Homebodies

Some people are energized by the thought of traveling the globe, loving adventure, change, unusual food, and new friends. Then there’s the rest of us.

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A homebody through and through, I find traveling stressful, but add an infant, and the challenge looms large. Although Emerald is a model baby, she, too, has her limits, and boarding a plane at 7:00 pm last night was a plan to which she objected.

As she screamed full-tilt midway through our flight from Orlando to Chiccago, we apologized to nearby passengers, but 4 month old babies don’t “get” bribery, and delayed gratification doesn’t exist. She tested our limits before finally falling into an exhausted, twitchy sleep. By that time we were twitchy, too. Birgitta said, “Was that 4 minutes or 14? It seemed like an eternity.”

Agreed.

Getting revved up

Little babies love “bland.” They do best following a simple, repeated routine at home with the same sights, smells, people, and procedures each day. I can relate. But for babies and adults alike, if we want to spend time with the people we love and arrive at the destinations where they are, traveling is a must.

Something similar happens in the spiritual realm. From birth to death, all of us are travelers, like it or not. Each day pushes (or drags) us forward, which includes squaring off with new experiences on a steady basis. We can go with hissy-fits as Emerald did last night, or we can move with a sense of excitement for one reason: it’s God who has set the itinerary.

Even knowing that, though, for some of us it’s still difficult. Stops along the way can be scary or painful, and it’s easier to snuggle into the familiar, which doesn’t involve taking chances or flirting with failure. But the pivot-point of signing on to follow God is that he’s God, the best of all travel guides.

To blindly follow anyone else would be foolish, but because the person asking us to trust his sense of direction and choice of destination is the All-knowing One, we can travel with him despite not having a complete understanding of where we’re going or what will happen when we get there.

Emerald’s screaming didn’t get her off last night’s flight, but today she’s been her usual agreeable self and is, I believe, aware of being back home in familiar surroundings.

It encourages me to know God has plans for all of us to stop traveling one day and become homebodies, living together with him in the place he’s currently making ready for us. Just as Birgitta and I knew that Emerald’s destination last night was the home she loves, God sees our future home and is sure we’ll love that one, too.

So, despite the uncertainties of his itinerary, I do want to travel this life partnered with God, And I’m going to make a real effort not to have too many hissy-fits along the way.

“The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” (Psalm 121:8)

Between the Lines

Historically the headliners in genealogies have been men rather than women, but as is true with the numbers of all genealogies, we can read between the lines.

While still studying my father’s ancestry, several memorable bits of information have come to light. My great-grandmother, Anna Stina Johansdotter, lived an interesting and full life, though she certainly had her share of woe. Born in 1827, she willingly married a man 8 years her senior who was already a widower with two children under 5 years old. He needed a new wife, and Anna Stina committed to him, eventually giving him 6 more children.

According to genealogy birth and death dates, though, her first daughter died one month before her first birthday, and her fifth child, a son, died shortly after delivery. Such heartbreak surely drove her to the Lord for sustenance and encouragement, but do we know for sure?

Of her 4 remaining biological children, 3 left Sweden for America in their late teens/early 20’s, knowing they’d probably never return. Surely this, too, was difficult for Anna Stina. But God blessed her with 8 grandchildren through her step-daughter alone, all of whom remained close-by.

Death notice, Anna Stina

Her husband, Johannes Andersson, died after just 24 years of marriage, leaving Anna Stina a widow for 31 years. We get a glimpse into the heart of this strong woman, though, by reading her death notice, translated from Swedish:

…that our dearly loved mother, Anna Stina Johansdotter in Hol Berget, after patiently bearing suffering, peacefully went to sleep with her faith in her Savior, Nov. 13, 1913, at an age of 86 years, 1 month and 24 days, deeply mourned and missed by children, grandchildren and many other relatives and friends. It is our sad duty to make this known.    

In the words of her obituary we see how she was able to cope: it was her Savior. Her personal Savior. His name was Jesus Christ, and she trusted him in life, in death(s), in disappointment, and through her own final illness.

Carl Johansson and bride, 1898

And so the journey through my father’s father’s father’s father’s side of our family ends, though much more could be told. To see God’s maneuvering of events and relationships in order to walk alongside them was deeply satisfying. And it’s something he eagerly does for anyone willing to let him be involved.

Linking up with the Father, Son, and Spirit didn’t guarantee my ancestors worldly prosperity or protection from hardship, but it did promise both prosperity and protection in the living they would do after dying.

Today all of them have taken delivery of those things. No more babies dying. No more children leaving without returning. No more youthful widowhood, no hardscrabble lives. Because they lived with the Savior back then, now they’ll live with him forevermore.

“If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8)

Helping the Needy

Most of us can remember a time when we’ve needed the help of someone else, which can be a humbling experience. I well remember a time when the recipient of help was me.

Linnea en route.

In 1977 when Nate and I were expecting baby #3, I was having a hard time. Pregnancies #1 and #2 had been problem-free, but the third had presented a new problem: varicose veins. The OB sent me to a specialist, who looked at my swollen legs, crossed his arms and said, “Stay off your feet, or I’ll have to put you in a bed.” (Nelson was 4 at the time, Lars was 2, and I was on my feet most of every day.)

Before I left his office, he applied compression bandages to my legs, gave me a prescription for heavy custom-made stockings, and sent me home to put my feet up. When I gave the details to Nate, he just shook his head and grimaced, not knowing how we would make it through.

Rolled poster

Several days later, I was working a shift in the church nursery when several girlfriends arrived at the door carrying a rolled-up poster. “For you,” Miriam said, handing it to me. “We want to help.”

I couldn’t imagine what she meant, but when I unrolled it, I saw a giant calendar that included every remaining week of my pregnancy, plus one more. A different friend’s name was written on each week. “We’re going to do all your household chores for you,” Miriam said, “one of us each week.”

I couldn’t believe it! Each of them had babies and toddlers of their own, along with chore lists, families, and houses to tend to. I responded by blubbering, “Oh, you don’t have to do that! I’ll be fine!” But they said, “It’s not up for negotiation. Like it or not, we’re coming.”

The Helpers

I’ve never forgotten their touching gift, and Nate was deeply grateful, too. Their hard work on our behalf also made an impression on our young boys, and most importantly, God appreciated it.

Scripture tells us that whenever someone helps the needy, God is pleased. Not only that, but he lines up special blessings for those helpers. And there’s more. He makes careful note of their work, preparing lavish rewards for them that will last throughout eternity.

My girlfriends followed through on their chart, arriving at my house according to their scheduled times. They kept my home and family running better than I ever had, and if that wasn’t enough, each week the scheduled worker brought dinner for that evening.

And now we're three.

Baby Linnea eventually arrived safely, and several months after her birth, my veins were corrected through surgery. And the bottom line for my friends? The effects of their good deeds will literally last forever.

“Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)