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Music from the Heart

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Margaret

Nelson has a friend who’s a professional song writer. He lives in the Music Capital of the Nation, Nashville, and works daily at his craft. Jeremy (left) also records his music, performing what he’s written on his skillfully-played guitar. He’s a talented guy, and once in a while the music world shows its appreciation by purchasing one of his tunes.

Today I bought a song, too, but it wasn’t one of Jeremy’s. The price was right (5 cents) and the writer was someone near and dear to me: granddaughter Skylar.

It all started yesterday when I accompanied her to her weekly home school gathering where each child was expected to make a “presentation” in front of the class.

This weekly exercise helps the students gain confidence in public speaking, even though each one lasts only 2 minutes. The topic was “missionaries”, and Skylar’s speech began with a brief report about her Uncle Nelson’s recent teaching effort in Russia’s Siberia.

But she quickly diverted into her song-writing business and said, “I wrote a song for my new baby brother, and I’ll sing it for you now.”

Without so much as a nervous pause, she sang her original song acapella in front of her class and received applause and rave reviews. Although many in her audience have baby siblings at home, none had ever written a song of welcome.

Dear Baby.
I love you.
And I love you more
With my whole heart.

When Skylar returned to her chair, her seat partner Sarah wrapped her arms around her in congratulations, and I glanced at the classroom door, half expecting someone to rush in with a bouquet of roses.

God has gifted both Jeremy and Skylar with a love for words and notes and then added the ability to put them together. The rest of us might feel short-changed if it weren’t for the biblical assurance that all of us have been given talents. God endows each of us with skills and capabilities he expects us to share with others. Sometimes these are lifelong gifts and other times are given just temporarily, for specific short-term use.

When I study my 7 grown children, I can point out special aptitudes in each of them that have been put there by God. This isn’t surprising, since every person is a one-on-one creation, no two exactly alike.

Surely the Lord delights in combining different bents and proficiencies within people (just as he does with physical features), then excitedly waiting to see what we’ll do with them. If we use them just to please ourselves, we’ll miss out on a big blessing, but if we share for another’s benefit, God will be pleased. He may even give us additional talents.

Tonight Skylar approached me with another musical piece, this time about me. It was short but very sweet:

Dear Midgee.
I love you.
And I’m very happy
That you came to Florida.

SOLD!

As for Jeremy? He’d better keep an eye on his competition.

“We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Life is fragile?

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Margaret

The wonder of birth makes me wonder: How does anyone ever get safely born? And how does a newborn baby make it to adulthood, much less old age? How does it happen without getting derailed along the way, more often than not? Life is fragile!

Or is it?

After watching Isaac’s birth, I’ve replayed the details in my mind again and again, reliving that natural marvel. And in the process, my old nemesis has dominated me, causing me to wander into flights of fantasy: “What if such-and-such had happened? Or that other thing? Or this one? Isaac wouldn’t have made it! So much could have gone wrong!” And yet here he is, on his 3^rd day with us, sleeping safely and serenely in his infant seat.

Isaac had no idea how his old Grandma Midgee was fretting over his safety during those last moments before birth or how anxious she was when it took a few seconds for his just-born body to become animated and cry.

An hour beforehand, I had asked the experienced midwives if they were getting nervous as Linnea’s grand finale’ was coming close. For that matter, how did they feel at that same moment with the hundreds of other births they’d facilitated? I said, “Do you ever get stressed over all the things that could go wrong?”

“We don’t get nervous,” Jess said. “We get an exhilarating adrenalin rush and fresh excitement to meet the new baby!”

And suddenly I felt ashamed of myself. Their attitude was lovely. Mine was dismal.

I don’t know what either of them thinks about God, but I believe he’s not only the Creator of life but the Sustainer of it as well. He has always been and always will be actively ruling over “chance” during every single childbirth. Whether Isaac lives or dies isn’t up to a pregnant woman, a group of midwives, an obstetrician, a parent, or a grandma’s fretting. It’s up to God.

And that goes for all of us. (When will I ever learn?)

Not that we should be careless or reckless with our lives, but the ultimate outcome is in the hands of the Almighty. And because that’s true, my nervousness at the moment of Isaac’s birth was completely ridiculous.

The bottom line is that life in God’s hands is anything but fragile. It’s more resilient than it seems, especially as we look at a new baby.

As for 3-day-old Isaac, if God says he’ll live to celebrate his 100^th birthday, indeed he will.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth… He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else… for in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:24-25,28)

Time and Time Again

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Margaret

We’ve all heard the expression, “Timing is everything.” It may not really be everything, but it’s definitely important.

Back in October, I decided it was time to purchase a plane ticket from Michigan to Florida for the birth of Linnea and Adam’s 4^th baby, but the simple process of choosing a flight became complicated by not knowing when the little guy would appear. Only God knew, and he wasn’t telling.

Linnea’s first 3 babies each came about a week late, so as she and I went back and forth about which January day I should fly south, we targeted her due date plus one week. “Don’t come too soon,” she said. “You might have to fly home before the birth!”

As I clicked the “purchase now” button on my laptop, I felt like a gambler. Foolishly, I hadn’t thought to ask God to pick my flight date, despite his knowing exactly when baby would arrive. Instead I purchased by chance, scheduling my trip for January 16^th.

Because the birth was going to take place at home, opportunities for involvement would be far greater than if we were to meet the new baby in the more restricted atmosphere of a hospital. And after the thrill of nearly making “the catch” at Autumn’s birth two years ago, I didn’t want to miss out! (Wonder of Wonders)

The weeks passed, and Linnea’s routine pregnancy gave no inkling of whether she’d be early or late. But while God held onto his secret, I couldn’t help but second-guess my January plane ticket. So I wrote myself a Post-it note: “Change flight?”

Then one day I decided to do it, going online and discovering it would cost only $52 to make the change. I felt a nudge to push it up 4 days, to Sunday, January 12^th. But navigating the internet change-page was difficult, and after 3 tries, I gave up. My Post-it went in the trash, and I decided to stick with my January 16^thticket.

But the mental niggling didn’t stop. Eventually I called the airlines, and they facilitated the change which I “randomly” picked, the 12^th. And wouldn’t you know! Linnea’s labor kicked in on Monday morning.

Had I stuck with my original date, I’d have missed the birth… and the thrilling privilege of cutting the cord, which Linnea and Adam invited me to do.

I recount this story simply to say that God is always operating on our behalf, always looking out for our best interests. I wanted to participate in the birth of my 9^th grandchild, and in the end, he gave me my wish.

I didn’t recognize his presence in the midst of my mental volleying over dates, or in my Post-it note, or in the niggling that wouldn’t quit, or in the choice of flying on January 12^th. But my insensitivity didn’t deter him from gifting me with the perfect timing of my flight anyway.