Watching the Mountains of Snow Melt

Here in Anchorage we are finally seeing signs of the snow melting and even some bare pavement.  I have been wearing my Keen sandals as an affirmation that better weather is coming.  The town and homes still have mountains of snow.  In previous years it takes until the end of the summer for the larger piles to melt.

It has been interesting to watch how a large pile of snow melts.  The melting happens on the bottom and inside and so you see streams of water running out from under the mountains of snow. The snow can be melted much more than you realize just by looking.  If you are the kind of person who notices how high the pile was you may notice the piles of snow getting shorter.  My dog has been climbing the  mountains of snow in the back yard and hurt his knee because the snow looked firm on the top but when he stepped - his leg post holed and he tore his ACL.


Whenever I have tried to make significant changes in my life it has felt like what I have observed as the snow has melted.  I make changes and inside I feel like they are large leaps of change.  However, often on the outside no one even notices.  That can be frustrating.  Working diligently to improve oneself and it isn't visible.


We are going to have to be patient as the snow melts.  It probably will not disappear as quickly as we would wish.  The same is true for each of us as followers of Jesus - we answer God's call to journey forward and be and do more than we have done in the past.  We will need to be patient as the change will happen gradually and perhaps others will not notice at first.


The comfort we have is that we are being faithful.  We know that God is not going to give us instant gratification just because for a week we have been reading the Bible daily or setting aside time to pray.  Like the melting snow, God works in our lives from the inside out as we seek to be faithful.

What is it about being a grandparent?

In case you have been living far away and haven't heard - I AM GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER.  My oldest daughter Meghan is due March 24th and is ready to meet this kid as she says.


I have not been this excited in a while.  Why?  Why is it so exciting to think about being a grandparent?  My father actually asked me why I was so excited to be a grandmother.  I did not have a formed answer.


Watching your children grow from baby, toddler, grade school, teenager and finally an adult is an awesome experience.  Once they reach the adult years and you can have a different relationship with them -  you begin to feel as if they have arrived.


Then seeing your children have their own children completes the circle of life.  I have been thinking a lot about my own grandparents and what do I want to pass on to my grandchildren.  I have heard that having grandchildren is better than being a parent because you don't have to do the disciplining.  I am determined my grandkids will enjoy spending time with me.


One of my grandmothers passed the faith on to me.  She sang, read from the Bible, taught Sunday school class and never hesitated to talk about how Jesus wants us to treat other people. My biggest hope is to do the same for my grandchildren.


I began to feel guilty the other day because I realized that I don't have the same sense of excitement at the thought of meeting someone new, getting to know them and sharing God's love with them.  I am not out of my head excited to get the opportunity to witness to others.  The thought of sharing with others about Christ can sometimes make us very nervous.


As I live in to actually being a grandparent I am hoping to take notes on how I pass on the Christian faith and how I can transfer that to sharing the faith with those I don't know.  Pastors share about the faith every week as they lead worship, teach and preach.  Remember that the worship crowd are usually those who are already converted or at least are open to the Christian faith. 


I invite you to consider your relationship to those outside the walls of the church.  How can you walk with them and find opportunities to share the faith?  How can we, the church, become more adept at sharing our experiences of what God has done in our lives, in the lives of others we have known and in scripture.  I hope to gain new insights as I become a grandmother.

