It seems every scuba dive has a story to tell, and this is no different. Our dives the previous day had been canceled due to high winds, a small craft advisory, and rough ocean surface conditions. We optimistically thought this next day would be better. However, the seas were choppy and the swells were about four to five feet, with an occasional six.

 There were only five of us aboard the Easy Diver, our dive boat. In addition to myself, there was my friend Melinda, Elwin, a middle-aged man who had come on the adventure alone, our divemaster and guide named Alex, and Jesus, our boat captain. And yes, Jesus was addressed as in the actual biblical pronunciation of the name. When we signed up with the dive shop a few weeks prior, we thought this was a good sign. Perhaps we should have taken it as a warning.

 As we headed to the outer reef of Key West, we were keenly aware of the swells. The boat was tipping back and forth and up and down as we made our way out to the middle of the ocean, the motion making it near impossible to get our gear on in preparation for our dive. When Alex said to make sure we had three points of contact with the boat at all times he wasn’t kidding. Our buddy Elwin stood up for a moment to pull on his wetsuit, and in less than a moment he found himself on his knees on the other side of the deck.

 As soon as Jesus came to a halt, we all made our way to our tanks. Just sitting there on the bench, my stomach began to churn as I hurried to get myself strapped into my fifty-some pounds of gear.  I kept telling myself, “Don’t get seasick. You’re fine. You’re fine.” But honestly, what were we doing?  I remember wondering if this was a good idea.

 Alex went in first. I was second, then Melinda, and then Elwin. Jesus stayed topside with the boat.  We all started our descent together. I took perhaps a minute longer getting to the bottom than the others because I had a little trouble clearing my ears, but my patience was rewarded when my feet landed on the sandy bottom of the ocean floor. We were about forty feet below the surface, and my ears were clear and pain-free.  We gave each other the ok sign that all was well, and we started our dive. Melinda, my wonderful friend, is a fantastic diver and the best dive buddy anyone could have. She is highly experienced with many, many, dives under her belt. This was only dive number ten for me, so I was careful to stay very close to her.

 Divemaster Alex started swimming toward the reef. Melinda followed Alex, and I followed Melinda, leaving Elwin to follow me. In no more than two kicks of our fins, Elwin slapped my shoulder, pointed to his mask, and took off for the surface. I turned and touched Melinda and pointed at him now at about 20 feet above us. She looked at me and put her arms out to say, “What the heck?” Just as quickly as Elwin took off, our divemaster followed him, leaving Melinda and me, by ourselves, forty feet underwater.

 The rule in diving is if you get separated, you stay put for one minute. What keeps a diver safe is knowing the rules and following them. Melinda looked at me and held up one finger, signaling we would wait one minute. I responded with the ok sign, and a head nod, as I also was aware of the one-minute wait rule. We had no idea what had just happened but knew the best thing to do was to wait our very long one minute to see if they came back down to continue the dive. Perhaps Alex would come back to get us and tell us the dive was called off. We had no idea. However, if we did not see Alex after approximately one minute, we would slowly make our way back to the choppy surface.

Knowing what to do was comforting, although unnerving.  There, at the bottom of the ocean, it was the longest minute ever. Due to the rough seas, the surge underwater was strong, and the visibility was poor at best. Melinda started tapping her tank with a stick she dives with, hoping it would be easier for Alex to locate us. As we looked around, there was nothing to see in any direction, just the brown, sandy, ocean floor and murky gray water as far as we could see in every direction. As we stood there holding our ground, I was reminded of how easily we could be lost. We wouldn’t have to move very far.

 Those minutes at the bottom of the ocean were a perfect reflection of how easy it is to lose our way in our world above the water. There are so many dangers all around us. Sometimes the dangers are easily detectable, but sometimes the dangers are lurking just beyond our visibility.  (Like a shark perhaps?)

Following God’s direction works the same way. When we’re living within God’s direction for our lives, we not only feel less alone when faced with unexpected events that arise, but we are also better equipped to determine the best way to handle those events. How do we know God’s direction? The same way Melinda and I knew what to do when were separated from our divemaster. Melinda and I had studied the guidebook.

 God’s word, the bible, is our life’s guide. It’s all in there. Crack it open. Knowing the rules won’t stop life from happening, but it will teach you how to deal with it as it does. Joshua 1:8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful”. This is a great place to start.

