Their Love Lives On

It was the 1950's in Belgium. Having survived the brutalities of war, people were getting back to the daily norms of making a living--and finding love. Louis was a salesman for his family's upscale textile business; Ginette worked her fingers to the bone as a seamstress for her family's tailoring shop. He initially came by for company matters, but his constant showing off  made it clear that his interest in the seamstress was more than materialistic: the first time he'd set eyes on her, he'd fallen in love. She had other plans, however, wanting to marry her "hundredth boyfriend." Her current boyfriend was a man in uniform, someone whom she did not want to replace with this pretentious smooth-talker.

Then one day, Louie the "showman" turned up when she was ill. She decided to take him up on his offer to ride in his Mercedes--just in order to get to the hospital more comfortably than taking a streetcar. During her stay at the hospital, he came to visit her, casually saying he was "in the neighborhood." He asked what he could do for her and she requested that he bring her a book to read. Since there was a bookstore across the street, she was not sure what could be delaying him; but when he returned hours later, she discovered why his search had taken so long. He tossed a book to her entitled, Ik Heb Je Lief, "I Love You."

And that was their start, a love that took them from poverty to living in a castle; from Europe to America; from foreclosing one small home to building another warm home with acreage; from raising three boys to having eight grandchildren. And through the process, they kept their playful relationship. To others, Ginette often protested Louie's antics, yet she privately let him know that she adored him. Their affection was evident to all.

During his final five years, Louie struggled with health problems due to COPD, often requiring hospitalization. Somehow he would pull through each episode with Ginette--always the strong one--rallying by his side. In the end, Ginette was suddenly overtaken by cancer. She lingered in her final days until Louie sang her "their" song and tenderly whispered, "It's OK, Ma. You can go." Having his permission, she could then breathe her last. It only took thirteen days until he joined her.

...6-1-54" Married the 6th of January, 1954

 Engraving: "Ginnette Louis...

Ginette and Louis celebrated 49 years of marriage on earth just prior to their passing, but their love lives on in all who were touched by their complete devotion to one another. Theirs was a love that shines beyond life itself.

The Sun Is Closer... Or, We Are Turning Toward the Sun

Pic Credit: Christie Pollet

This morning as I walked my little doggy, I noted that even though it was a brisk 35 degrees, the sun feels closer. I went through the scientific facts behind that thought and realized that the sun remains (relatively) the same distance from earth and thus is not (much) closer. However, as I used to tell my 4th graders, The Reason for the Seasons is the Axis of the Earth. The tilt causes us to be closer and gives us the warmer weather that we so long for currently. (In a few short months we will probably be cursing the tilt!)

OK, time for a metaphor. (If I had a kids' show, I would have some sort of theme song here, kinda like in Blue's Clues during Mail Time.) In our relationship to God and others, we sometimes get cold. In the winter, the earth's axis is tilted away from the sun; in our lives, we turn from God and others. Just as the earth's axis is tilts toward the sun, we also need to adjust our prideful, selfish attitudes toward the ways of God. Until we actually bend down (in prayer to God and service to others), our relationships will not warm up.

Recently, I've been hit with the concept that the highest goal of a Christ-follower's character should be humility. It makes sense, right? Christ, in washing his disciples' feet gave us that clear example to follow.

Pope Francis certainly seems to demonstrate such a humble attitude. As reports came out about his caring acts toward the poor, hope swelled up within me for the 1.2 billion people who call themselves Catholic, not to mention the rest of us in the catholic (meaning universal) Body of Christ. It certainly caused me to pause and consider my attitudes/actions toward those whose lifestyle is different than mine. Would I give up personal safety to touch a small, seemingly insignificant person in a crowd, much less kiss his/her feet? How much am I willing to humble myself?

Jesus showed ultimate humility on the cross. Philippians chapter 2 paints a beautiful picture of this truth. As you celebrate Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday, I leave you with this beautiful passage on which to meditate:

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11, NLT)

From One Ragamuffin to Another

Having turned 48 last month, I realize more & more just how fleeting life is. Yet as old as I'm getting, I still revert to middle-school mentality on occasion. For example, if I'm being left out of any event or conversations of friends or co-workers, I am overcome by an inner voice whispering, "They don't like you, Cyndi. They are conspiring to keep you out--forever!" Yes, I am once again that 13-year-old, facing rejection from a group of friends.

That type of rejection hasn't happened to me in my adult days (that I know of) so my thoughts are truly irrational. But why is my self-esteem not secure? By God's grace, I have accomplished much to be proud of in my 48 years of life: I work at keeping my marriage strong; I am extremely proud that my children have grown to be compassionate, thoughtful followers of Christ. I was a professional in the field of education for many years, making a difference in the lives of students; and I am confident that soon I will become a licensed professional counselor, perhaps going on to help many who need a listening ear and someone to guide them to Hope. Why would I cower like an adolescent in certain situations?

I have been reading a book that has been on my "to read" list for decades: The Ragamuffin Gospel, by Brennan Manning. In a chapter describing God's love, he explains how grace through faith has established his self-image:

Justification by grace through faith means that I know myself accepted by God as I am. When my head is enlightened and my heart is pierced by this truth, I can accept myself as I am. Genuine self-acceptance is not derived from the power of positive thinking, mind games, or pop psychology. It is an act of faith in the God of grace. ... The acceptance of self does not mean to be resigned to the status quo. On the contrary, the more fully we accept ourselves, the more successfully we begin to grow. Love is a far better stimulus than threat or pressure. ... When we accept ourselves for what we are, we decrease our hunger for power or the acceptance of others because our self-intimacy reinforces our inner sense of security. We are no longer preoccupied with being powerful or popular. We no longer fear criticism because we accept the reality of our human limitations. Once integrated, we are less often plagued with the desire to please others because simply being true to ourselves brings lasting peace. We are grateful for life and we deeply appreciate and love ourselves.

