DWELLING ON A DREAM

This morning I woke with such a clear image in mind of a very happy barn swallow soaring straight into the sky with its wings tucked right up against its sides; every once in a while it would open it wings out to either side long enough to let a shower of rain wash them and its body clean. How the swallow was happy I do not know but in my mind the symbolism grew to mean preparing to leave this earth, cleaning off the dust as it were, for new life.
As my thoughts remained on what this dream might mean I wondered about those we prayed for just before sleep last night: our friend who has been given weeks to live, another friend who today is heading to M. D. Anderson miles away from her home for treatment for multiple myeloma that returned following a 3-year battle, and still another friend who is due for a 2nd chemotherapy infusion tomorrow if her blood count is up enough for her to take it.
My dreams are few and far between and the majority of the ones I do have are not easily remembered. This morning’s dream lingers and I am comforted to know that regardless of any intuitive meaning it might or might not have, Jesus cares about my dear friends whose ailments weight heavily on my mind. He cares about my anxious thoughts and me, too. In His teachings regarding anxieties Jesus even mentions the birds: "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” Matthew 6:26 (NASB)
Thank You, Lord, for being more dependable to dwell on than our dreams.
©Marilyn Sue Moore 3-15-09

THE ROOT OF FRIENDSHIP (From A Woman’s Perspective)

Where do friendships begin? And where do friendships end? Generally it is difficult to pinpoint the exact moment of a friendship’s start although we recall the planting of the seeds; however with a friendship’s end it seems there is a big bang. “A huge blow-up,” is often used as it’s descriptive phrase and we get the picture without the need for a thousand words.
Today this is on my mind because I have some pretty patient friends and what they tolerate from me makes the fact that some of them are medical patients currently undergoing serious severities seldom escapes my mind. Because of that I try to do what I can to lighten their load in little ways.
One of the first things we think about after hearing the words “cancer” and “chemotherapy” is “Will I lose my hair?” Frequently the answer is, “Yes.” My friends had seen me go through the loss of my hair a few years ago so they knew I would understand if they chose to speak openly with me about their feelings and we did have some conversations about those shared feelings. It may seem strange but it is amazing how attached to our hair we become! (And you thought it was the other way around, didn’t you?)
Do you remember when you were a bare-headed infant or were you one of the ones who came into the world fully-tressed? Either way your recall is probably only because of pictures, not actual memories, but even looking at those pictures won’t necessarily help prepare you for that day when chemo has its way and you look into the mirror to see, not yourself, but more than likely a person from an earlier generation looking back at you! So you cover your head with one of the scarves or close-fitting stretchy coverings and go about your days as best you can choosing to see this shiny head as another sign that the chemo is working.
So, in an effort to do one of those earlier mentioned “little things” I stopped by my friend’s house a few days ago around 9 a.m. with a couple of maple cake donuts, one for her, one for her husband, in the hopes she would be able to enjoy one of her favorite treats since it would be tasty, hopefully enough to help overcome the medicinal tastes with which she has to deal and soft in her mouth, therefore not hurting her mouth and throat sores…a little love.
When she answered the door, I immediately spotted the newly acquired closely-fitted soft head covering. As I passed her the donut bag and she started to look inside already knowing what was in there, I pointed towards her head and said, “Are you losing it?” She answered in the affirmative and invited me in but I was being careful to help her avoid germs I might be carrying that day so I declined and hurried home. It was after I got home that I realized what I had said to my friend. I was startled into laughter when I related the conversation to my husband realizing the double-meaning of what I had said!
Later in relaying this discovery to my friend, I said, “Do you realize what I asked you the other day? When I saw you were wearing a soft hat I asked you, ‘Are you losing it?’ You could have taken that either of two ways.” Maybe she was so overcome with the thought of a donut for breakfast she hadn’t even heard what I said, but I prefer to believe that because she is my friend she had listened with her heart and the root of our friendship goes far deeper than chemo can reach.

"…A friend loves at all times..." Proverbs 17:17a (NASB)
With loving thanks to my Inspiring,

Example-Setting Friends,
SHERLYN and WANDA,
as you each gracefully deal with each difficult day.