Not only did we follow the rules, but we stood firm in our beliefs that the rules were put in place with our best interest in mind. They were created to help us and to keep us safe, not to hinder us or control us.  Just as we were about ready to make our way back to the surface, we saw Alex coming back, swimming directly toward us. We were exactly where he had left us and easy for him to find. Had we moved, Alex may not have been able to find us. He swam up to us gave us the “everything is ok” sign and we followed him off to explore some reefs in the gray, murky water.

 Elwin was fine by the way. Due to a problem with his mask, Alex had helped Elwin back to the boat while we waited below.

Wishing you joy and peace,

Lorrie

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. – 2nd Timothy 3:16-17

One afternoon I was at a friend’s house. It was a pretty dull afternoon. One of the children, Adam, found a bag of marbles. After he carefully examined each one, he asked me if I knew how to play. I had no idea how to play marbles, but I told him we could make up our own game. He agreed, and as we sat down to play the other two children came over to join us.

We all sat down on the floor, in a little circle of four. I dumped the bag of marbles in the center of our circle.   There were twenty-one marbles in the bag, blue, green, and yellow. All the marbles were the same size and looked quite new. I started doling them out evenly to the four of us, one for Adam, one for Amanda, one for Kelsey, and one for me. When I finished distributing them, there was one left. Adam looked at me and said, “That one is mine.”

I found it interesting Adam would think he should get six marbles and the rest of us should get five. “Why should you get more than everyone else, Adam?” I asked. “Because it’s fair”, he said. I was truly amazed. “Adam,” I said. “Tell me what you think fair means”. “Well,” he said, “It’s fair if we all have the same amount, or I have more.” I remember looking at him and wondering if he was serious. Adam really wasn’t the sort of kid to joke around much, and the look on his face said he was absolutely serious.

I thought perhaps he had misunderstood my question. So, I asked him, “If I gave the extra marble to Amanda, not to you, would that be fair?” He looked up at me and replied with a solid, “No!”.

I wonder how many adults believe the definition of fair is when all receive the same, or they personally receive more.  Simply put, that definition is actually a perfect example of selfishness.

The bible is very clear about selfish behavior. Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

It’s so easy to fall into the worldly trap of thinking of ourselves first and others last.  But God does not want us to be conformed to this world. He wants us to be transformed by the renewal of our minds, that by testing we may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

Wishing you joy and peace,

Lorrie

Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.  1 Corinthians 10:24

As I finished up my purchase the person “next in line” approached the cashier. I would guess him to be in his mid-20s. I smiled at him as he approached. He said, “How are you?” I gave the typical response, “I’m fine. Thank you, how are you?” To my surprise, he answered, “I’m struggling.” It caught me off guard. I wasn’t sure how to respond. I wanted to ask him, “How can I help?”, but I knew he would ask me for money, and somehow that didn’t feel like the right thing to do. So, all I could muster was, “I’m sorry.”

I left the store and took my items to my car. As I moved them from the shopping cart to the trunk of my car, I watched the man walk out of the store, turn right, and walk slowly down the sidewalk. I felt my “I’m sorry” was a bit lame. I wondered if there was anything else I could have done for him, perhaps given him a bit of my time?

I was going to Starbucks next. I figured I’d put my shopping cart away, and if he came back my way, I’d ask him if I could buy him a cup of coffee. The coffee shop was just down at the other end of the shopping center, across the parking lot.  He could simply meet me there. I put the cart away and walked back to my car. He did not come back my way.  But wouldn’t you know it, as soon as I climbed in my car and closed the door, he started back up the sidewalk. I was parked out pretty far, so I know there is no way he saw me. Now I had a choice to make.  Do I drive up to him and offer to buy him coffee, or do I leave it alone?

Had he walked right by me again, it would have been easy to make the offer, but now I would have to pursue him deliberately. That didn’t feel right. Not only would that be way out of my comfort zone, but there’s always a real concern of stepping into something that may not be the safest situation for a single woman. Wondering why I still had a nagging feeling that I was supposed to do something, I got in my car and drove to the other end of the shopping center.