So I know I am a mere ragamuffin, but a ragamuffin loved and accepted by God. And I can accept myself--as I am--through an act of faith.

Often, however, I am lacking that enlightened head and pierced heart to maintain this truth in my life. I allow the circumstances of life to overtake me. I neglect my connection to the Spirit, Who is able to illuminate my mind (1Corinthians 2:9-11), and the Word of God which can penetrate my heart (Hebrews 4:12). And yet God continues to summon me, gently calling to me, accepting me despite those times I slip into former ways of thinking. I am ever-so-grateful for a fresh start every day--and a new year to listen and follow (John 10:27) my Good Shepherd.

Here's to Living Awake in the Present during 2013! Here's to Daily Meditation and Surrendering! And here's to the One Who Makes It Possible: Jesus, who is both Ragamuffin and King!

Blessing upon blessing! Happy Mother's Day.

It was, indeed a happy Mother's Day for me this year. I still have memories from our brief visit to Watervale, just south of Frankfort, MI. Such wonderful moments--and a bit of a scare. Here's a bit of advice from lessons learned on that trip:

• If you ever find yourself at the bottom of a ginormous dune that your 15 y.o. son has begun to climb, you may foolishly think, "That can't be so bad." It will be bad, trust me. But if you begin the ascent and actually make it to the top, you will feel GREAT. That how our first hike along Lake Michigan began.
• When having conversations with your 90 y.o. father, be sure to have a notepad handy. He may mention things that you never knew before, like the fact that your paternal grandmother's family changed their surname to something completely unrelated to the name you were always sure you knew as your heritage. There were other little tidbits that Dad passed along to me on Saturday afternoon, and I didn't have a notepad. Bummer. Guess I'll have to ask him about those stories again soon.
• When your 15 y.o. son decides to wander along the dunes & woods, there are two options:
• give him a cell phone or at least have a plan of action (e.g. If you don't see your brother in 20 minutes, COME BACK!) Or...
• believe Grandpa when he says that your son is having a great time & knows exactly what he's doing. 
• What you shouldn't do is wander into the woods yourself, potentially getting lost and letting your mind play tricks on you, imagining that some weirdos have kidnapped your son, thus causing some loud hound dogs to bark in the distance.

• When you aren't sure where to go for dinner in Grand Rapids on Mother's Day, feel free to try the random Mexican restaurant on the corner (the name escapes me)--especially if you hear the lively sounds of a mariachi band playing from within! Good times with Amanda and Andrew.

And beyond this advice is everything I am thankful for as I recall that weekend...

• Melody & Natalie whom I could trust to leave at home while we took this short trip--and who both prettied up the house while we were gone!
• Amanda, who made a lovely card with great sentiments (and who took us to the above mentioned fun-times restaurant)
• Sarah, who came home to help Natalie get ready for her formal in my stead and who put together a very sweet photo book for my Mother's Day gift!
• Tyler, who mowed the lawn for me
• Peter, who made be a tasty breakfast and Mother's Day
• Christie, who made yummy poppy seed muffins (my fave) and who let me spend ample time with my adorable little grandson!
• My super-supportive husband, without whom I could neither have had these children nor raise them so well.
• And most of all, THANK YOU JESUS for being the glue that holds us all together.

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ~Colossians 1:17

An Introduction

Blogs that I have read in the past have pricked my thoughts and helped me recognize that this world is composed of a diverse population of human beings who come from various backgrounds. We are all at different places in life. Through this blog, I hope to share a bit of where I'm at...

Following Jesus

The title of this blog, "To Whom Would We Go?" stems from the words of the apostle Peter in John chapter 6.  At this point of Jesus' story, many other followers have left him after he gave some hard teachings, so Jesus questions the Twelve, "Are you also going to leave?" Peter answers, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God." This passage has been the gist of my faith journey. No matter how many times I run across hard teachings, I still find myself in pursuit of Jesus. After all, other places/teachers to whom we go may satisfy in this life, but Jesus is forever.

Hard Teaching

Sometimes the difficulty of any given biblical teaching lies in its interpretation. When we begin our walk of faith in Christ, we are all given one Spirit. It has perplexed me for years that the followers of Christ have extremely diverse perspectives on several passages of scripture. However, I was recently learning about the nature of God as seen in creation; the lesson stated that creation shows God's love of both unity and diversity. Could it be that God also wants us, as his followers, to have diverse ideas--even when it comes to our perspective on scripture? Are there only a number of truths on which Christians should firmly agree upon with others being flexible? Or should we agree about the interpretation of every single teaching? These are my questions.

An Inconclusive Conclusion

The older I get the more I find myself quoting Socrates: "As for me, all I know is that I know nothing." The Hebrew prophet Isaiah also reminds us “'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the Lord. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts'" (55:8-9). How can any person really figure out the thoughts or ways of God? Maybe instead of spending time trying to figure out our Creator, we should spend more time simply in awe of the Lord Almighty. 
Here is a great picture a friend of mine re-posted on Google+ recently:

'Nuff said.