Recently, an opputunity of ministry has opened at the Nursing Home. There are a few older Amish women that would love to read the Bible but aren’t able to. A few can barely see; another’s eyes are excellent, but she’s paralyzed from the neck down; others are fully capable, but their minds aren’t fully present. Would there be people willing to sit with these ladies and read the Scripture to them? Imagine living there and spending an entire evening in one room, watching people, unable to move or communicate very well, eventually falling asleep in an uncomfortable position. You wonder if God really remembers you. Visitors are kind, but they’re awkward. Workers are friendly and caring, but they don’t have time for just you.

Do you have time for the widow? the suffering? the helpless? Jesus said:

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

and later John wrote:

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18

This world is hurting. The cries will soon be extinguished.

I fell to my knees in awe

Tears pouring, I turned my heart to the One who whispers hope

My heart is now clean and fresh

The song on my lips is dancing

I’m forgiven!

Oh the thought moves me to tears

I’m worthy to enter the Kingdom

Weak and defiled though I walked

I love the Man

Who gazes at me now

His eyes speaking love and forgiveness

Into my torn and bleeding heart.

For me — to ransom me — to rescue ME!

He bore the wrath of God

And even now gathers me into His arms

Forever I’ll kiss His feet and serve His kindred

In the best, most sacrificing way I can –

Lovingly, and with a song.

“I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the LORD: ‘O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!’

“Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul,  to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.”

Psalm 116:1-7 ESV

Why do you elude me?

     Why do you keep yourself so far away?

What have I done to deserve this distance?

Is there something I’ve done?

     Is my heart tainted by a secret?

Oh, dear God, not THAT one!

     I’ll never be able to confess THAT one!

My parents…would not look at me the same.

I wish I’d never thought of it.

Oh God, is it possible you intended it for now?

     Really?

My God, I am ashamed.

     My heart bends low before your Holy Presence

     I can never see your beauty until my heart is clear.

Your strength will surround me, hold me up.

And in the end, I will rest — recline — in your beautiful presence, peace.

“When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

Psalm 91:15 ESV

Now every mother, sister, or aunt (or even father, brother, or uncle) who has ever spent excessive hours occupied with the upkeep of a household knows that to find an ink pen in the dryer is a disaster.

Hours of scrubbing loomed ahead. With a sigh, Mom and I rolled up our sleeves proverbially and got out the needed supplies: two scrub brushes, and many various stain removal liquids. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the clothes affected had been old work garments. Alas, they included a preciously soft nightgown, one of my newest dresses, and a prized shirt with a Tonn’s Honey logo on it. We scrubbed. We scrubbed some more. We used all the products we had – from Purple Power to Goo Gone to Orange Wonder to rave hair spray.

About halfway through, we heard a series of noises on the road. A UPS semi had made a very abrupt stop right in front of our house, making a ‘screeech’ and a bunch of those ‘pshhhhss’ noises semis make all the time. We ran out from the back patio to the opposite side of the house to investigate. I grabbed my phone with super-slippery hands and slid across the carpet (yes, I slid across the carpet. chemicals, chemicals) – ready to dial 911 in case of anything serious. To make a long story short, Mom and the UPS guy unloaded a small skid of plastic bottles onto our van, by hand.

While Mom was doing that, I called for backup. Ann Kline (Grandma’s primary caretaker who’s there during the week) came to my rescue and took the nightgown over to Grandma’s to work on. She mentioned using Pantene Pro-V Shampoo was sure to take the stains out. Fortunately, we had a ginormous bottle on hand. But, the stains had settled and only improved a little bit. So now Dad has a *new* work shirt and my yellow dress is ruined.

I hate when pens get in the dryer and ruin perfectly good clothes.

“This was through the roof – and there is no roof!”

-Jannafay Fletcher

In every situation, there were lessons to learn. In every session, treasures of wisdom were to be stored. Friendships were made, lives redidcated, and minds changed. I can’t say enough as to how amazing it was.

• They jump. It doesn’t matter how high – if they can see it, and if they think it’s worth chewing, they’ll jump at it.
• Everytime I think they’re about to mutilate each other in one of their fights, they end up licking each other.
• When they’re lost, they admit it right away.

Yesterday Dad surrendered a wounded starling to their devices, explaining to me, “They need to learn sometime.” So they pounced and batted and growled. But they couldn’t kill it. I’m not sure they didn’t have the physical power to do the deed — I’m thinking they were lacking the mental development necessary. I really don’t know what happened to the bird. I came home from visiting the youth hot dog roast and it was dark and the kitties were chasing fireflies.

There’s a ‘crevice’ somewhere where it’s not supposed to be. It belongs in the Grand Canyon somewhere, not our front lawn – especially not where we JUST sowed grass. Life is rainy like that sometimes.

This morning I woke up and realized with a dreamy early-morning yawn that it is indeed thunderstorm-ing. Lightening. Thunder. Hail. Oh yeah. I peered out the window…and dashed out of bed. What I saw was a sight that was surreal - something out of a photographer’s portfolio. Of course, the image quickly lost most of its magicity after I put my glasses on. But the good news is, for about half an hour, I had the best waking-up-greeting-thing ever. I even went out on the porch and saw something I’d never seen before. Every time the lightening flashed, little droplets of water running from the roof were illuminated; and for that split second, for that moment in time, those water drops shone and dazzled and sparkled and danced. They were like diamonds. It was so cool.

All this happed at 5:50 this morning. The sky was a little bit light and the wispy low-hanging clouds made it all the more magical. I ate breakfast and checked my email; and while doing so, dear brother from the South advised me to go to bed. Hmm. How did he know?

Normally that doesn’t happen — that he goes to bed and I wake up at the same moment in history. Then again, some moments were meant to be unusual.

Woah.

He was wearing prescription sunglasses along with the brace. I’m not sure if this is significant or not. His words: “People need the Lord today.”

“Ministry is never planned”, Dad once told me.

Why is it so hard to trust God for oppurtunities He‘s planned?

Little by Little

A drop in a bucket

A grass-blade in a lawn

A star in the universe

How can You keep track of them all?