Graduation Day

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Lynn

You know that book of Robert Munsch, “Love You Forever“?  I don’t know how many times I have read that book to my son when he was little but today its words ring true as never before.

The other night I crept into my son’s bedroom and just watched him as he slept.  His hair looked tousled and his long legs dangled off the edge of his bed.  I wanted so badly to reach out my hand and touch his face remembering the chubby cheeks and dimples in his baby hood, but I held back, after all at eighteen years of age he likely would have been thoroughly creeped out!  Yet as I watched him sigh in his sleep, tears welled up in my eyes, my mother’s heart softening with longing for the years when he truly needed me for everything.  I remembered when only my hugs and kisses would soothe his “boo boos”, or comfort him, or encourage him.  Those days are long past.

Today he walks across the stage and receives his high school diploma.  He won’t admit it, he’s too cool for that, but I know he’s excited.  He wouldn’t let me fuss at him when he tried on his tuxedo for the Graduation Banquet but all I could do was fuss because had I just stepped back and paused to admire him, so tall, so perfect, so grown up, I would have dissolved into tears.  Fuss covers over a multitude of tears.

God gave him to me for such a short time it seems to me, a blessing immeasurable in my life.  Although memories of his childhood flood over me, I know he is not a child any longer, but a grown young man, ready to tackle the world after high school.  I will likely shed those multitude of tears some time over this weekend but today as I see him in his cap and gown I will say:

“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”

Posted in Family Life, Proverbs 16:9 - Journey Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Oh, Oprah!

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Lynn

I will admit that I can count how many times I have tuned into the Oprah Winfrey Show on two hands.  I’m not a real fan of talk shows in general but that said I AM a history buff and I’m especially a fan of pop culture so I decided to tune into the finale more for curiosity sake than anything else.  I am well aware that Oprah is probably one of the ten most influential women in the world.  Her talk show of twenty-five years has been watched by billions of people (mostly women) and I do not negate in the least her zealous pursuit in raising awareness to social issues such as child abuse, racial discrimination, poverty and family violence.  One of the wealthiest women on the planet, Oprah has contributed millions to charity organizations.  She believes in “paying it forward”, admitting that it is the “grace of God” that has brought her so far in life.

That said, yesterday as she spoke softly, reminiscing about her 25 years on television, to an audience perhaps in the millions, she had an opportunity to say “farewell” in a way that would have left her mark for eternity and she blew it.  Yes, she said she had a faith, yes, she said the name “Jesus” but rather than share the gospel Truth with her listeners, she instead gave a weak, wishy-washy, watered down, “all roads lead to heaven” discourse choosing not to offend rather than choosing to save.  She spoke of everyone having a “calling”, not a God-calling, just a “calling”.  She spoke of everyone having a “light” within them, a “light” that could change the world if they would just let it “shine”.  She said the god she prayed to was the same god that everyone prayed to.  (Alluding to the fact that no matter what name we put to God He is one in the same.)  That is false teaching.

Afterwards, Lisa Laflamme on CTV commented that Oprah sounded almost “evangelical” in her farewell message.  By definition that would mean: Evangelical relating to, or being a Christian believing in the sole authority and inerrancy of the Bible, in salvation only through regeneration, and in a spiritually transformed personal life; seeking to convert people, especially to Christianity.  Sorry, Lisa, but Oprah may have sounded evangelical but that’s as far as it went.  Another news reporter last night said that it was the “Gospel according to Oprah”.  Yep, that’s what it was, unfortunately it was a misleading and errant gospel.

When I turned off the T.V. and pondered Oprah’s farewell message I couldn’t help but ask myself what I would have done if I had been given the same opportunity as her.  If I knew that was my final chance to say parting words to millions of loyal fans and followers, what words would I have chosen?  It haunts me now.  So many times I’ve blown it, refusing to share my faith with others because I didn’t have the courage or boldness to do so, or worse, because I didn’t want to offend.  If nothing else, Oprah’s final farewell has given me pause to think about my parting words.  I don’t want to miss the mark when I say “Good bye” some day.

Matthew 12:36-37 – “I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Jesu

Posted in Proverbs 16:9 - Journey Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Wild Fires

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Lynn

On May 21st the world was predicted to end…it didn’t…but for many in the town of Slave Lake, Alberta, Armageddon happened on May 16th.  According to a news report by CBC Canada nearly 40 % of the town was wiped out by fire with high winds and low humidity hampering the fire fighting efforts.  Over 7000 residents of the town were evacuated and thankfully because of the evacuation, only one fatality has been attributed to the fire. 

Alberta, despite having snow on the ground most of the year, still has tinder-dry conditions once the snow melts and every year wild fires are a constant battle throughout the summer months.  Many fires are started by lightening strikes but the majority of fires are started by people.  Despite repeated warnings and heavy fines if caught, smokers throw cigarette butts out their car windows.  Campers do not extinguish campfires properly.  Although there is still not an official cause to the Slave Lake fire, a recent news report suspects it was human carelessness. 

I remember fighting a grass fire that was caused by someone throwing a cigarette out the window of a car.  The fire traveled up the hill towards our home.  Within minutes of seeing smoke, neighbours and volunteer firefighters were attacking the flames by using garden hoses, shovels and even stomping on the flames with their boots.  We knew if the fire “jumped” the road, our home as well as our neighbour’s would be gone.  Still the fire blazed with amazing speed towards the farm house across from us and every able-bodied person was out to save it.  With a community effort we managed to have the fire under control only centimetres from the farm house’s wooden fence surrounding the yard.  A few planks were blackened but the yard and house were spared. 

I remember how thankful I was for my neighbours and the way they all pulled together for a common purpose.  I had never really met some of my neighbours until that day, yet in a crisis they were there.  This past week, countless people have banded together raising money and distributing clothes and food to the victims of the Slave Lake fire.  Firefighters from across our nation have flown in to help knock down the fire, one helicopter pilot giving his life in the firefighting effort. 

Here are a couple of links to two organizations who are helping the victims of the Slave Lake fire.  Give if you can give, financially or otherwise.  Pray for the families who have lost so much.

Disaster Relief – CNBC – Canada

Canadian Red Cross

Posted in Proverbs 16:9 - Journey Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment