An Icebreaker Became a Memory Maker

Our interdenominational fellowship group came together in my community on Tuesday night for another pot luck meal and time of fellowship. There is always an entertaining or thought-provoking time after dinner. This week we had five icebreaker questions to discuss at our table. I sat by my cousins and there were two other couples at our table. Naturally, for the couples, they answered the questions with each other in mind. For example, question one was “If stranded on an island, what 3 things (or people) would you want to have with you and why?” Each one of the couples gave as one of their three as each other. Widow Donna came up with a hatchet, water, and a ladder (I need help climbing a tree!). I’ve watched “Survivor” episodes so I know what I'd need on a deserted island.

The one question that gave me pause and introspection was “If you could live one year from your life again, which one would you go back to?” The couples’ answers were beautiful: “Going back to the first church that we pastored in Fayetteville, AR that began in our home and grew exponentially.” Another couple talked about the year that their first child was born, and the other talked about the year when he returned from Vietnam to come home to his wife and baby. Then it was my turn. I had plenty of time to consider it and, without a doubt, it would be the last year of my husband’s life that I would want a do-over.

You see, my sweetheart was a muscle-bound, picture of health and strength, full of the joy of living and sharing God’s love in ministry and counseling. We had traveled a lot and had the thrill of precious times with our children and grandchildren. Life was good. Then, came the day when we received the diagnosis of Stage 4 Kidney Cancer that changed everything. Life came to an all-consuming 24/7 endeavor to get him healed. If it had been God’s will, he would still be around today because with all the treatments, surgeries, interventions, and most of all, the prayers from around the world, it was his time.

This is what I shared with our group. I would have stopped being Martha – doing, doing, doing and I would have stopped to embrace every second that I had with my Love. I would have spent every waking moment laughing about our puppy love romance at ages 12 & 13 and some of the crazy things we did together. I would have talked more about all that God had blessed us with in the past than continuing to figure out that awful disease. We both knew he was in God’s hands and it would have been so much better to have trusted implicitly for the outcome than all the going here and there and everywhere. I would have sat with him patiently at the dinner table and just talked and talked instead of hurrying to get the dishes cleaned up so quickly. I would have thanked God for the ups and downs that we survived and even thrived through. Actually, I’ve added a little more than what I actually said in that group, but what I did say to them, as couples, to live each day as if this were the last with each other. Love each other deeply.

Since we can't do do-overs -- the best way to live life on this side of heaven is to take each day -- one day at a time -- and live it as though it were our last -- living with no regrets -- embracing and loving those around us with intensity, gratitude and gusto. Living in the light of eternity -- helping take as many others with us to heaven. My Love is waiting for me there. I look forward to introducing you to him one day!

Rose & Marci aka Thelma & Louise aka Lucy & Ethel

Early yesterday morning, a few of us in my community sent off two of our neighbors to California. They're driving in Rose's truck and will be staying, nightly, in their new cozy travel trailer. These two fun-loving widows, who met here in Hyde Park two-plus years ago, have become best of friends. A 3-week journey that these two women, with hearts for adventure, will no doubt blaze an action-packed trail . The one man that got up to join our little farewell to them said, "I wouldn't consider doing that with another man, never mind two women venturing off like that!" But these are women who live with the understanding "We have one life to live and why not live it with gusto?" I love that, and I'm really happy they're travelling via a truck and trailer versus the motorcycles that they once considered. LOL!

We sent them off with our best wishes and prayers for them. When they pulled away, underneath one of the trailer's tires was a penny. We all know what that means....."In God We Trust". My friend and I continued to walk around our community after they left and we were thrilled at the skies that seemed to offer God's light shining on us and them. "In God We Trust" on a penny, and brilliant skies -- a coincidence or a recognition of God's smile on them and us?

Why shouldn't we live with audacious living -- leaving nothing on the table when we're done? Why shouldn't we look for God's little (or big) messages, even in the "practical" of our lives? Don't we, as parents, put little notes to our kids in lunchboxes or send them text messages, or leave love notes to them on tables?

Just maybe, our Dad, our Heavenly Father, is trying to tell us something. I experienced that last week when I knew I was at the right place at the right time, but only because of little delays that made me get there perfectly ON TIME.

Perhaps this little FB post today is God reaching out to you to give you a message. Maybe it's a message that's been communicated through multiple people, or little signs, or interruptions, or encounters.

It can be tempting to ignore messages we don't want to hear, or to take for granted the positive messages that come through people or events. But it's important to be open to messages that may be a "Don't do that" warning or maybe its a nudge "Get ready" or it may be an encouragement - "You're on the right path." Whatever the message, our job is to watch, look and listen. Often, things that happen are not simply a coincidence. Maybe, it's a penny or a cloudy sky with sunshine peeking through -- whatever or whoever -- remember.....God is always speaking....are we always listening?

John 10:27-28 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."