When You Can no Longer See the Path

Hiking one of the trails, in the Natchez Trace State Park, can be challenging. It’s not that the trails are too long or too steep. The problem is that you can easily lose the path. Natchez Trace has been almost swallowed up by Kudzu. Kudzu is a vine that was brought to TN, from Japan, with the idea that it could help prevent erosion. Its root system was too shallow to accomplish the intended goal. Kudzu proved to be a real problem for the state. It grows about 12”/day. It will grow up a tree and totally cover a forest quickly. When hiking, one has to be careful not to get one’s feet caught in the vines. Because of its invasive growth, the vines can cover trails more quickly than the park service can clear them.

On a recent visit, my husband and I were going for a short hike, just about a mile, through the forest. We came upon several spots in which we could no longer see the path. Blue paint, on tree trunks, is used to provide markers for hikers. Unfortunately, the kudzu climbs the trees, quickly covering up the markers. When we could no longer see the path, my husband reached up to pull down vines from trees, searching for blue paint. I stopped, not wanting to get caught in vines, until he figured out the way we should go. He found the way without too much trouble, but he had gotten ahead of me. I could no longer see him, but he called my name and I followed the sound of his voice. It presented a spiritual metaphor in my mind.

What do you do when you can no longer see the path you thought your life was taking? You had plans, but obstacles have gotten in the way. You thought you had your life mapped out; the way was clear in your mind. Then, the path became obstructed. It was no longer visible. Where do you go next? You can’t see the next marker.

“Faith is the substance of things not seen, the evidence of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1). When you can’t see the step in front of you, do you throw up your hands and give up? Do you turn around, and go back to the familiar? If you can see the path clearly, faith is not required. If faith is not required, that suggests that you’re not going to achieve anything except that which you can control. Do you really want such limitations on your life? Do you want to be fearful of taking a step forward, because you don’t know where it will lead? If so, you won’t achieve anything with eternal value. Do you expect to experience God’s blessings for work that you do under your own power?

What do you want your legacy to be? Your children are likely to follow your model for living. Do you want them to see how far they can travel a path of their own making, or do you want them to step out in faith, listening for God’s call? If you are a believer, I imagine you want them to follow Him even when they can’t see where He’s taking them. So, what are you doing now, to prepare them to listen for the voice of God?

Enough?

Blog:  When is Enough, Enough?

Our master bathroom was undergoing renovation. While dealing with the demo mess, my husband and I were relegated to the guest bathroom. As I was getting ready to go out one morning, I became frustrated. Jack and I were vying for room around the one available sink. In my angst, I said, “How did anyone ever get ready before dual sink bathrooms?” It just took a moment before we both started to laugh. We had just returned from visiting our son’s family in Eastern Europe. They live in a country that is identified as a functional third world nation. Our son, and his wife, have four young children. His family, of six, is grateful for running water and electricity, because much of the country is not blessed with these simple amenities. A dual sink? Such a luxury is beyond the imagination of much of the world.

I must confess; I am spoiled! I don’t even know how to distinguish between the things that I truly need and those I just want. I feel entitled to many things that the world, beyond our borders, doesn’t even realize exist. We live in a home of about 2200 square feet. In our area, this is considered small. As we visited our son, he said, “Mom, you and dad don’t need that big house. You could easily live in 600 square feet.” I managed to pick my jaw up, off the floor, before he saw it, or at least I think I did. I don’t know if there are any apartments that small in our area, much less a house. The truth is, I don’t want to find out. I got claustrophobic just imagining it. 

My son’s family is blessed with an understanding of what is enough. His wife prepares dinner for the family each night and includes guests, three or four nights a week. She puts forth a generous delicious spread. It is all prepared in a kitchen that is about 5’ x 6’. She has a small refrigerator and very little cabinet space. The counter space is almost non-existent, and the sink doesn’t drain without a plunger to move it along. To add to that, the children want to help cook, and she encourages it. The kitchen is just a microcosm of the differences in their home and lives. The family does not feel deprived, and they live with a sense of contentment. They understand the meaning of enough.

