What Difference Does an R Make?

NOTE:  This is something I wrote back in 2010; but I still think about the lesson almost every time we get snow. The photos are also from 2010.  For those of you reading who do not live nearby; the snow of the last two days amounted to less than a couple inches in our area.

 

Today I was out shoveling snow (which I've gotten rather good at this winter!) and my neighbor across the alley said, "We needed this snow."

Of course I bit and asked "Really, why is that?"

He replied, "It was starting to look a little dirty"

As I smiled I said, "Then we're going to need some more real soon because even this is beginning to look a little dirty after being shoveled off the alley."

Now don't get mad at me for saying we need more - I didn't really mean that and that's God's department not mine anyway. But - the conversation got me to thinking . . .

Isn't that a lot like my life? I confess my sin to my Savior and He forgives me and washes me clean yet again. But that beautiful clean landscape of my life and heart doesn't stay that way for long. Sin is always crouching at my door, and sometimes just barges right in. When I allow it to do so it dirties up again the cleansing of forgiveness.

Wow - what a powerful lesson the snow is in reminding me of how easily my life can become "dirty" with little and big sins;which are all sin; all leave a mark or some kind . . . I am so thankful for God’s forgiveness and cleansing!

Then the next thought took me to Psalm 51:7 where David implores God to cleanse him and make him "WhiteR than Snow" . . . That’s where the "R" question comes in . . . .

To me snow is about as white and as pure and as clean (early on) as anything I can imagine or have seen, yet David doesn't just say as white as snow, but whiter than snow . . . what does that or would that look like? 

 

Thank you God that You know - and that you make Your saving work of forgiveness available to me over and over and over again.  Thank you that as bright and clean and white fresh fallen snow looks; you make my heart even whiter with your forgiveness.  Have your way Lord!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today, January 25th, my dad (Bill Morris) would have been 87.  If birthdays are celebrated in Heaven he will be celebrating for the 13th year there.  Last week while traveling I saw this sign.  Oh how I wish I could just get in the right lane of the highway and go spend a few more minutes/hours/days/weeks . . . with Dad.

If I could, what would I say?

• Thank you Dad for the way you loved me, believed in me and invested in me.  
• Thank you for building snow ramps for us as we were growing up and always making time to take us sledding (you wouldn't believe how much traffic there is now at the Scudders Falls interchange on I 95 now.  Jerry can't believe we used to sled there!
• Thank you for providing for our family through sound financial management, and the huge garden of veggies you grew each year (wish I had gotten your green thumb!), not to mention your homemade bread and homemade ice cream!
• Thank you for teaching me how to ride a bike, thanks for building us a playhouse, thanks for the times you took me fishing.
• Thank you for teaching me both how to live - with a focus centered on God and others; and how to die - you weren't afraid, you had confidence in your God and the home He had prepared for you.  Thank you for letting me care for you your last two weeks of life (even when you told me you thought I had switched to "the other side" - ha!)
• Thank you for introducing me to the world of disability, and for "doing" disability ministry before it was even a term or idea to pursue.  
• Thank you for your love of missions, and introducing us to so many missionaries, and expanding our world.  
• Thanks for getting up at 3 am to drive me and friends 8 hours to camp and then driving back home the same day; only to do it all again the next week to pick us up.
• Thank you for leaving us notebook upon notebook of the Sunday School lessons you loved to teach (the book of John was your favorite).  How sweet to get to know you and your spiritual life better through reading these.
• Thanks Dad for being a good sport, and though you knew you couldn't sing on tune to save your life, you sang in our Pioneer Girl Talent Show.
• Thanks for bearing with me when I was obstinate, manipulating, or let you down in how I responded to you.  
• Thanks for teaching Jet Cadets and all the great games you did to help us learn the Bible more   and your creative objet lessons - like swallowing flaming cotton balls!(Again, before the programs and curriculums like Awana were even thought about!).
• You'd be so proud of your grandkids and great grandkids.  Those who had the privilege to know you still talk about playing "Yankee Doodle" with you.  Your heritage is being carried on through these incredible "kids."

Dad served in the Navy; this sketch
was done of him in Japan 1944.

I know you weren't perfect Dad.  We still laugh about the times you'd ask Mom or Ginny or me where we wanted to go out to dinner and when we'd tell you where you'd say ok, and then still drive to the place you wanted to go!  We didn't always appreciate your love for cleanliness, structure and order that led us to sometimes vacuum twice a day so there was no hair from our beloved dog King around.  That part of your character also led you to get your High School GED, which was the highest degree you achieved, yet you still were an adjunct professor at Trenton State College a couple of semesters.

