Eat My Dust

     The title has nothing to do with my driving speed. I'm referring to my house. Our yard is basically silt with grass on top. Easy to dig in. No rocks to slow the dogs' excavation efforts. This year we went directly from snow covered to dusty. One day we're scooping poop out of the snow at our annual winter's end Soggy Doggy Doo Do, the next day the dogs are kicking up dust clouds as they run around the yard. This would not be so bad if both dogs had short hair like the Husky mix, Odin, but Baldr, the Malamute, is essentially an enormous powder puff and dust clings to his fur like Democrats to Russia collusion. My air purifier has as little chance of clearing the air as a "Me Too" accused. Pardon my waxing political.
     Banning Baldr from the house would be cutting off my nose to spite my face. As the poet said--Tis better to be loved with dust, than never to be loved at all. (And because I altered the wording, that is neither a quote nor plagiarism.)  So the dust devil duo are here to stay and dust is taking over my house. Buying a Norwex dust mitt was mostly a symbolic gesture. Housecleaning makes me want to punch something. The dust mites win. I concede defeat. I may use a tablecloth to hide the dust on the dining room table, but I get my revenge. I eat it.

Thanks for Coming

     My granddaughter is nearly two and growing more verbal, so I have been waiting to find out my Grandma name. So far it seems to be "Tum", and I think I have finally figured out why. When my daughter comes to pick her up at the end of  "grandma" day, she tells Brie, "Thank Grandma for watching you". Then I say, "Thanks for coming." This week Brie answered, "Bye, bye, Tum". Since she sometimes mixes up "c" and "t"--Cat is cat, but corn is torn, I think she is trying to say "come".
     I thought of that during communion yesterday. As I reflected on the reality of Christ's death on the cross for me, the richness of his resurrection, the rejoicing at His soon return, the best I could think of to say to Him was, "Thanks for coming."

But Then I Remembered

     As this health crisis with my niece has reminded me, I am thankful to live in a time and place of good medical treatment. In years past Amanda would have died, if not from the lupus, from the MAS that was destroying her blood cells.

•   But then I remembered, I would not have known about Amanda's disease before irradiation and thyroid supplements because I would have died ten years ago from Grave's Disease.

•   And then I remembered, Amanda would not have been born at all before Caesarean surgery because her mom would have died in childbirth with Alex.

•   But then I remembered, Robyn would have died or been severely handicapped before the blood transfusions she had at birth were available, because she had the same blood incompatibility our brother Roddy did.

       Our nation is in a time of anything goes immorality, constitutionally sanctioned murder of the most innocent among us yet, ironically, seeks legal protection from any perceived insult, including conflicting points of view.

•   But then I remember it is also a time of life saving medical technology. 
•   And then I remember God's plan is not limited by time or culture and this is the time He has chosen for Amanda to live, so she could live, and I could live to see it.

Holy Spirit Junior Strikes Again

     I have been struggling recently with critical thoughts. Since I have had victory in that area for some time, I wondered what had changed. Particularly, what had changed in me? Yesterday the Lord let me know in the gentle way He convicts me--although, He seems to find it necessary to repeat it several times, as if I'm a slow learner. I had retaken my role as my husband's Holy Spirit Jr. Part of the conviction came through that day's Family Life Today reading about "booing" your husband instead of cheering him on. The rest of it came through my Bible study in Proverbs. Wouldn't you know it would be chapter 31? Verse 11 says, "Her husband has full confidence in her." How could my husband have full confidence in me when I keep reminding him I don't have confidence in him? Verse 12 hammered the point home, "She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." I had transformed our home from the haven God intended, to a home version of the principal's office.
    So where did I go wrong? Las Vegas. But what happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas. While we were there, we live streamed Sunday's sermon from our home church. Through that message from Proverbs, my husband was convicted about something I had hoped for a long time that he would change. So far, so good. The Spirit initiated his decision but, unconsciously, my flesh decided to nag him the rest of the way to the goal, even though Proverbs also has much to say about nagging. Holy Spirit Jr., my favorite part time job.
     So whenever my husband did not follow through with his new priority, I would be silent or sullen. When he talked, I found myself listening for openings to drop little hints about what more he should be doing. Then the Lord gave me the aforementioned spiritual spanking, and I realized how much I would resent it if Reed "listened" to me that same way. I was not treating him with the grace and patience God continually shows me. I was doing him harm, not good. And I was booing him. When I gave up trying to be the Holy Spirit's little helper and confessed it to God and Reed, it was like a weight lifted off. I was free to just enjoy his company as we share the blessings and burdens of life together.
    Why do I think that the lecture loved ones to the Lord strategy that would never work with my children, is still appropriate for my husband? I'm sure he must wonder how he got to be so lucky. The same God to whom I've entrusted my children, and many others, will be faithful to grow my husband just as He has me. In His time. With His words. In His way. NOT MY WAY! After 42 years of marriage, one would think I could figure that out, even if I am a slow learner. It is the Spirit's job to convict people of sin, He has been doing it since Eden, and He is very good at His job. And when I stop trying to be the Holy Spirit, the critical spirit goes away.