I didn’t go into the coffee shop just yet. I waited a moment or two trying to figure out why I was feeling odd. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but again I thought, “If he crosses my path again, I’ll make the offer.”  I quietly watched as he turned the corner around the shopping center. At this point, I was feeling a little bit like a stalker. Weird.  I figured I’d go pick up a book at the Book Store before going inside the Starbucks next door. As I put my car in drive, he stepped off the curb and started walking across the parking lot, toward the Book Store. What are the chances? I thought he couldn’t possibly be going to the same place I just decided to go. However, I took the long way around the parking lot to buy a little time and then parked my car in front of the store.

I usually park in a space directly in front of the store. However, I wanted to give myself a little more room, so I parked one row back. As I pulled into the space, I realized the man had stopped on the sidewalk, almost directly in front of the store. At this point, it was pretty clear I was going to have to speak to him again. What would I say? How incredibly awkward, but I was willing.

As I approached, a woman who had parked where I usually would got out of her car. She was no more than five seconds ahead of me. I did not hear him speak to her, but I saw her engage. “Now what?” I thought. They were very focused on their conversation, and I quickly realized I should not interrupt, so I slowly walked into the store to get my book.

I made my purchase, and as I turned to leave the woman walked into the store, leaving the man to again stand alone on the sidewalk. I smiled at her and said, “Did he ask you for money?” She said he did, but she didn’t give him any. She said what she gave him was encouragement and ideas for job opportunities to turn his life around. I told her I also felt giving him money was not the right thing to do, but I was going to offer to buy him a cup of coffee.  As we were talking the store manager was nearby. He wasn’t a part of our conversation, but he was listening to us very intently.

As the woman and I finished our conversation the manager intentionally went outside ahead of me. The man had started back across the parking lot, but the manager stopped him. The manager started a conversation with the man.  Again, I have no idea what words were exchanged, but the manager invited and escorted this man back into the store. As I walked past the two of them on my way out, the manager was quietly speaking and had the man’s full attention. I looked at the other woman and said, “I guess I wasn’t supposed to buy him coffee after all.”

Was I a participant or an observer? Perhaps my role was to have a conversation to be overheard by a store manager which prompted him to reach out to a stranger. Or maybe my role was that of an observer. I do know that in a matter of less than an hour I saw someone in need get ministered to by two strangers, completely unrelated. I saw two divine appointments take place to remind me of how God uses us to work in the lives of others. Seeds most often get planted by one and watered by another.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:13

Wishing you joy and peace,

Lorrie

“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.”                    Thomas Merton

One afternoon I decided to go into town to get my car washed. I drove up to the attendant, told him the type of service I wanted, gave him my keys, and headed inside to pay. The guy inside was cheery and polite. He asked me if I was going to wait there for the car or if I wanted him to call me when it was done. I told him I was going to head across the parking lot to the coffee shop, so it would be terrific if he could give me a call. He immediately started teasing me about going to the coffee shop to wait and was very dramatic about how much he would LOVE to have a cup of coffee.

I hadn’t offered to bring him back a cup, but he sure wasn’t shy about asking me if I would. “OK, I said, what would you like?” I was expecting black with one sugar or something like that. Nope. He launched into placing his order like a seasoned Barista who’d had way too many shots of espresso. He wanted a large coffee, hot, with three shots of espresso, chocolate, caramel, whip cream and a couple of other things I can’t remember. It was one of those nightmare orders that people joke about all the time. I actually had to write it down because there was no way I would get it right. I remember thinking, “My gosh, he’s got expensive taste. That drink must cost a fortune.”

When he came up for air, after placing possibly the most complicated coffee order I’d ever heard, he fell silent. I waited for an awkward moment or two expecting him to give me a couple of bucks for his coffee. He did not. That’s when I realized he was not only asking me to “bring him back a cup of coffee.”  He also expected me to pay for it.

I walked out the door toward the coffee shop, wondering what had just happened. I don’t usually get conned that easily. Had I given this man the wrong impression? I was sure I had not. This guy knew how to work it, and he worked it well. Go ahead, call me a sucker. I surely was.

I was debating. Should I go ahead and buy this guy his foo-foo drink, or should I just let it go? I will admit to being a little irritated by the situation. I do not like to be taken advantage of or to be underestimated. It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford to buy the guy his drink. It was the fact that he had worked me, and I knew it. Something inside me wanted to tell him  I knew exactly what he was doing.

As I contemplated the situation, I had a “What would Jesus do” moment. I could easily go back and tell the guy I didn’t have enough cash to buy his drink. That would be the end of the story. Or, I could ignore his intent and focuses on mine. What mattered to me was doing something kind for someone else, not whether or not they were deserving.

I decided to go ahead and buy him the coffee of his choice regardless of the circumstances.  As I stepped over the curb to the coffee shop parking lot, there on the ground on the other side of the curb were six one-dollar bills. There wasn’t a car anywhere near. I started to laugh. Guess how much his drink cost? It was six dollars and seventeen cents. That just doesn’t happen. I love it when God shows up like that, so unexpectedly. I jokingly prayed, “So what about the seventeen cents?”

When I handed the man his coffee, you should have seen the smile on his face. He was so excited. He politely thanked me, and I smiled sweetly and replied, “You’re very welcome, but I didn’t pay for it.” I’m sure he wondered what that meant, but that’s all I needed to say.

As I got in my car, there on the ground right next to my door were two dimes. God has such a great sense of humor. He even gave me a three-cent tip.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:34

Wishing you joy and peace,

Lorrie

When we went to pick up our new puppy, we had no idea of what we were in for. We wanted a little girl puppy and were delighted there was one still available. However, the owner made a conscious effort to let us know this little dog was going to be a handful. I suppose we should have taken the words of the dog’s owner a little more seriously, but how much mischief could a three-pound puppy the size of a size seven Nike really get into?

We fell in love with Saydee the moment we laid eyes on her. She was high energy, friendly, and full of life. Her mom was a Chihuahua and her father a Yorkie, an adorable mix. We brought her home, and as I recall there was a small bout of puppy carsickness, in my 10-year-old Kelsey’s lap, which made the drive home even more interesting. It would be a stretch to say it was their first bonding experience, but to this day we still find humor in it.

So what do most people do with a brand new puppy at night? Some people kennel their pet, but my girls felt strongly about not putting their new little baby in a “cage”. Others put their new puppy in an open-topped brown box lined with a warm cozy blanket. They then put their new little buddy somewhere in the house where the puppy-barking and whining won’t keep everyone in the house awake all night. That’s what the girls wanted to do, and it seemed simple enough.

That first night we put Saydee in the small downstairs guest bathroom at bedtime. I put a blanket in the corner of a “perfect-sized” brown box, set it in the back corner, and off to bed we went.  It took Saydee about three minutes to figure out a way to escape. She shimmied up the corner of the box, knocked it on its side, ran out of the bathroom to the bottom of the stairs, and started barking for our attention. Quickly I realized the cardboard box idea wouldn’t work. So I leaned a Boogie Board across the open doorway of the bathroom. This way she would be contained to the bathroom. This time it took about 10 minutes for her to figure out she could get out of the box and push the Boogie Board away from the door to get out of the bathroom.  And so it began.

Over the course of about three days, we tried over and over to find a way to contain this tiny puppy, but we failed each and every time. We put two chairs tight against the Boogie Board so she couldn’t move it, but she found a way to get her nose under the board, push it up, and crawl underneath it. We then added a rug, assuming she couldn’t get under, but she did. So we put something heavy on the rug. That kept her from going under, but she then found a way to climb over the boogie board. We kept building, and she kept escaping. By the time we finished there was a piece of plywood on top of the Boogie Board, and two bricks to keep her from moving the plywood. For every action I made, that smart little Houdini-puppy came up with a counter action to get out. And for every one of her actions that proved me unsuccessful, I had a reactionary action, and on and on it went until we had unknowingly built a makeshift deathtrap.

That forth evening the three of us went to bed thinking we had won the battle, but at about 11 pm there was a horrific crash downstairs. It was loud enough to wake us and cause us to go running downstairs to check on our puppy. I took one look at the crumbled mess in the bathroom and my mindset instantly went from rescue to recovery. I was certain there was no way our little puppy could have survived the collapse.   The girls quietly stood behind me as I started digging through the mess, expecting the worst.

Before I tell you how the story ends, I want to ask you a question. How often do we build something with the best intentions, but as it gets more and more complex, we are surprised to find we’ve built something completely different from what we had anticipated?  Sometimes we end up building something that completely undermines our original intent. Obviously, it’s not our intension to make a difficult situation worse, but as we try to “fix” it, piece by unplanned piece, we actually end up with a bigger problem.

As a parent, I am guilty of doing too much when sometimes doing less might actually be better. I’m learning that sometimes the best way to love my kids, and others in my life, is to not be so “helpful”.   Sometimes not running in to help fix things and giving them more room to figure things out on their own is actually giving them more, not less.  Sometimes less is more.

So back to our story.  As I was digging through the rubble, as if I were looking for an earthquake victim, Kelsey quietly says behind me, “Uhhhh, Mom?” As I turned to look behind me, there was our sassy little Saydee, curiously watching us as she sat on the back of the couch.

As I cleared away the mess I had made in my attempts to keep my puppy safe, I realized something very important. Somehow my focus had changed from keeping her safe to keeping her in. My goal was to protect her and keep her safe, but I had actually made her world more dangerous. I told the girls that evening, “If you will not let me kennel Saydee at night, we will have to give her back.” They agreed.   We purchased a kennel the next day.

Sometimes we need to take a step back and take another look at the big picture to get things back on track. The good news is we often can take a breath, reassess, and realign ourselves to our goal.  Every day is a new day to try again.

“To focus our minds on the human nature leads to death, but to focus our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace.”  Romans 8:6

Wishing you joy and peace,

Lorrie

I was having a bad day.  The hurt and frustration of a situation had gotten the best of me.  I was having a hard time processing it. I rarely get angry, but I had unknowingly boarded the Mad-Train. It was quickly picking up speed, and I was having little success at applying the brakes.

I was on my way to work with the high school worship band.  Quite frankly, I had no desire to do anything at all.  As I left my house, my fuel light popped on. It was just one more thing to add to my stress and lousy mood. As I pulled into the gas station, there was a woman on the other side of the pump cheerfully helping another customer.  I’m usually the happy one, but at this moment I totally understood how a cheerful person can be a bit annoying. Those were the exact thoughts that were going through my mind as I stood with my back against my car, my eyes on the moving numbers on the pump in front of me. I was feeling as if my life wasn’t fair and that God wasn’t paying attention to me. The more I pondered the situation, the more upset I became.

As I stood there filling my gas tank, wishing my anger was ticking away instead of the numbers on the pump, I felt a hand touch me on the hip. The touch was unexpected enough to startle me and make me jump, and just hard enough for me to know it was a hand. There was nothing and no one near me, and there was no wind or weather that had caused it. Everything around me was perfectly calm. I have no explanation.

Have you ever had someone touch you and say, “Calm down, relax, it’s ok.”? That was the effect this had on me. I immediately realized God was, and is, still in control, and he had me within his reach. In heartbreak and hope, he sees me and is by my side. It was an amazing experience. When I got to the church, I couldn’t shake the feeling of how strange the experience was. We ran our rehearsal before the other students arrived, took a break, and then the band opened the Wednesday Night Youth Group meeting with the song set for that evening. As is usual, one of the kids welcomed the students, and another shared something before they finished their set.   The verse Gracie chose to share that evening surely wasn’t a coincidence; it was just icing on the cake.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you.  Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

God’s righteous right hand was clearly evident in my life that afternoon.

Wishing you joy and peace,

Lorrie

I had to take a quick trip to Sacramento. My father’s health was quickly declining, and he no longer was able to get around without the aid of a wheelchair. Because he no longer was able to feed himself or care for himself, he had recently been moved from an assisted living situation to the full health care wing of the retirement community in which he lived. My brother had called me to let me know it might be a good idea to make the long trip to California for a visit. Some paperwork needed to be processed, and one of us needed to take care of putting his personal affairs in order. As I made the arrangements for the trip home, I was filled with both sadness and anxiety. Never is this sort of thing easy, but the family dynamics, in this case, made the situation much more difficult. This was one of those things that I knew I had to do, but I also knew it would be incredibly difficult. I was quite sure this would be the last time I saw my father, which it was.  But more than anything else, it was a trip to say goodbye.

