My sister handed me an envelope. “Patsy gave these to me. She found
them while going through old photographs.”
Our friend Patsy’s mom and ours were friends and coworkers when young.
I opened the envelope and found a picture of my mom I’d never seen, which had
to have been taken during the mid 1940’s judging from her age.
Interesting that after more than seventy years, the picture came to me
at this particular time.
Here's why. Someone I love is working in London for a month. It’s an opportunity of
a lifetime with all expenses paid. Such a blessing!
Yet, may I admit in a very unsophisticated way that it’s a bit
challenging when people I care for are on another continent.
My mother always liked to keep the people she loved close, too, so when
Jerry and I announced we were embarking on a Wesley studies tour in England,
she was none too happy. After a few days of wrestling with the idea, she called
me. “I guess I’m going to have to trust God with you.”
What she said.
Yes, I guess I’m going to have to trust God for my traveler.
Why does it seem I’m surrounded by people with huge adventuresome spirits.
My writer friend Darrell Huckaby has a daughter they nicknamed, “Danger.” I
understand that. It could apply to many I know starting first with Jerry, that
plane flying, quarterback sacking, swamp wading hunter- gatherer I married.
When this picture showed up of mom with her hand on her hip, it’s as if
she were saying, “Uh, huh. Now, you know what I went through.” I had to laugh.
That
trust thing, well, I’ve written about it so much.
I don’t imagine anybody I know will suddenly decide to hole up
somewhere (and I don’t want them to), so I guess I’m going to keep writing
about it and hopefully doing it.
At present, I am reading Max Lucado’s book, Anxious for Nothing. In it, he describes a practice he uses which I
find helpful. “On my good days I begin my morning with a cup of coffee and a
conversation with God. I look ahead into the day and make my requests . . .
Then if a sense of stress surfaces during the day, I remind myself, Oh, I gave this challenge to God earlier
today. He has already taken responsibility for the situation. I can be
grateful, not fretful.”
Gratefulness, not fretfulness. Don’t you love it? That one practice has
changed the way my days go. I pray in the morning, and then the rest of the day
I rely on Him and give thanks.
I’m convinced God allows these situations where we’re totally out of
control to occur so we’ll look to Him alone. If you’re facing one of those
yourself, pray over your day, and then trust that He’s got it.
So, thanks, Patsy, you had no idea how meaningful those pictures would
be.
Praying the words the Lord spoke to Joshua for those close to me, “.
. . for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