I could go on and on Dad, but the last lesson you taught me is the one that Jerry and I still hold close in our hearts.  It's the day you were in hospice at the hospital and rallied your strength for a family meeting.  You made it clear that you wanted the hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul" sung at your memorial service (and we did).  But what stood out was that in your very weakened state you quoted the words to all the verses and told us all, "Never forget the third verse.  People usually skip the third verse when they sing it."  And you went on to quote:
              My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought;
              My sin, not in part, but the whole
              Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more
              Praise the Lord, praise the Lord o my soul.
To this day, Dad whenever that hymn is sung Jerry reaches for my hand, and we sing, through the tears and wait anxiously to see if the leader will include the third verse.  Thank you for being sure we understood and accepted the reality of what those words mean.

I love you Dad and I miss you (even more now than when you first went home to Heaven).   One day at the hospital Jerry asked you what you thought Heaven would be like and you (an Industrial Engineer by trade) said, "well, I imagine there has to be a procedure of some sort.  Then maybe I'll sing in the choir."  

When you took your last breath we all smiled (again through tears) saying, "Well he knows the procedure now!"  I look forward to the day you will orient me into the procedure of walking through the gates of Heaven to live forever with the God and Savior we both love! Happy Birthday Dad!

One of my favorite pictures - Mom and Dad
at our wedding rehearsal.  I love the look on Dad's
face - I think it is a mix of amazement, pride, relief
and gratitude that Jerry would take this girl on!!!

Me??? A Creative Side?

When a need arises to draw something or make something that is slightly creative, I usually am the last to volunteer; or more correctly - I don't even volunteer.  My first response is typically, "I can't even draw a straight line."

Recently I've realized that while I still feel that way, I have been expanding my creative horizons.  I am not ready to display or sell anything at The Clay Rat Studio but I am enjoying and even looking forward to my next creative venture.  In case you need a little inspiration to see what you already do, or if you want to kick start a new idea, here are some I've enjoyed.

Cooking - I follow recipes when baking, but when cooking I like to experiment - try a little of this mixed with that and see how it comes out.  Thankfully I have a husband who is willing to try new things and encourages me in this.  There has only been one thing over all the years I've made that we both said, "let's not have that again!" and funny thing - that was made from a recipe in a popular cooking magazine!  In fact right now, I am drooling over the smell of the turkey soup I just made for tomorrow's dinner.

Knitting - as a pre-teen girl my Great Aunt Mim taught me the basic knit and purl stitches.  I never really did much with it,  but over the years when we had summer interns live with us (all from one family) I watched in awe at the amazing creations that seemed to magically fall off their needles as they rapidly clacked together.  So I became inspired and picked my knitting back up; especially with Martha's skillful assistance.  I've now made slippers for all the nieces and my sister and me.  I can make a decent dishcloth and a respectable scarf.  I have dreams of tackling socks - but that may have to wait until retirement!

Sewing - Over the last year when I was able to bring my sewing machine back upstairs in our home I became quicker to do our mending and repairs.  But it was time to do more.  This past fall I made Jerry one new shirt and today cut out another that I hope to sew this week.  What a feeling of accomplishment to see something come together!

Painting - this was a real "out of the box" experience for me.  I had never even dabbled (ha!) in painting other than in high school art class, and I don't believe anything made there ever made it home!  A few years some friends introduced me to "Painting With A Twist" (you can learn about it here.)  While my finished projects will never be mistaken for a Renoir or Monet (though possibly an abstract Picasso - ha!) they've been a lot of fun

and given me an opportunity to bond with friends and family, and also to learn a little bit about shading, and blending colors, etc.  And to be perfectly honest I've also gotten to see how my elementary attempt to follow the directions can be corrected by the skillful instructor's hand (Hmmmm-  sounds like there might be a life lesson in there - you think?)

What's next?  Zentangle  A friend and I read about this a couple years ago and talked about taking a class but "chickened out."  Then I learned that a very creative and artistic friend had learned the art of Zentangle and is now teaching it to others.  So January 17 I am heading to The Craftery to learn a new way to let some creative juices flow.

Besides having fun, meeting and reconnecting with people, and learning something new there is something even more beneficial from these times.  It is the connection with our God who is the very essence of creativity!  One of the things I marvel about is how many greens there are.  I am not talking about money green, or cookie monster green, or green with envy.   When spring starts to come to your neighborhood behold how many shades and varieties of green there are.  I cannot tell that any of the greens in this beautiful earth are identical.  Wow - how can that be?  I feel certain that there are greens that are so deep into rain forests or jungles, or other isolated areas that only God has ever seen them.  How awesome is it that the God who created the universe didn't just use the "Green # 601" but took such delight and care to expand our understanding of green!

As I see God's creativity (and green is jut one way I see it - if you need more convincing of God's creativity contact me; I'd be glad to share more!) and exercise a bit of the creative spark He placed in me I come to know God on a deeper level and can ponder and enjoy the gifts He gives us in fresh new ways.  Thank you God for creating us in Your image that includes creativity.

So tell me - how do YOU exercise your creativity?  Please leave me a comment either here or on Facebook.  Maybe I'll even choose a comment at random and send you one of my Zentangle tiles!