When I got to the retirement home, I first went to the front desk and collected a packet of paperwork that had been left there for me by the Center Administrator. It contained paperwork that needed to be filled out and signed due to the new level of service required for my father’s care. That was the easiest task of the morning’s required events. Next, I was ushered to my father’s former assisted living residence, actually a single bedroom and bath, where one of the amazingly compassionate caregivers had kindly boxed up his belongings after moving him over to the full care wing. As I walked into the room, the first thing I noticed was how clean and organized everything was, but also how empty it felt. It most definitely felt as though no one lived there any longer.

The furniture in the room was familiar, as it belonged to my father and had come from his home prior to moving to the retirement home. My eyes rested on the bed that he and my mother had shared for 37 years before she passed away. Although my mother had been gone 21 years, I unexpectedly was overwhelmed by how much I missed her. The bed was stripped, there were three neatly packed boxes on the bed marked “hospice,”.  There was also a couple of boxes on the dresser with a note next to them that said, “Personal items. Daughter will be in to go through”. It all felt surreal, more like a book or a movie about someone else’s life, not the real thing. (I must say Hollywood does an excellent job of capturing the feeling and emotions we experience in times like these.) Knowing other people go through this sort of thing every day somehow didn’t make it feel any better at the moment. As I looked around the room, the nurse told me to take as much time as I needed as she gently closed the door behind her and left me alone in the empty room.

There were only two boxes to go through. One had books in it, and the other had “personal items.” There was nothing of value, at least nothing of monetary value. However, the items in the box were small tokens of one man’s life’s treasures. It was an entire lifetime now reduced to a single brown cardboard box. There were a few pictures, a couple greeting cards, and a box of random keys and key chains with keys to who knows where or what. There was an old cell phone, a couple of big band CDs, and an old, old, old flight logbook of when my dad worked on his pilot’s license many years ago. There also was an unused passport that had been expired only a couple of years, all four of my father’s high school yearbooks, and five bibles. Each item quietly spoke for itself, although some of them provided me with questions that would never be answered.

That got me to thinking. If I had to put all of who I was into one box, what would I choose to put in it? Would what I held most valuable in my life be evident in the few final possessions I left behind, or would I leave behind more questions about my life than answers? I don’t know about you, but I think if all that’s left of me are more questions than answers, perhaps I need to rethink my relationships and my priorities. I want those I love to feel loved, and I want those who have loved me to feel they knew me well. That box was yet another reminder that we need to spend more of our time and effort on things that genuinely make a difference.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

When I finished going through what was left of my father’s items and was ready to leave, I found myself hesitant to leave the room. My next stop was to spend a couple of hours with my father, as much time as he could before tiring. As I opened the door to leave the room, my hand spontaneously went to turn off the light, but I stopped. For whatever reason, I couldn’t do it. I left the light on and quietly slipped out the door and down the hallway toward the full care wing.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”               Colossians 3:15-17

Wishing you joy and peace.

Lorrie

Monica was a coworker with an attitude. She was nice enough at first, but as my new job grew, so did her rudeness. You know, sometimes people are just mean. When I was the newbie in the office, she found her place as the seasoned professional.  She was the one in the know and enjoyed the role of superiority.  However, within a few months I no longer needed her input or assistance to do my job.  That’s when her true colors came shining through.  We didn’t do the same job, but we did sit next to each other all day in a very busy office. She often would make comments to me that were demeaning or embarrassing.  Or worse, she would do it when our coworkers were within earshot.  My tendency in situations like these is to just be quiet.  I know, it’s probably not the best personally attribute when dealing with a bully.  I’m working on it.  However, I would sit quietly and silently pray she would stop.

This went on for quite a while. I loved the job, and enjoyed working with everyone else in the department, but oh my goodness Monica made my life miserable. This woman could ruin a perfectly good day. But what could I do? I needed to either suck it up or find another job.   However, I hadn’t been at this job very long.  My life was chaotic at the time, and the last thing I needed was to have to start another job search.

Monica was married and her husband had a solid government job. They owned a home and by her own account they were planning on never leaving the area. She had absolutely no desire for a different job, so basically there was no way in heck she was going anywhere. I found that to be discouraging, thinking there was no solution to the situation.  I was now stuck between a rock and a hard place.

