(originally written March 2010)

My sweet little baby doll, Mackenzie, is just a few days away from being 10 months old. We have accomplished a word – “uh-oh”, she has 2 bottom middle teeth making an entrance and she can scoot in a sitting position anywhere. Her favorite book to read with me is “Wiggle Waggle Loop-de-Loo.” She laughs through the whole book. Its safe to say she loves it!

This morning when I came into the living room, she had inched over near the book and looked up at me smiling, as if requesting to read it. I almost walked by and continued with my agenda. But, I stopped. Almost audibly I heard a voice say, “Seize the moment…” We read the book through several times to the music of my baby’s giggles. I have labeled this memory and filed it away for the “long term” folder.

It seems that my life is passing by as a series of opportunities. Sometimes I miss them they rush by so quickly, once in a while I’m able to make the most of them.

Recently we had new neighbors move into the house across the street. At the time, I was thrilled and asked the Lord to help us reach out to them. That was my sincere prayer… and He is answering in a series of opportunities.

Yesterday, my husband arrived home from work, we ate dinner quickly and he went outside to work on a “house” project before the daylight faded. I stayed inside while Mackenzie took her evening nap. As I sat in the living room, I heard some laughing outside. When I looked out the window – I saw my husband had abandoned his project. He and Emily, along with the dad from across the street were helping our new neighbors learn to ride our extra bicycles. Michael had seized the moment.

So often I am not good at seizing. I’m good at planning and sticking with the plan. I don’t do well with change at the drop of a hat… But, God is working to make my rigid heart pliable with these opportunities. Its in every day situations – with my own children, with my neighbors, with friends and on and on the list goes.

For me, its giving up my control and letting Him whisper to me – following His lead with quick obedience. When He gives me a chance to be “Jesus” to those around me, I can no longer choose the other – I must choose to dig in, I must seize the moment. And I must, no matter how out of character it is for me, no matter how far out of my comfort zone it is.

I’m reminded of one of my favorite verses :

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Dear heavenly Father, Help me to remember that You have created me and that you have a very special work for me to do. Please, let me hear your voice and obey right away.

Here is your fair warning : If you call and I don’t catch the phone the first time around, just know this- I may be doing something else important, something unplanned, something requiring my instantaneous attention. I just might be reading “Wiggle Waggle Loop de Loo!”

About a year ago now, my husband’s family received astonishing news.  They had relatives in France.  Without reviewing all of the details, as each chapter of this story has unfolded, we have seen the hand of God.   There is a man in France, named Jean who is related to us – and by the grace of God, he found Michael’s dad.  Now Michael’s dad has been able to help him learn more about their common relative. Until last year, Jean had very little knowledge of his own dad.

Because of modern technology they have been able to ichat once.  And, Michael’s dad has been able to ichat regularly with Maud, our french cousin.  Its all quite glorious  helping them fit the pieces of their life’s puzzle together.    Imagine!  Never knowing your father.  I have no idea what its like.

I’ve always known my dad.  He’s been very present in my life from my birth, right up until now.  I can tell you a lot about my dad.   For instance I know he doesn’t like peanut butter in his dessert.  No peanut butter cups for dad.  I also know he is an avid St.Louis Cardinals fan.  I’ve experienced Disney World three times with my dad: once when I was 6, when I was 18 and recently when I was 33.  I’ve watched him play church softball, and I’ve prayed for Him in the moments just after his heart attack.  He’s a man of integrity and he is a phenomenal husband, dad and pastor.  This is just the tip of the iceberg…

I can’t fathom not knowing my dad.   He’s the one who introduced me to my Heavenly Father.   I became a believer at a young age and He has been a part of my life ever since.  What would life be like without Him?

I’d like to tell you that I know Him really well… and sometimes I think I do.  I know the accounts of His miracles from Scripture.  I can list His attributes.  But, often (far too often)  I don’t actually take into account who He is in my daily life.

This is how I noticed it today.  Our french relatives may come for a visit within the next year or so.  Since I’m the one who is half canadian, who took french in elementary school, and high school and college, it stands to reason that I would brush up my skills and get back a bit of my vocabulary.  But I’m procrastinating.  I have borrowed a Rosetta Stone french curriculum from a friend – and it is sitting prettily in the corner of my bedroom closet.    Why, you ask?

Because I’ve forgotten who my heavenly Father is.

I know He parted the Red Sea, and His Son fed the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish.  I absolutely believe in those miracles.  But, I’m not confident that he can work a miracle that involves me remembering how to ask things like, “What time is it?” in french.  Sometimes I think its easier to believe He can do earth shattering things rather than simple little things…

But He promises to help us accomplish the things He’s called us to do.  Paul knew it was true in Philippians 4 when he confessed:

“I can do all things through Him ho gives me strength.”

In this case, I have to believe that by the power of the Holy Spirit, I will be able to  revive all of that french that is shoved away in the far corners of my brain.  And, by counting on who my Heavenly Father  is and what He can do, I might be able to help Jean learn more about his Father.

Heavenly Father,  Thank you for your promises that I find in your Word.  Help me learn to rely on them more.  Let your gift of faith swell in my heart, overriding my fears.  And when a miracle occurs – when those french words roll off my tongue – I pray that You alone will be glorified!  amen.

I’ve been reminiscing a lot over the past few weeks.  The memories I have from my childhood summers are so brilliant and vivid, I can’t hide from them.  They follow me.  They pester.  They make me laugh.  They reveal who I am.

So, there’s a particular recurring event that happened each evening – and I can’t help but share it with you…  it was our bedtime snack.  Better known at my GG’s house as the splitzie.  For my sister and I it was a favorite part of the day.  Our splitzie was a package of snowballs, a culinary delight made by Hostess, that we shared.  one each.  And just in case you don’t know a snowball is chocolate cake, filled with white cream, covered with a layer of marshmallow and rolled in coconut.  my mouth is watering now.

The bedtime snack had been named long before – my dad and my uncles, long before our time had also shared a splitzie at bedtime.  It was natural that Marilyn and I would continue on the tradition.   Recently she texted me to say that her husband had just brought home a whole grocery bag of snowballs “for the kids”.    If she really loved me, she would send me one.

These days we don’t share snowballs.  I mean, its not possible…  she’s more than 8 hours away.  But we do splitzie other things.  Just to be clear, my definition of spliztie is fairly simple: to give a portion of something to someone so that you can share it together.

Recently my sister and I have been splitzy-ing a lot.  And while its been difficult in some ways, its been as delightful as a snowball as well.  We get to talk and email and text a lot.  She has been willing to split some of my burdens with me.  When I have something that is too heavy on my own, she is there and we chat and I know she prays for me.  It makes the whole thing a lot easier to know she’ll go splitzies with me.

And really this is how I believe we find Christ’s love in action.  I find that He is there for me, able to bear the burden with me, even for me, through my sister’s love and willingness.  And, I believe its how He tangibly ministers to me today – through others’ obedience to Him, loving one another, bearing each others burdens.

from 1 John:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

I am so thankful for His work in my life, for others who are willing to share in my journey – and the love that He provides through a splitzie!

amen.

md