As a mom, I am proud. My son is now teaching me. I may not be ready to sell out and move into a 600 square foot home yet, but he has prompted thought. I am reevaluating my definition of “enough”. And, maybe, that is enough for now.

Incoming!

A beautiful wedding does not just appear out of thin air. It is a well-orchestrated event that is often considered long before the bride has even met her intended. Each detail is thought to be important. The bride has only one chance to make it perfect, and that is her goal, perfection!

Everyone anticipates the beauty of a wedding, but an overflow of mixed emotions may also be expected. It is a day of both laughter and tears. Some of the tears are a direct result of the unrealistic expectations that come with the planning of this day. Of course, with more details involved, there are more elements with the potential to go awry.

My husband, Jack, performed a wedding in which the bridal couple were to light a unity candle. This is a common tradition in many weddings. There is typically a candelabra with three candles. One represents the groom’s family, one represents the bride’s. The candle, in the middle, remains unlit until the couple comes to light it together. Each one takes the candle, representing their family. At the same time, they bring their candles to meet at the center one, which they light together, representing the unity of their families.

This is a meaningful moment in the ceremony, and the couple wanted everything to be perfect. They chose to use dripless candles, providing a sleeve around them, to avoid getting burned by candle wax. When the moment came they each started to retrieve their candle. The groom, inadvertently, pushed down on his. When he did, the spring mechanism was activated. It shot the candle sleeve through the congregation like an attacking missile. I half expected to hear someone yell out, “Incoming!” There was an immediate intake of breath followed by laughter. The sacred moment was ruined, but it insured that this wedding would be memorable for all who attended.

We might do well to remember, there is no perfection this side of heaven. And, often, we find greater joy in the flaws that show up as uninvited guests to a wedding.

Mathematically Calculate the Attention Span of your Student

Memory Series: Creating Interest/Attention Span/Layering on a Big Idea

1.    Creating Interest

2.    Calculating Attention Span

3.    Layering on a Big Idea

·       Create interest! If a learner is not motivated in the first few minutes, very little is likely to be accomplished. Timing is vital!  Think of a hook to draw the learner in. You want to create a level of curiosity. For example, if studying the Second World War, the day you initiate the unit, students might enter the room to the sounds of the McGuire Sisters or the instrumental renderings of Benny Goodman. By doing this, students are immediately curious and a mood has been set for the era that they are about to study.

·       Be aware of the attention span of your student. This formula should give a foundation for judging it. Attention span can be determined by age + 2, or functional age + 2. This maxes out at approximately age 18. Therefore, no one can be expected to listen with complete focus for more than 20 minutes. After the learner’s attention span has been reached, a brief mental or physical break can make a huge difference in terms of bringing the student back to the topic. Staying with the WWII study, after 18 minutes of lecture with a class of high school juniors, you might allow students to get in groups to read a newspaper report or a personal letter or diary entry from someone from that period. You might have pre-determined questions for each group to discuss after reading the short piece. The subject hasn’t changed, but students have moved (increasing necessary oxygen to the brain, thus greater focus), and through their discussions they now have some ownership in their learning. Once again, you are increasing the chances of long-term memory.

·       Layering on a Big Idea, that really captures the hearts and minds of learners, accelerates already good learning. For example, if a class is already interested in learning about World War II (Big Idea), then a historical novel set in that era will only add to the overall interest.

Remember, if one’s attention is lost, then memory is not really the object, because the student is not yet engaged.

Seeking God

Seeking You

It’s Sunday. After writing this, I will prepare to go to church. We have a fellowship of believers that I love. We have music to lift the spirit and preaching that is solidly consistent with the Word. I have no complaints. However, God, you call me to serve outside those walls.

In the past, I thought I knew what you expected of me based on the gifts that you endowed me with. But, now I question things looking through older, more experienced lens. I am now a senior adult. I am in a new season of life. I have less energy, and I feel somewhat lost in this constantly changing culture. I don’t know if I have a viable role. Have I any relevancy? My son says that I am naïve, and I don’t deny that. The harshness, often cruelty, which is now reported on the daily news, is more than my mind, my heart, can comprehend. How can I make a difference in a society that no longer resonates with me?