So I started praying for her.  I prayed for her to be successful. I prayed for her husband to be successful. I prayed for her to find happiness and joy in her life. I did this every single day on my way to work and on my way home. Every prayer was filled with faith that something good would happen to her, causing her to focus on something positive instead of picking on me.   I also prayed that if this was where God wanted me, he would help me find a way to deal with the stress of working with someone who would cause my stomach to cramp when I saw her car in the parking lot.

The coolest thing happened. One day, about a month later, completely unexpected, Monica walked into the office and announced her husband had been offered not only a wonderful promotion, but all the benefits that go with it, such as a large pay increase and a government paid move to another city in California. At first she didn’t want to sell their home and move, but with the pay increase they could purchase a larger house and would still be within a few hours’ drive of her parents’ home.   It gets better.   She said she was putting in her two weeks’ notice because with her husband’s new salary they could concentrate on the move without worrying about the loss of her income.

WHAT?

Everyone in the office was shocked. I would love to say I was not surprised and knew this was how it was going to work out.  But I was just as surprised as my coworkers.  I was so caught up in my circumstance I had forgotten God is bigger than any obstacle. You can call it whatever you want, coincidence, or good luck, but I’m not buying it. It was faith. It was the power of prayer.  I stinkin’ prayed Monica out of her job.

I admit it; it still feels pretty good. Not only did God make a way for me when there seemed to be no possible solution, but he also did it in a way that I could never have imagined. God used my hard place to do something significant in both my life and in Monica’s.

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”                                      – Hebrews 11:1

Wishing you joy and peace,

Lorrie

I had someone ask me, “What are you afraid of?” Although it was an interesting question, I wasn’t sure how to answer it.  My quick wit was not actively engaged at the moment, as I couldn’t come up with anything all that profound. I filed the question away in my mind so I could mull it over for a while and maybe come up with an original answer.

That same afternoon I was running errands and had to stop by home for something.  I don’t remember what I needed, but I parked my car in the garage and ran in the house for about two seconds. When I got back in my car, I heard a familiar buzz by the passenger window. I looked over and saw a wasp had somehow managed to get into the car in the few moments I was inside the house. The car doors were closed. The driver’s window was up, but the passenger window was down about two inches. How that wasp found his way inside the car so quickly is a mystery.

I’ve been stung quite a few times and am very allergic to stings of any type, especially bees and wasps. I’m not allergic enough for the stings to be deadly.  However, I am allergic enough to be rewarded with a trip to Urgent Care for a few hours of monitoring if stung by one of the nasty little creatures.

I completely panicked. When I tried to get out of the car, I locked myself in. Every time I pushed the “unlock” button, I was actually pushing the “lock” button. The harder I tried to get out of the car, the more panicked I became. I must have pushed that wrong button and pulled the handle to open the door ten times before I realized what I was doing wrong. Somehow, as I was frantically hitting buttons, I unknowingly managed to get the driver’s side window down.    I was contemplating climbing out the window to get away from the wasp when I finally realized what I was doing wrong and opened the door.

I practically fell out the door then quickly ducked behind it.  I slowly reached my hand through the driver’s window and pushed the button to open the passenger side window, utterly convinced the little devil-bug was going to see my hand and make…sorry for the pun…a beeline for it. As the passenger window slid down, the wasp made his escape and flew directly over the car, right at me.   As it came toward my side of the car, I again ducked behind the door, like Marine dodging a bullet. Now, crouching on the garage floor, I waited, looking around, convinced the wasp was going to do another flyby and complete its mission to cause me pain and discomfort.  It did not.  At that moment, I realized I now had at least one valid answer to the question asked earlier that morning.

A few moments later, when I realized the excitement was over, I picked myself up off the garage floor and started to laugh. How hilarious those few moments would have been to watch. Someone could have made some serious money if they had recorded the event.

We learn from our experiences, which is a good thing. But sometimes we learn so well we become afraid and our judgment becomes impaired. We over-react, over-analyze, and over-think. Have you ever tried with all your heart to accomplish something, but you never could get it quite right, or the end result wasn’t even close to what you were striving for? Have you ever put yourself out there only to be ridiculed, misunderstood, or hurt? Have you ever loved someone but were so hurt you vowed never to love again? These experiences can condition us to become fearful and to expect the worst possible outcomes.

