in high school. And the kicker? Mrs. Petty introduced my parents to each other…over sixty years ago. The dots connected, our friendship continued with a sweetness of knowing we were meant to be neighbors and friends. I hope to see you again, Mr. Petty.* *Written as Mr. Petty is in a hospital alone fighting cancer during this Covid -19 crisis.
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It seemed like an easy task: Toss the grocery bag with 2 rolls of toilet paper to the second floor balcony. As we all hunker down during this quarantine, my oldest daughter begged her sister to bring over the coveted prize of our grocery store items-toilet paper-to her apartment. Trying to maintain social distance, the younger one tossed the bag "grandma-style" up to her sister who was waiting. The oldest awaiting this prize stretched out her arms in preparation for the catch which would be like scoring the winning touchdown at the Super Bowl. One chance. One throw. Not enough. Thump! The bag with the two rolls of toilet paper landed with a thud on the balcony below my daughter's apartment. Both my girls look at that balcony and the huge hedge surrounding it with complete disbelief. Big eyes. Nervous laughs. Questioning looks of "What do we do now?" Life can be like that. We know what we want and seek desperately to get it. However, often what we want isn't within reach. And that's a tough place to be: a job hasn't come through, a relationship is off track, opportunities are in the wings but haven't made it to the stage, front and center. "Now what?" takes up all our mental space. But that's just where God wants us to be. God wants us to desire Him just as we reach out for other things. He wants us to answer those questions of "What do we do now?" and "Now what?" with His name. Now what? God. For example, we can choose to respond with "God is in control of this" and "God is always with me.". When faced with the "Now what?", choose to stretch out and seek Him to guide your next plan of action. |
AuthorFun-loving mom to 4 kids and 1 big puppy. Fifth grade teacher of amazing little people who have never ending things to share with me. Love to discuss Jesus, diy projects, and life. Trying to keep it simple: Love Jesus, love people. Archives
December 2021
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