Life Long Learner

Marsha was so excited about many of the things she learned while getting her masters degree at Cambridge College. I always knew that Marsha was an exceptional teacher. She said that she knew she was meant to be a teacher from the time she was a child, and she proved it to be true. She also had no investment in doing the same old job in the same old ways. She would listen and take to heart information that she thought might improve her ability to teach her students. Cambridge College gave her new ideas that she thought really improved her ability to do just that. In her later retirement years she was helping people as a spiritual director again learning to do new things for the benefit of others. I'd like to think I have the same attitude. Seminary, ordained ministry, Computer, Facebook, Ipods, blogs are all late additions to my life skills. Some people are surprised by the things I continue to explore as an older guy. You know the slogan of the Army recruiter, that they can help you be all that you can be. When we stop learning we give up a piece of our humanity, that which makes our species special. God wants us to pursue a deeper understanding of Him and his creation. He wants us to use all the tools at our disposal to develop every skill that will be useful in His hands to serve in the world. Isn't it exciting that our brain never gets full. What new thing is waiting for you?

Just A Ducky Day

Don Blackwell aka "Ducky" has had his share of medical manipulations over the past few years and they seemed to be coming more repetitively. Another friend has been itching to proceed with a needed treatment and has hit obstacles at every turn. At times it feels like life is nothing but one problem after another when we have such a wide extended family. You know when life was smaller and confined to family and neighbors, we had only a few people that could have anything bad going on, but as the world gets bigger and our lives connected closely with more and more people it just seems natural that some of them will be going through life problems. I don't think things are worse than in years past but our world is so large that we are aware of so many more problems. Today was a good day in fact it was just "Ducky". The result of the biopsy for my friend Don was good today. I have said so often that God is good all the time, all the time God is good, it is particularly nice when it is so obvious in a natural and practical way that it doesn't even require faith. Faith is good too though!!

Healing

I took the picture of these oyster shells in Murrell's Inlet last spring. It seemed like the whole river bank all around was made up of oyster shells. Today I went to talk to an Episcopal priest, Jeff Wallace, who is a hospice chaplain here in Myrtle Beach. He has invited me to consider being employed as a very part time on call chaplain. I have always valued the work of hospice nurses and volunteers and had a couple of opportunities to be called to be with dying hospice clients when I was a priest in Whitman. As we were talking today I shared how as I shopped for the handicapped woman for Christmas I really felt Marsha's loss. He said maybe I shouldn't have taken a name this year. I said that the moments when I miss her the most are the moments when I have the best memories of Marsha. You know I would not miss the memories of those things about her for all the pain in the world. It is in those moments with that mixture of joy and sorrow that I heal from my loss and celebrate what I've lost all at the same time. It is like the irritation that causes an oyster to form a pearl. It is not simple, life is complicated but we discover our path as we go and as we pray, and we heal from the issues we encounter along the way. I guess I want to say that we learn as much about living in the tough times as in the times of blessing. They often show us the most beautiful things that we might have missed.

Work?

Maynard G. Crebbs made that one word line famous years ago in that comic role on TV. "Work?" he would say anytime someone suggested he do just that. He avoided work at all cost. I always loved work. I learned so much from various opportunities to work. Even starting with working with my dad for nothing I learned practical skills. I can do most trades because of summer jobs. I must say however that my two major life vocations were the best. As a teacher I had the opportunity to work with young people in a formative time in their lives. Not all wanted to learn what I had to teach, but I always thought that the most important thing I had to teach was not subject matter but rather about life and character. I needed to teach a subject too, but underneath I was always looking for the chances to show ways of thinking and ways of making life choices. My greatest memories, as a teacher, are about conversations with individuals and groups of students where I could see they got an important life message. As a priest I was directly involved in trying to help people see life through a lens that I knew makes life work, a Christian lens. I've said frequently that I have had the privilege of being invited into peoples lives at some of their most important moments. I've held babies in hospital rooms moments after their birth like I was a family member. I have been at the bedside with family members as they say goodbye to a dying loved one. I've helped couples plan their wedding and think about their marriage. I counseled people through many individual difficulties. In all those situations I've watched God touch peoples lives with healing and meaning. I can't imagine a greater experience for a person's life work. Work? I say, "Yes!!!"