© Marilyn Sue Moore 3-8-09

THE PERFECT GIFT

Have you ever had a perfect plan made only to have things go awry? It happened to my husband John a few days ago but as often happens, God had other plans with the situation well in hand.
On that day I had come close to the limit of my energy level before 11 a.m. so I had said as soon as I finished whatever the next thing was on my list I was planning to take a nap. I was aware that John was dressed up a bit more than usual for a day around the house but I figured he planned to go get some orange juice he’d seen on sale. I was getting ready to see him off before heading for my nap when he stopped me, looked directly into my eyes and said, “Now I know you said you were going to take a nap but would you like to go for a little ride with me?” How I hated to have to tell him I was just too tired. I probably have, but I can’t remember ever having said that to him before. He graciously accepted my need to nap and headed off alone, only to return later having had breakfast at a pancake place where he was seated at a table near friends who, when they saw him, said, “Come sit with us!” He did and told me they’d all had a wonderful conversation but missed me. With a grin, he added, “But I got a chance to talk!” (What could that comment have meant? Hm-m-m-m…) I was ready to laugh with him since I felt rested from my good nap.
I was surprised when he again was ready to “go for a ride” and asked for my company. This time I didn’t say, “No.” We ended up at a furniture store where I assumed we had come to get the long-needed new box spring and mattress set but that was not on my husband’s agenda that day. When he was out earlier he had been searching for and found a recliner for me not orange juice! Now we were here for my approval of his find.
For a long time now I have been using my husband’s old recliner, a long time being about 4 years. Let me set the scene for those of you who don’t know us personally. My husband is a big man. He stands 6’ 4” so is about a foot taller than I. It seems strange I never thought too much about how vast that difference must look to others until I started planning this writing. I have been forced to consider the weight difference from the start because clothiers would look at him then back at me and ask, “Where did you find him?” as they obviously wondered where on their racks they were going to find a suit to fit his massive hulk. Over the fifty-one plus years between then and now stores that cater to tall and big men have cropped up across the country so selections are better including furniture which is how we ended up with a recliner suited better to his size than mine.
When his health required the assistance of a lift-chair I inherited his recliner that had already seen a few years of wear and tear serving his needs. It wasn’t long before I put an old bed pillow under the seat for additional cushioning…then another over the footrest extension to balance it out. Thankfully I was able to place each of these pillows between layers of the chair’s cushioning so they were mostly hidden from view while providing comfort. Providing comfort that is, until I, being a foot shorter of stature than Daddy Long Legs had to half bounce my way with a little hop-jump to get my backside all the way to the back of the chair when I tried to sit down!
Then came the day when we had the discussion that perhaps we needed to do our part to help lift some of the economic woes of our nation and plan to purchase three things in the future, the second on the list (at least in my mind) being a recliner for me. Apparently it was not #2 on the list for Big John. His work of this day reminded me of …”Ask and ye shall receive…” but it also reminded me that while he was looking out for me God was providing him with the loving care of very special friends who gave him something for which he hadn’t thought or planned to ask!
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17 (ESV)
While I thank God for my husband who makes plans for my comfort I also thank God for His provisions for my husband’s comfort!
©Marilyn Sue Moore 3-6-09

CREATED FOR GOOD WORKS

Ephesians 2:10 (NASB) states: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” What are these good works?
Are good works only those found while teaching Bible classes, being missionaries, doing the work of an evangelist? Or do good works also consist of making sure our pets are well cared for? Does it include bringing gifts, food, or books to our homebound friends? What about checking on the elderly by phone or perhaps a personal visit, sending cards or notes to sick and shut-ins, helping folks move, etc.?
Maybe you are unable for one reason or another to do the above mentioned things. If so, I suspect you have your own list of things you’ve found you are able to do. God has made each of us with unique gifts, talents, and built-in desires. A friend and I share a thorough understanding of each other’s pleasure in creating computer-generated greeting cards; however when it comes to our enjoyment of times spent with people, she leans towards the college age where I would more likely be found cradling babies or hugging the elderly. Would each of these be considered the good works God wants from His workmanship?
Who better to answer our question than Jesus Himself? Look what He says in John3:20-21 (NASB): “Anyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Wow! “…that our deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God…”
So here we are, the opposite of evil, representing God on this earth through the good deeds He created us to do! What marvelous gifts He has given us when He created us to love and serve one another!
And we thought we were the ones doing the giving!

