Get Close to Me!

When my two youngest grandsons were younger, they slept together (sometimes they still do that). I was the Nana-in-charge because Mom and Dad were away and in order to get two very frisky, full-of-life boys to power down, I had to come up with a strategic plan-of-action. Pillow fights, jumping on the bed like it was a trampoline, and incessant requests for water or some other vice they needed, paled in comparison to Nana’s “Super Brennan and Super Bryson” stories. That was my brilliant strategy – “If you don’t calm down, there will be no Super Brennan/Super Bryson story tonight.” It worked every time. I’d like to think they went right to sleep afterwards, but my Strategy #2 was to squeeze right between them in bed (great way to build a wall to keep them away from each other). Hey, President Trump, I may have a plan for you. LOL!

BTW – Super Brennan and Super Bryson stories were about two boys who had super powers because of their super backpacks that ALWAYS had the tools needed to help save the day for animals or people in distress! Bryson still asks me for one of those stories and I'll admit, the pressure is on to come up with something new and amazing each time.

Here’s the point I’m making with today’s blog, however. With all their shenanigans, they still wanted to make room for Nana. You know that I ate it up. They wanted me close, and I wanted to be close to them!

I remember, with my own children, and all of the grandchildren, getting so close to them all when they had a bad dream, weren’t feeling well, or were just simply restless and couldn’t sleep. My presence gave them comfort.

And, like those precious little ones, I often find myself in life situations that feel like a bad dream. I might be uncomfortable or even in physical pain. Then, I recall “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth”. Psalm 145:18. And, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”. Psalm 46:1.

I’d like to tell you I ALWAYS call upon Him immediately, but I have to admit many times I settle for the tossing and turning and letting crazy thoughts bombard my peace. I know what to do. I simply need to reach out for His presence that is available to me -- any time and any where. I love that my grandsons wanted me close, and even that they were willing to make room for me to do so. They’d calm down because of my presence.

And, even more so, our Lord wants us to make room for Him. James 4:8: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Daily I’ve come to realize making room for God by welcoming Him into the moments of my day is the most important thing I can do to stay calm, peaceful and out of stress. I actually create space in my day to talk to Him and read His Word. Like with my grandchildren, I think He also strategizes to get me settled down. He continually beckons me to sit still, to move over, to listen to HIS super heroes of faith stories. I make room for more of God’s presence when I honor Him in my actions and attitudes and “move over” by submitting my will to His. And I do this because I know that God’s presence is always available to me.

When we are in His presence, we can experience joy that safety and security in Him brings. His presence helps us experience His peace, regardless of circumstances surrounding our lives. God’s presence can bring us to a place of calm, comfort, confidence and rest. We just have to scoot over and make room for Him to cozy up to us. His presence really does makes a difference.

Practice and Practice and Practice Makes Perfect

I started taking piano lessons when I was 8 years old. The first thing I learned was how to read the notes on a page and associate those notes to the keys on the piano. Then I learned how to look at the music and pay attention to my fingers at the same time. That sounds like a whole lotta' coordination is involved, and, yes, it is -- eyes, fingers, ears, and a good brain. But as I practiced and practiced and practiced, something remarkable happened. Not only was I able, by instinct, to play what I was seeing, but before long, I even had music memorized and I was able to play by memory. All those lessons and all that practice served me well over the years as I played the piano and organ for our church and for our quartette that itinerated around the U.S. and Canada.

Learning to play the piano takes time, determination, practice and consistency. And that's the way it is with anything that we want to accomplish in life -- whether it be in learning to cook, play an instrument, be good at a sport, dance, or even in being a better husband/wife, parent, friend, employee or neighbor.

Let's say we really do want to be a caring, giving and generous person. Maybe we've been "all about me", and we're ready for change. First we get a plan of action (like I had to with learning to read the notes and keys). Every day we think about how we can be more generous to our spouse or neighbor or work associates. Then we determine to carry out that plan (just as I practiced over and over) -- we practice by offering to help someone with something they are having to do (i.e., clean out a garage, help an associate with meeting a deadline, help take care of a neighbor's kids, tutor a child, offer to help at a local charity, etc.) And we keep on practicing those caring and giving habits. All of a sudden.....by instinct -- by second nature....we are living out what we put into practice. We become the one that raises our hand when someone asks for help -- just instinctively. We can't even help it -- it's second nature.

Indeed....practice makes perfect in just about everything we hope to excel in -- in life -- and that holds true to practicing love, harmony, faith, good attitude, consideration for others, and generosity.