Early, On-time and Late Arrivals

     Growing up my parents were always early wherever we went.  We were the first at church and early to the theater and movies.  I don't remember objecting to my parents early timing.  I actually grew up thinking that is just what one does when you go somewhere.
     I get especially anxious if I realize I am going to be late.  I think I am being rude by arriving late or even on time.  I guess there was an implied message in the way my parents approached our arrivals.   I also think it was a part of the time I grew up in - people arrived early for events and got the opportunity to see and talk to others.
     Compare that to what I have seen happening just in church attendance.  Since about 10 years ago it has been common practice for me to walk up the aisle of the church before worship begins and see the church sparsely populated.  Often by the time I kneel, pray and turn around the church is filled with people.  
      This past Sunday was classic at Anchor Park UMC.  I walked in, kneeled to pray and as I began the worship service the pews were very empty.  As I stood up to preach (later in worship) I noticed the church was full of people.
     What does all this mean?  What did it mean when I was growing up and we were always early?  What does it mean today that the tendency is to arrive after the starting time?  What does it mean that as the years go by people are arriving later and later during the worship service?
     I don't have any answers.  I am not upset about this change in behavior.  I find it interesting and am wondering what it reflects about our world and what is happening in people's lives.  
     Those who analyze human behavior have been known to explain why an individual may be consistently late to everything in their lives.  The excuse, I mean explanation is that arriving late is a form of control.  A time may be set for something to begin but the individual is not going to allow someone to tell them what to do - therefore they arrive late to show who is in control.
     Can this be true for our entire society?  This is not just a behavior by a few who are still dealing with childhood issues.  Perhaps things are so hectic in our lives that arriving late is our only option.  I know occasionally I will try to get one last thing done at the house before I leave only to realize it took me longer than I anticipated and I arrive late.
     When my spouse and I go to the movie we are always the first ones to arrive.  We figure that movies are expensive and we want to see it all including the previews and ads.  Maybe movie theaters have trained society to not worry about arriving at the start time because we know there will be a lot of previews before the actual movie starts.
     Another thought I had was the coolness factor.  It was "cool" to arrive early when I was growing up.  Postmodern society may not value early arrivals so it has become "cool" to arrive late.   We know it doesn't pay to arrive on time to the doctor because you always have to wait. (no offense to doctors - just the reality I have experienced) 
     There is a problem with getting in to the habit of late arrivals.  Late arrival becomes a problem for events that definitely start on time.  Things like school, courtroom and airline flights tend to fairly rigid in their start times.
     Whatever the reason I do find it interesting how the world has changed in this way.  If you have an explanation write me a comment because I would love to hear.  Know that I am not upset but just acknowledging a current reality that I find interesting.  Late arrivals definitely impact how we think about organizing our time as planners.
     There is one thing I know for sure - God loves the early, the on-time and the late arrivers.  May we grant one another grace in behaving as we have been created.

What A Difference!!!

     I was just reading a wonderful devotion written by a colleague in Iowa using the "transitioning" weather as an image for "transitioning" in life.  It was very appropriate for Iowa but the devotion would be lost on Alaskans.
     In Iowa when the weather is "transitioning" it is important to stay tuned to the radio and TV stations for updates.  The day can begin with rain turning to ice turning to snow turning to a blizzard.  For Iowans when there is bad weather that usually means people are asked and warned to stay home and off the roads.  Tornado season is another time Iowans stay tuned to the radio and TV.
     Contrast that to Alaska.  I am not sure we ever know when the weather is "transitioning" and even if it does transition to ice or snow we are prepared for it and go out anyway.  In Alaska we also don't put much confidence in the weather forecasters because they are usually wrong.  If we stayed home in Alaska when there was snow we would not leave the house for many days and even months at a time.
     Two different parts of the same country and an image has two very different meanings.  I realize I will need to be "transitioning" very soon to the Iowa way of seeing the world.  Much the same as when I transitioned to Alaska 5 years ago.
     I do however thank God that I have a new perspective on the world because of my time in Alaska.  I imagine that as the years go by in Iowa I will still continue to smile and think of Alaska when Iowans cancel events because of a little snow.   God created humans and areas of the world to be different.  Thanks be to God. 
     May each of us understand how different a perspective can be depending on where we are living and our life experiences.  Neither is wrong - just different.

Being Served

Last week I had the privilege of spending time with my family at an all inclusive resort.  Basically I spent a week enjoying the sun, beach, my family and being served.  My every desire was taken care of throughout this week.


As the week was about half way through I began to notice that the staff was extremely attentive and often anticipated my needs.  If I dropped something someone quickly picked it up - if my glass was empty it got filled - well you get the idea.  This was a great contrast to a person who is used to serving others.


There are several observations I would make out of this experience.


First, I was resistant to being waited on at first.  As the days went on it felt good and I relaxed and let it happen.  This was a good reminder that as I serve my neighbor in mission they may at first be resistance but if I keep at it they will relax, know that I mean no harm and even relax and enjoy.


Second, at the beginning of the week I did not notice those serving me but as time progressed I began to realize how amazing it was there were so many people concerned about my needs.  I also felt comforted knowing there was not anything I might face that week where I would have to solve it myself.  This also seems applicable in the work we do as the church in serving our mission field.


Third, by the end of the week I relaxed and felt special.  When we are cared for by others we can relax and we are reminded how special we are in God's eyes.  I think it would be awesome to give each person in our mission field a reason to relax and remember they are special in God's eyes and in our lives.


There are many of us who spend our lives intently looking for ways to serve others.  After last week I understand the need for each of us to have a time like I did last week.  I am not alone on this journey and I am indeed special in God's eyes.  Serving others takes patience as they trust our motives.


Peace, Leila