But, I have You. You see; You comprehend; You created me for relationship and service. Therefore, I am relevant. You continue to keep me here. You continue to give me opportunities. You have purpose for me; I must find it. I cannot find it alone. You show me, and I will try to follow. You will not call me to anything that You have not equipped me, resourced me, to do.

So, it’s time to go to church. Help me to worship You in truth. Help me see a little more, to understand a bit more clearly. Give me inspiration, give me hope, give me direction, give me passion, give me impetus. Give me direction and opportunity to do Your perfect will right where You want me to serve. Help me to paint a clear picture of You for others to see and worship.

It all goes back to You. It all goes toward You. This is why I will now get ready for church, to join with other believers, seeking You.

The Groom...Down for the Count

I suppose that whenever we try to bring great dignity to an occasion, we unintentionally invite a certain amount of turmoil into the scenario. Our lives are normally rather relaxed, so a particularly formal situation brings a certain amount of stress and unease. We begin to consider all of the possible things that we might do to ruin the event, and set our minds up to do that which we least desire.

Perhaps that is what happened at this wedding. The groom was particularly nervous. He was not accustomed to formal settings, and the whole event had unnerved him. He had accepted all of the plans in an effort to please his bride, but he was uneasy as he stepped into the church.

The wedding was carefully planned, and everything was beautiful. There were two elaborate candelabras set on either side of the bride and groom as they stood before the pastor to take their vows. As the minister asked the groom if he would take this woman as his wife, the groom, instead of answering, fainted. As he went down, he hit one of the candelabras and it was going down, too. The pastor had to make a quick decision, catch the groom or the candles? The groom hit the floor with a thud, but the church was saved from fire.

1940's wedding photo

After a few minutes of recovery, the groom returned to his spot by his bride. They made their vows, and they were married.

The moral to this story? When taking a step outside your comfort zone, just realize that it’s just a moment before you’ll once again be at ease OR maybe, just make sure there are no potential fire hazards around you when you go down for the count.

Weddings: What's Really Important?

As a minister’s wife, I have attended more than my share of weddings, and I’ve been privy to much of the behind-the-scenes drama. My husband, Jack, in an attempt to ease the nervous couple, would say, “Something is bound to go wrong; it always does. Most of the time no one sees it but the two of you and me. But the truth is, if I say, ‘Will you?’ and you say ‘I will’ and I say, ‘You are’. Then as long as the marriage license is signed, everything else is superfluous. You’re married.” Though that is true, we have witnessed some interesting situations.

One couple had planned a beautiful wedding. There were nine bridesmaids and nine groomsmen. Flowers and candles were everywhere. The dresses, of the attendants and the bride, were the most beautiful I’d ever seen. The brass quintet completed the fairy-tale scene. The hundreds, in attendance,
were in awe. It was a spectacle to take your breath away.

The bride spent untold hours planning it all, and she wanted to make it last, so she included everything that she had ever seen in any wedding she’d attended. She had read brides’ magazines looking for touching elements that would make the occasion memorable. But, in the end, she didn’t need any outside source to provide that.

The attendants were lined up with a groomsman standing behind each bridesmaid. As one of the songs was sung, by a talented vocalist, one of the bridesmaids collapsed in a dead faint. Thankfully, the groomsman behind her caught her before she hit the floor and carried her from the room. There was an audible gasp from the guests. Someone left the room to attend to her so the groomsman could rejoin the wedding. The ceremony continued, but after another couple of minutes, another bridesmaid passed out. She, too, was removed from the sanctuary. People were looking at one another, with little smiles, this time. The song was now over. The bridal couple knelt, on a bench, and Jack began to lead the congregation in a prayer for the couple. As heads were bowed, a big thump was heard from the front of the church. People raised their heads in time to see a third attendant carried from the room. At this point, everyone broke out in laughter, including the bride and groom. The minister tried to resume the prayer, but snickers could be heard throughout the room.

When the bride and groom were presented to the congregation, before walking down the aisle to exit the church, everyone laughed and cheered. Jack was right. Something had certainly gone wrong, but he did say, “Will you?” They did each say, “I will”. The license was signed, and they were married. The rest was just fodder, for stories, to share for years to come.