Dedication

My son is a fanatical fisherman. On his way to school at 6 AM he will stop at a pond along the way and make ten casts to see if he can catch anything. Almost nothing comes out of his mouth with as much excitement as the last episode of fantastic fishing. The fish is the picture is one of thirty something landlocked salmon that he caught in one twenty four hour trip. He has had some of the most unique and spectacular experiences around his ability and desire to fish. The second picture is of one of my granddaughters in her costume for a play. In that side of the family the fanatical efforts have to do with theatre, performance, and film. My daughter and both her children have theatre at the heart of all they do. Bekah used to insist on having seen the Tony Award winning show on Broadway each year. They always have an Oscars party and any other award program to do with acting or theatre. In the case of both my son and daughter they show tremendous dedication to the areas of their interest. Dedication is so important to become expert at something, but it is even more important for it to be enthusiastic dedication. What if our dedication had to do with kindness or generosity or unconditional love. What if we put as much effort into our marriages or parenting. We have so much that is important that we take for granted. So much that we could do to really make a difference in this world but that gets second rate energy. Nothing wrong with dedication to what makes us happy like fishing and theatre, but maybe we could find a little more dedication to what makes everyone's life better.

Christmas Is Here

My first Christmas in 46 years without Marsha. We had a wonderful night last night. We went to church and out to dinner. After dinner we went to homes and neighborhoods with elaborate light displays ending at one that used four homes in a radio orchestrated light display to music that was beautiful, The owners use this to collect money for The Make A Wish Foundation. It was a wonderful Christmas Eve. We sang songs in the car from a Christmas collection Merrie has in her Ipod with some from Sandi Patty. Well some of us sang songs anyway.

This morning in prayer I couldn't help but think of Marsha. I can see her running around with all the last minute details running through her head. The joy must be overwhelming her. Can you imagine Marsha with her love for making this the greatest day ever being invited to the birthday party of the King of Kings in person and without any reigns attached to what she can do. And imagine the celebration she is part of today if we in our weakness celebrate with such abandon that the economy depends on it, how much more amazing the celebration in heaven. That big smile of her face holding hands maybe with Kathy Lynch and singing to JJ at the top of her lungs Happy Birthday to you, tears of joy streaming down her glorious face. I love you honey, have the best day ever.

We're Peculiar Creatures

I'm in Georgia with my daughter Merrie for Christmas and going through my photo album in my computer and this picture caught my attention. Merrie and my granddaughter Laura are sharing an ice cream cone. This family shares food like crazy. In a restaurant they just reach across and take food from each others plates like it is their own. "Let me try that" "Gee that looks so good" and out comes the hand. I can't stand this. They know that reaching on my plate could lead to a fatal wound from my fork. I'm really funny about sharing food with anyone.

I love to watch people. It is a hobby of mine. I don't judge others any more than I judge myself. I know I'm strange in some ways as I have written about that before. In fact many of you might think I'm strange for even writing a blog like this. The point is I've come to the conclusion that we human beings are an odd lot. We all have these little idiosyncrasies that for the most part are quite charming and harmless. They make us a little unique, but often we use them as weapons against one another. I can remember sitting around while one or another person is being ridiculed for a speech pattern or common mistake. Perhaps that is the most peculiar thing of all. Our need to be judge of the world. It's much more fun for me to watch the world with an inner chuckle at our little peculiarities than to look for others weaknesses to exploit. One leads to a smile the other to self protection. You see if I'm judging others I'm always fearful that they are judging me. Let's just admit it we're all just a peculiar bunch and get over it.