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A Prayer Request

Posted on April 15, 2009 by auburnchick

Sorry to be so “chatty” tonight, but I felt the need to post one more thing.

I’d like to ask you to pray for someone special in my family’s life.  Her name is Mary, and for the last 40 or so years, she has worked faithfully as the Mr.’s grandmother’s maid.  If you’re from the South, then you understand what I’m talking about.

She started her work when the Mr.’s mom was in college.  Mary walked behind her as they made the short trek to church on Mr.’s mom’s wedding day, carefully carrying the gown’s train so it wouldn’t get mussed up en-route.

Over the years, Mary half-raised most of the Mr.’s cousins…boys that were quite the handful.  I know, because I attended school with two of them.  They once locked themselves in the bathroom with a package of matches.  Mary did everything in her power to coax those boys out before finally calling their dad.  Oh yeah, she tried to prevent a butt-whooping, but their stubbornness got in the way.

When the Mr. and I started dating, Mary welcomed me to the family with open arms.  She was, after all, family.  True to Southern tradition, that woman could cook up a storm!  Veal cutlets, dove, quail…all delicious!  My favorite thing she made, though, was Caramel Cake.  If she knew I was coming for lunch, she always had this cake prepared for me.

After the Mr.’s grandfather passed away a few years ago, Mary became an integral part of the support system that enveloped the Mr.’s grandmother.  She nursed her back to health after grueling back surgery, making sure she exercised properly and took her medication as prescribed.  More than anything, Mary was the company that Mama D needed during the initial time of adjustment of living alone.

Mary…always quietly serving, preferring to stay in the background while others enjoyed the hospitality she worked so hard to prepare for.

And now she’s dying.

The Mr. took a road trip tonight to visit her in the hospital, where she’s heavily sedated.  I didn’t go with him, but I can only imagine the tears he must have shed as he spoke what will probably be his final words to her.

Please pray that she won’t have to suffer…that God takes her gently in the night as a reward for her faithful service here on earth.  She truly was an angel in disguise, and when she’s gone, she will be terribly missed.

Please pray for the Mr. as he’s known her his entire life.  She cleaned the wildlife he killed on hunts…prepared the birds exactly as he liked them.  He frequently drove her home after her work was completed.  She never drove a car, that I’m aware of.  In fact, she probably didn’t even own one.  She was very poor and gave most of what she did earn to others.

Please pray for Mama D as yet another void will open in her life.  Their relationship had evolved from one of employer/employee to one of friendship, whether Mama D will admit it or not.  Remember…traditional South and all.

Thanks you guys!

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Rooting for the Underdog

Posted on April 15, 2009 by auburnchick

I’m sure that most of you have probably already seen this, but I wanted to share it, just the same…in case you’re like Rooster, who had not seen it until I had it running on my computer tonight.

To say that the voice doesn’t not match the “package” is an understatement.  However, perhaps that’s the coolest thing about it!

I found myself fighting tears by the end.  I was emotionally drawn in by the purity of her voice as well as the shock and wonder on the faces of all (including Simon Cowell) as the performance played out.

That God packaged this delightful, musical instrument in the body of a 40-something year-old, unmarried and ordinary-looking woman…

Wow!

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Transparency

Posted on April 15, 2009 by auburnchick

I just got back from my Wednesday night Bible study.  I do so enjoy these evenings, even if, quite honestly, there are days when I’d rather be lazy and sit at home.  Now that Chicky drives, it can be difficult to extricate myself from the couch cushions.  Yeah, it’s nice to have a child who drives.

God is so good, though, and always rewards my obedience and desire to learn more about Him.

Tonight, we continued our two-week discussion of The Shack.  We discussed the typical arguments made by other reviewers.  How theologically correct is it?  Can it lead people astray by less-than-clear dialogue?

What I love about our group is the range of perspectives and life experiences we all bring to the table.  I always walk away from these get-togethers with a fresh outlook.

Tonight, we got into a discussion about how people are turned off by “Christianity” and the church.  Often, this comes as a result of so-called “Christians” and their duplicity and seeming “goodness.”

Maybe you’ve encountered people who seemed to have their act completely together…always sporting a smile and an air of “all is right with the world.”  This may have made you feel like you didn’t belong in church because you weren’t good enough.

How can we combat this?  The ladies in my group agreed that Christians need to be transparent…show our vulnerability.  We shouldn’t be afraid about admitting that maybe our day is kind of crappy (we didn’t use this exact word), and no, everything is not hunky-dory.

By not elevating ourselves above the rest of the world, we acknowledge that we are just as bad off as everyone else.  We lose our jobs, and we worry about paying the bills.  We argue with our kids, and we might even – gasp – raise our voices and yell hysterically at them.  And yes, we yell at traffic and the slow drivers ahead of us (some people should not be issued licenses).

We’re human.

By living our lives as an open book, we make ourselves approachable, which creates opportunities for relationships to develop…which can ultimately lead to a presentation of the gospel.

It is my prayer that my blog…my public diary, is as transparent as if I were talking to you face-to-face.  I pray that as you see my life unfold here (and I don’t hold much back), it will ultimately point the way back to God.  I am not perfect, and I don’t lead an idyll life.  Yes, I have been richly blessed, and I thank the Lord every day for this undeserved graciousness.  But even in the midst of the struggles I face, everything ultimately boils down to the fact that I DO have a relationship with the Lord, and it’s because of that relationship that I’m still able to praise God at the end of each day.

It is my sincerest desire that if you don’t currently attend church or have strayed, you will return.  Or maybe you’ll just start by opening a Bible and reading a few verses every night.

We do not have to be perfect to come to God.  In fact, it’s because of our imperfection that we CAN and MUST come to Him.  He’s not going to thumb his nose at you.  In fact, He’ll welcome you with open arms.  Nor will the people at church thumb their noses at you…not if it’s a Christ-centered church.  They, too, will welcome you with open arms.

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