Life's Ups and Downs

City Mouse Now Country Mouse
No. 14

The preacher started today's sermon with this:
     This is a story about a family who lived in rural West Virginia. (I got the impression that this was even farther out than Hedgesville!) There was a Mom, a Dad and a son. The parents realized when the son turned 13, that he had never been to the big city (maybe Washington, DC) and that they were going to take him.
     So, over the next several months, they saved their money for the trip. Once the funds were gathered, the parents told their son about the trip. Everyone was excited. The three dreamed of all the fun things they'd do and new things they'd see. Dad made reservations at a hotel and the son investigated the city's exhibits and events. The next weekend the family got into their car and headed to town.
      After several hours, they arrived at the hotel. Dad told Mom to stay in the car while the son and he went into to check-in. The clerk looked up their reservation and Dad filled out the paperwork. While they were standing waiting for the room keys, they both noticed some sliding doors at the rear of the lobby. A older woman was waiting next to the doors and when they opened, the she went inside and the doors closed. Several minutes later, the doors opened again and out walked a young, beautiful blond woman.
     "Aha!," Dad said loudly. "Son, go quickly and get your mom from the car!"
     The whole congregation laughed and the preacher launched into the meat of his sermon. Interestingly enough, the sermon was founded on the Beatitudes, a part of Jesus' sermon on the Mount. The Byrds made this part of scripture popular through their song, "Turn, Turn, Turn." Basically, there is a time or a season everything. He told another story about a man who, as a child, wished he was an adult. Once the man became an adult, he wished he was married--then had a family--then wished he had more time to himself--then his wife died--and so you may be able to imagine how this concludes. The main point of the message today is that we are to enjoy each and every season of our life.
     This message resonated with me today for several reasons. First, we have just celebrated my mother's 87th birthday. The picture of us was taken the day after her birthday on 1 /13/13. For my mother, this season of her life is slower and a little foggier than she'd like. Her short term memory has disappeared and most of our conversations are about five different topics, which get recycled over and over. When I can get her out of the cycle and talking about anything in the past (10 years ago or longer), I am amazed at how much "stuff" is still up there. She did so many things and traveled to so many places that her memory banks are rich with stories.
      For me, this season, this time in Hedgesville, has been an interesting one. I admit that I did not want to come here when we did in August. I loved our home in Dallas and we had (still have) some great friends there. Based on the lesson today, I know now that I came here to mourn--to mourn the loss of a dream. Mourning in Hedgesville--biding my time until I could find the next career opportunity was not what I had planned--or ever dreamed would happen to me. Honestly, what I found in Hedgesville was comfort. Not the big C comfort but the little one--comfort in being myself. I decided that getting out and helping whoever I could was going to be my mission. So I started tutoring and working with the BackPack program to feed kids. And every time I review the 7, 8, or 9 times table or I arrange a fruit, applesauce, pudding tower, I am comforted. I am grateful. I am humbled. I am happy.
    So, what season are you in? I am in the season of giving,of service and of community action. I may not be employed but I am working every day to make this little corner of the world a better place. It's great.
    Lastly, I have to tell you, the preacher today had a little Baptist (well maybe more than a little) in him. When he said "season," it really sounded like "seize-on" in a revival preacher kind of way, with the accent on the seize part. I wrote this on my program and chuckled to myself. After all, once you know what season you are in, you can then "seize on" all its opportunities.
     What are you doing? What are you waiting for? Get going!