Travel Advice

Posted on by

Every once-in-a-while I find myself driving through our old neighborhood in Illinois, a “country” suburb of half-acre lots with room for children to roam. Although I can’t freely turn into my old driveway as I did for nearly 30 years, I have pulled in next-door for visits with my good friend Becky.

Becky D

For 22 years we shared the same lot line and were friends from our first meeting at the swing set with our babies, to the farewells after our moving van pulled away. My husband died of cancer several months after we left the neighborhood, and 6 months after that, Becky’s husband passed away, also of cancer. (See “Hi, neighbor!”) Despite living on opposite sides of Lake Michigan now, we’ve been united in heart while sharing a call to widowhood.

The year after our men died, both of us did a great deal of traveling. It wasn’t so much planned as just what happened, and it wasn’t always easy. One day I received an email from Becky (written 3 years ago) while on a trip to Europe with some of her family. Because I believed her thoughts were Spirit-inspired, I saved it.

She wrote:

“I’m trying to develop the discipline it takes for me to travel with my faith. There are quite a few Scriptures that use the visual of putting on faith as a garment. Romans 13:14 says, ‘Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.’ Colossians 3:12 says, ‘Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.’”

Becky’s faith-discipline efforts began even before she left home: “My first faith-choice was packing my suitcase,” she wrote. “I had purchased a smaller, lightweight Bible for traveling, but it didn’t sit well in my heart to leave my beloved big Bible behind. The Holy Spirit reminded me that my make-up bag was just as big and heavy as my Bible, and I would never leave that behind! So in went my big Bible.”

She continued, writing from a hotel room in France: “It’s been tricky carving out prayer and meditation time, and time to read God’s Word, when it would be easier to wake up and jump right out to the streets of Paris! Traveling depletes me quickly, because I easily get distracted from my faith-routine. It’s actually scary how fast it happens away from home, in strange lands, surrounded by folks who may not yet share my faith.

“My choice for each day, though, is to clothe myself in his Word before venturing out sightseeing, because I know when we return, I’ll be depleted again, needing more time to rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

Travel plans

Today Becky’s wise travel advice has been reverberating in my ears, since I bought a plane ticket to England to meet my soon-to-be-born grandbaby. And I want to remember that nothing I pack will be more important than putting in my faith-garments.

 

 

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness.”  (Isaiah 61:10)

 

A Happy Ending

Posted on by

It was back to the cemetery for our family today, a tradition of nearly 50 years. If we count our parents’ visits, it’s much longer than that.

Rosehill Cemetery

So, in this morning’s cold rain, 8 car-loads of relatives left Michigan and headed toward Chicago’s Rosehill Cemetery located at Bryn Mawr and Western Avenues. Though we have no formal program there each Memorial Day, the family historian (Mary) encourages people to prepare memories, even silly ones, about any of those buried in the family plot.

Today our brother Tom started, having brought a book detailing the history of this interesting cemetery, including its Civil War veterans. He read aloud, describing the notables buried nearby, and we were reminded of the care some take to leave detailed burial instructions for their heirs. All of us hope to be remembered well, and in an effort to shape the thinking of those still living, Rosehill burial monuments range from fascinating to bizarre.

Explaining who is buried.

This morning Mary brought photos of past cemetery visits when the adult children present today were still babies. Her notebook included large photos of each deceased relative, and she showed the children how to match the pictures to the tombstone names. The idea of death being a part of everyone’s earthly life is a topic we’ve all been encouraged to freely discuss.

We talked about Nate (the most recent death) and his loyalty to his law clients, his infectious laugh, and his soldiering on through difficulties.

We also talked of Dad bringing Mom to this spot on some of their first dates in 1940. He was letting her know that family was a top priority with him, and it might even have been a test to see if she felt the same. Now, after 50 years of marriage, they’re buried side-by-side.

Dad had also mentioned that since his brother and mother both died in the early 1900’s before effective embalming and weatherproof caskets, their bodies had probably decomposed. He told us, ”Most likely their remains are feeding the roots of this big oak tree here.”

We found his comment odd and also funny, but it revealed an acceptance of death as part of life. Dad believed, as the rest of us do, that those buried in the family plot had gone ahead to better lives.

Key words? “Gone ahead.”

These deceased relatives now know far more than we do about life after death. Though their bodies may have deteriorated at the end of their lives and after death, their spirits  soared to life-spectacular. That’s why we can stand at the cemetery every Memorial Day and talk openly of their lives and deaths without spooky feelings, uncertainty, or fear. We’re confident each of them is privy to a happy ending. Thankfully, the rest of us can be sustained by the same hope.

Prayer of gratitude

Traveling 200 miles today to be reminded of that was well worth the drive.

“In [God’s] great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Signs of the Times

Posted on by

Let's celebrate !Today was a day of celebration centered around our middle child, Klaus. Last week he graduated with a degree in Human Resource Management from Purdue University at the same time as he turned 32, and he’s close to launching an interactive web site he’s been developing for 3 years, www.fishaband.com. On top of that, he and Brooke are 3 weeks from their wedding and a honeymoon in Hawaii, making these particular months an extraordinary time for them both.

Every life includes significant mile-markers, and looking backward we can see them clearly. Some are celebratory events like today’s party, but others would never be labeled “celebrations”. We don’t think of the negatives as being mile-markers, but they’re probably more significant than the party-worthy ones. For example, a critical comment might be a marker that ends up changing a bad behavior pattern. Or an unexpected job loss might lead to a much better career.

An important marker might be a parent’s dementia when they no longer recognize their own child, or the death of someone dearly loved. These milestones aren’t good ones but are profoundly important just the same. And good things can come from all of them. Klaus is a case in point.

Nate and I had to take him out of college (for financial reasons) when he was only half-finished at age 20, a big disappointment to him at the time. Today, degree in hand, he looks back at that signpost and says, “It’s better this way. Back then I had no idea what I wanted from life.” Good has come from what was a “bad” marker 12 years ago.

A GOOD day...

Another Klaus-example was the signpost that occurred when he chose to leave the bustling Chicago metro area to live in a tiny Michigan town. After living his whole life “in the big city,” his move to a small town seemed difficult, but down the road he ended up meeting his true love.

Scripture tells us if we turn our lives over to God’s direction, every mile-marker after that will have positive results….. eventually. As always, patience is required, but if we’ve given our lives to God for his purposes (which are always good), without fail those purposes will stand. (Proverbs 19:21)

Klaus has committed his life to Jesus Christ, and the markers we celebrated today are part of what has resulted. He recognizes that this year’s many important signposts are exactly what God had in mind for him. Though there may be disappointments or even catastrophes in his future, they won’t come without God having sanctioned them first, and since that’s true, Klaus can proceed with confidence and optimism.

Cousins Emerald and Jones, 1 week apart

One of his gifts today was a box entitled, “Your Life in T-shirts.” Each one represented a life-marker, beginning with a tiny baby shirt embossed with his name. He’ll wear many other shirts in coming years such as “fishaband.com” or “Welcome to Fatherhood!” or “Little League Coach.” Today we celebrated the signposts thus far…. while God was busy putting the next markers into place.

“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21)