Do you know almost every book in the Bible has the words “fear not” in it? We are challenged every day to be courageous. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:13 says, “For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” And Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

I knew someone who walked away from the only thing that brought him joy at a very challenging time in his life.  He did this because he was afraid.   He was fearful of losing the one thing that made him happy.  There were no guarantees of a happy ending.  However, by walking away, he did guarantee he would miss out on whatever happy times were remaining.  Sometimes we forget that every situation does not end in sorrow and defeat. There are lessons to be learned, and experiences to be shared.  By giving up, we are passing by some of the most interesting, exciting, and rewarding times of our lives. Let’s focus on being courageous, not fearful. Let’s learn to practice faith, not fear.

Feed your fears, and your faith will starve.  Feed your faith, and your fears will.  Max Lucado

Wishing you joy and peace,

Lorrie

“Disneyland, the happiest place on earth.” What a great slogan. Growing up in San Diego made Disneyland very accessible. I don’t remember my first visit as a child, and I would say by the time my brothers and I were in Jr. High School, we visited the park at least annually, if not more. We knew every inch of the park. We knew the shortest way to navigate the lines, and of course we knew where to find the best food. I promise not to give away any Disney secrets we discovered as kids, but I will say it’s just as cool behind the scenes as it is out in front. I love the way the park has something for every age, whether it be kiddy rides, roller coasters, fast food, or fine dining.

 One of my favorite things about the wonderful world of Disney is the Disney Characters that roam the park. Each character has a specific place where he or she is scheduled to hang out to sign autographs throughout the day and evening. The lines can get crazy long. I’m always surprised how some visitors are willing to use up their valuable park time waiting in line for a signature.  You would most often find me standing in line for Space Mountain or some other thrilling E-ticket ride, but as I said, the park has something for everyone.

 One afternoon I was sitting on the curb eating ice-cream purchased from my favorite ice cream shop on Main Street. I don’t recall who I was with that day, but I do remember sitting there alone, quietly, doing some serious people-watching. Perhaps I needed to take a break, or maybe I was with a shopaholic and opted out of the crowded stores.  Whatever the reason, I had positioned myself just outside the Disney Character’s “Cast” dressing room. Of course, being a seasoned Disneyland fan, I knew exactly where the dressing rooms were located.   I always watched the door if I was nearby. It was fascinating to watch.

 Disney has a rule regarding its cast members. If a character is in costume, they are in character. No exceptions. As many of the characters do not speak, a character can go hours without uttering a word if they are in costume. When Mickey Mouse walks out that door, he is 100% Mickey until he walks back inside. I think we used to watch to see if anyone broke the rules, and I can proudly say we never once saw such a thing.

 As I was sitting there, eating my chocolate-dipped cone, Goofy came bouncing out of the dressing room on his way to wherever he was going to meet and greet his fans. Directly in front of me was a father, holding his worn-out little girl. She looked like she was about three-years-old, and her fun tank filled to overflowing. As her daddy held her, she shyly watched the hustle and bustle of Main Street with her little chin resting on Dad’s shoulder and her sweet little arm around Dad’s neck.

Somehow Goofy happened to see her as he set off to his destination. He stopped, mid-step, and waved to her. At first, she just watched him with curious eyes and didn’t budge. But Goofy kept waving to her.  After a few moments, she slowly lifted her little hand and gave him the tiniest wave I have ever seen. But Goofy wasn’t done. He did a cute little dance for her and then blew her a kiss.  He was not leaving until he got this tired, precious, little girl to smile, which he did. He then waved goodbye and skipped off in his very Goofy way.  Adorable.

 Here’s the thing. No one, including the girl’s parents, knew this happened. I saw an amazing, touching, interaction, which is precisely what Disneyland is all about. You may say, “Well, Goofy was just doing his job.” Very true, but he could have just waved and kept going. He didn’t have to try so hard. As far as he could tell, no one was watching, but he stayed until the girl smiled. Goofy didn’t approach it as a job; he approached it as a calling.

I’m pretty sure I’ve never said this before, but I’m going to try to be a little more like Goofy. Sometimes all the little things in life aren’t interruptions to our calling. They are the most important part.

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans – . John Lennon

Wishing you joy and peace,

Lorrie