This morning I was awakened by a chorus of birds singing. It was a much better way to be awoken then by my alarm clock. This spring I have been more cognisant of the birds who have returned to the area where I live.
I have also been more aware of the trees and grass turning green and flowers blooming. Earlier this month I found some tulips planted at the school where I went to vote. Two of the plants had already blossomed.
This year I am going to enjoy every nuance of God's beautiful creation to the fullest.
Thank You Abba Father for the wonderful creation you have made and for the ability to enjoy it.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
A Life Well Lived?
Today I helped out at a funeral that was held at our church. By helped out I mean that I did the multimedia for the service and handed out some bulletins.
The funeral was for a woman who had lived to be 102 years old and had lived in her own home until about a month before her passing. I did not know this woman or her family.
As I looked through the bulletin prior to the service and listened to the eulogy given by a son-in-law and testimonies by two grandsons, the only things I came away really knowing about this woman were that she liked to cook and was good at it and she liked growing vegetables. There were vague references to her hospitality.
There was no reference to her spiritual life, if she had one.
I came away from the funeral feeling a bit sick. I was not so much sick because I was left wondering about this lady's spiritual life. Rather I was sick because I was left wondering how comforting could it be to the family that the only memories they had of a mother, mother-in-law and grandmother were about food.
Now I am not naive. I've attended funerals of unsaved people before, and I admit that I haven't come away from them feeling very uplifted or satisfied. But none of those have been for people who lived to be 102. Their eulogies were more meaningful in that they had accomplished more than just being able to make a lot of food and force people to eat it.
The irony of the day came when we went downstairs for the luncheon. All of the food provided was store bought. There were stale store bought subs that had been cut into wedges, pre-cut fruit and vegetables, and pastries.
I don't know how long I will live but I hope at my death I will leave a legacy that put something substantial into the lives of the people around me and that I made a difference because I lived.
The funeral was for a woman who had lived to be 102 years old and had lived in her own home until about a month before her passing. I did not know this woman or her family.
As I looked through the bulletin prior to the service and listened to the eulogy given by a son-in-law and testimonies by two grandsons, the only things I came away really knowing about this woman were that she liked to cook and was good at it and she liked growing vegetables. There were vague references to her hospitality.
There was no reference to her spiritual life, if she had one.
I came away from the funeral feeling a bit sick. I was not so much sick because I was left wondering about this lady's spiritual life. Rather I was sick because I was left wondering how comforting could it be to the family that the only memories they had of a mother, mother-in-law and grandmother were about food.
Now I am not naive. I've attended funerals of unsaved people before, and I admit that I haven't come away from them feeling very uplifted or satisfied. But none of those have been for people who lived to be 102. Their eulogies were more meaningful in that they had accomplished more than just being able to make a lot of food and force people to eat it.
The irony of the day came when we went downstairs for the luncheon. All of the food provided was store bought. There were stale store bought subs that had been cut into wedges, pre-cut fruit and vegetables, and pastries.
I don't know how long I will live but I hope at my death I will leave a legacy that put something substantial into the lives of the people around me and that I made a difference because I lived.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Belated Mother's Day
Yesterday was Mother's Day. It is not one of my favorite days of the year because I lost my Mom almost 10 years ago.
Yesterday I had lunch with a friend who had also lost his mother a number of years ago. We discussed our mothers and how we dealt with the day. He challenged me to recall a happy Mother's Day. And sadly I could not remember one. I could remember a Mother's Day that was really sad but not a happy one.
The realization of not being able to remember a happy Mother's Day was disheartening. It is possible that because of mental issues that I deal with could have buried some of my memories too deep for me to recall. Or they could have masked the good memories.
I have no doubt that I loved my Mom very much and I miss her deeply. Yesterday I asked God to give my Mom a hug from me and tell her that I love her and miss her.
I'm not sure if I want to dig around in my memories of past Mother's Day. Maybe it is just best to think of today and let God deal with my past.
I'm just glad I had the mother I did and thank God that He knew which mom was the best for me.
Belated Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you and miss you.
Yesterday I had lunch with a friend who had also lost his mother a number of years ago. We discussed our mothers and how we dealt with the day. He challenged me to recall a happy Mother's Day. And sadly I could not remember one. I could remember a Mother's Day that was really sad but not a happy one.
The realization of not being able to remember a happy Mother's Day was disheartening. It is possible that because of mental issues that I deal with could have buried some of my memories too deep for me to recall. Or they could have masked the good memories.
I have no doubt that I loved my Mom very much and I miss her deeply. Yesterday I asked God to give my Mom a hug from me and tell her that I love her and miss her.
I'm not sure if I want to dig around in my memories of past Mother's Day. Maybe it is just best to think of today and let God deal with my past.
I'm just glad I had the mother I did and thank God that He knew which mom was the best for me.
Belated Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you and miss you.
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