©Marilyn Sue Moore 3-5-09

THE REST OF THE STORY

In telling you about the smile the little boy left in my heart (NO DECAY 2-25-09) I didn’t tell “the rest of the story” as Paul Harvey* so eloquently phrases it.
The rest of the story goes back to years before my little friend was born. It was 1996, soon after we moved to this city that I was privileged to become a Cradle Roll Teacher of six to eight infants. Some people may scornfully wonder what you are able to teach babies but I have always firmly believed that if I never imparted anything more than that they were loved, that would be enough! Children and I seem to have some very special connect that God has built in and it always thrills me to my innermost being to see it in action.
One student in that Cradle Roll Class was the big sister of the little boy who brought such a smile to my heart a few days ago. The smile he brought was in the huge compliment he paid when he told his mom I was pretty…after all, what almost-70-year-old woman would be truthful to say that didn’t do her heart good? But the additional thoughts that turbulently tumbled through my mind at record speed went like this:
He saw how I loved him!
I showed Jesus’ love when we talked!
I still connect!
How can I not be teaching Cradle Roll? Does this mean I should be teaching that class about which the bulletin said:
Job Opening: Cradle Roll Teacher. Qualifications—must love God and His children. No singing/singing ability required. Open for male or female, any age welcome. Salary: priceless. No prep required, curriculum easy to follow. See (name here) for more details about this exciting opportunity.”
And how can I not be teaching that class when that announcement seemed to go unheeded for such a period of time in the bulletins? Am I supposed to do that? Maybe I should call to see who finally took the class and see if she/he needs a helper.
These thoughts started an excitement that is unexplainable to folks who haven’t been there and need no explanation to those who have; still, I haven’t made that inquiry. Personal questions persist: foremost, with my health issues would I able? Maybe the questions are Satan’s devious ways. I recognize a couple that definitely are.
A day or so later when I related many of these thoughts to a dear friend, the tears broke through to the surface as I described what my heart longingly recalled: two pictures one of the ladies took of me teaching that long ago Cradle Roll Class when I first knew the little boy’s big sister. I explained that those pictures fully describe without words…ME.
And now you know the rest of the story about the little boy and me. Or do you? And, do I?
©Marilyn Sue Moore 2-28-09

*This was written and published before noon using and crediting words of Paul Harvey, a man whose words I listened to, admired with interest, and enjoyed; by time for the evening news we learned that Paul Harvey had passed away sometime earlier today. He and his words will be missed. MSM

NO DECAY

Have you ever seen a child that is so appealing he makes you smile just because God made him as he is?
There he was sitting in his mom’s shopping cart in the seat reserved for children when I first spotted them this morning. I immediately knew I was in for a treat. I said, “Do I see a familiar face?” and his mom stopped, smiled her sweet smile, as she greeted me. He held out his little foot, and I said, “What’s that?” while sliding his pant leg up and asking, “A cowboy boot? Have you been to the rodeo?”
He eagerly nodded so I said, “What’d you see there?
With sparkling eyes he looked at his mom for affirmation while he explained the bucking broncos to me.
His mom suggested he tell me where he was going to go today and he seemed unsure so she gave him a little hint by whispering, “Dentist.” I said, “Oh, do you take good care of your teeth and brush them good?” He nodded eager assent while allowing me to look carefully at his teeth to be sure he was telling me the truth. I said, “You do have pretty teeth and it is important to take good care of your teeth.”
I thought they might need to be on their way soon so I got ready to say my goodbyes by telling my young friend to be sure to hold mommy’s hand every time they crossed the streets and he nodded his head, all the time looking directly into my eyes while giving me that most special smile.
As I walked away I heard him speak to his mom and then moments later as our paths crossed again she confirmed what I thought I had heard him say: “She’s pretty.” I looked at my young friend and with a smile that I hope conveyed all the love in my heart, I told him, “I love Jesus!” Then I added, “Thank you.”
And I walked around for the rest of the day with a smile the dentist and anyone else would be proud of, but the one that little 4-year-old boy tucked in my heart is a smile that neither moth nor rust can decay!
In Matthew 6:19-21 (NASB) Jesus reminds us:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
©Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 2-25-09

THE COMFORTING ARMS OF LOVE

A long time ago when I suffered repetitive earaches I sat in the arms of my mother to be comforted as we passed precious hours in an old wicker rocking chair. More often than not the earaches didn’t go completely away and the remembrance of that feeling of comfort lasts until today. In the intervening years I outgrew my mother’s lap but I have never outgrown the need for the comforting arms of love.
A few weeks ago I learned of a deed that reminded me that even when we as adults have said our earthly good-byes to the arms of comforting love from our parents, there are still arms that wrap us in that cocoon of love. Sometimes these arms are physical hugs and sometimes not.
In our home congregation there is a lady who is undergoing kidney dialysis. A couple of retirees have personally taken the task of escorting her to and from her treatments on a faithful basis. When I heard of the loving deeds done by these folks, soothing endorphins surged in my mind as I saw an image of comforting arms of love being wrapped gently around this sweet lady.
I personally recommend giving physical hugs as well since it is a well-known fact that as a general rule you can’t give a hug without benefiting from one in return. No matter our age, we never outgrow that need for comforting arms of love and as you can see from the following scriptures from His Word, in His Family God has provided a way for that need to be fulfilled:
Galatians 6:2 (NASB) says,
“Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:10 (NASB)
“So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”
To sum it up, whether or not this sweet lady receives a physical hug, don’t you know by being helped in this manner she feels enveloped with comforting arms of love each time she receives this precious gift of assistance?
God bless the comfort givers.

© Marilyn Sue (Libby) Moore 2-6-09