...OK So I never finished that story. The blog was getting long and I just wasn't certain how much I wanted to share with everyone.
I have been trying to live transparent -- this seems dangerous because we have to be able to trust others with what we share.
After that day of course came Dec. 24th and I remember how nervous of a knot I was feeling in my gut as the moments marched on in time towards the inevitable Christmas Day. I had a short shift to work at Costco. When I got there Kate had an "anonymous" gift from a co-worker. She knew I was uncomfortable but told me the giver would be deeply hurt if I didn't accept it.
Michelle texted me that a few letters and packages had arrived from my sisters and brothers. They had sent gifts, gift cards and money...all saving Christmas in my mind. Then she texted that her bothers and sisters had sent a few gifts as well.....then her parents...then my Mom.....all these things coming together in a few hours.
The day continued to get stranger and more beautiful as I recall. I felt deep down God was prompting others to care for us because we couldn't do that for ourselves. I felt so helpless, yet wonderfully remembered.
The next arrival came about noon as someone left an anonymous money tree at our neighbor's home and told them not to tell who it was.....WOW again!
Shortly thereafter we received a care basket from the school district as we were nominated as a family in need for a christmas sharing project...we received cards, gift cards, and more sharing from strangers...turns out we were nominated by a caring neighbor and also from someone in our small group at church.
I arrived home to all of this just in time for a pastor from our small groups at church who had a gift for us. In reality I believe the gift was a product of outpouring of grace from my co-workers at Costco who gave the gift anonymously through the church.
I sat on the floor of my living room on my knees and cried with Michelle and just felt so overwhelmed with emotion. For months we had barely enough money to put food in the cupboard, and now God was pouring out blessing that was needed to sustain us for the weeks to come. It is the type of event that is literally burned into your memory.
It is definitely a blessed feeling to give to others and I believe much more difficult to receive. This was an incredible and yet difficult day. So many people showing grace and kindness...some believers, some not, yet sharing and caring. It redefined what caring for others looks like in a practical sense...it reminded me that when we get on the other side of our current struggles that I want to live to give...not to repay the kindness but to pay it forward and be a part of what we received.
It was such an outpouring that I cannot doubt that God can and will do what he wants to do however he wants to do it and using whoever he wants--to do his will.
When that week started I had joked that I felt like the Whos down in Whoville--the tall and the small--would gather that morning around the tree...even after the Grinch had stolen everything, they still sang and celebrated Christmas in their hearts. I figured we were going to know first hand what that feeling was.
I remember waking up Christmas morning and rejoiced in my heart for that new day, for time off with family, and for the caring God had showed to us. I thought about the Whos in Whoville and sang a song in my heart. Christmas had come...
I am very grateful for everything .... it was magical really, and yet the real memory that stands out was how close we were that Christmas and each one since. We spent the whole day together and cooked together and just hung out. Time flew by. If I had insisted on spending that time together I am certain it would have resulted in squabbling and friends drawing my kids away. The journey had revealed a new way to celebrate and it concluded with a chiminea campfire and smores.......and they never tasted so good.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
My Dad's Greatest Joy
Strange that I write about my Dad and joy together in a sentence. Sometimes I would wish to really know him and "get him" and connect in some meaningful way. I will say to him one day that I did hear him and listen to him, and that is why this blog entry tonight.
Recently my brothers and sisters have been working diligently and together I might add trying to secure a suitable place for my Mom's care for now and the future. Mom has moments of clarity and wit, but most of the time she has gone through some paranoia and delusions.
My brothers and sisters have taken on the brunt of this reality and hardship for the past couple years. Some of them have been verbally wounded while trying to help, sometimes much more. Words wounding their hearts in different ways, carefully calculated and sharp. I know, I have experienced them before....fresh memories as if they were from yesterday.
Anyways, my family really tends to appear fractured and aloof at times, sometimes just on different paths and going in different directions. My brothers and sisters came together and worked physically and mentally together to help discuss options for Mom, get her home sold and all of the work with that moving and getting her relocated with care for her condition. What they did was not a miracle by anyone's account but I find it remarkable none the less. I don't remember many times in my life when I witnessed so many of them working together....working out the details with all personal issues aside.
How does my Dad fit into this? He has been long gone for ten years now, but I remember having a conversation with him where he clearly told me his "greatest joy in life was watching us kids take care of one another."
I can't help but know in my heart he was looking down and chuckling in his deep growl his approval to himself of watching the recent events that transpired. Knowing they all did their best to contribute in some way and take care of Mom as well as the ultimate goal....well if taking care of each other was his greatest joy in life then this moment must have been my Dad's greatest joy of all time.
Recently my brothers and sisters have been working diligently and together I might add trying to secure a suitable place for my Mom's care for now and the future. Mom has moments of clarity and wit, but most of the time she has gone through some paranoia and delusions.
My brothers and sisters have taken on the brunt of this reality and hardship for the past couple years. Some of them have been verbally wounded while trying to help, sometimes much more. Words wounding their hearts in different ways, carefully calculated and sharp. I know, I have experienced them before....fresh memories as if they were from yesterday.
Anyways, my family really tends to appear fractured and aloof at times, sometimes just on different paths and going in different directions. My brothers and sisters came together and worked physically and mentally together to help discuss options for Mom, get her home sold and all of the work with that moving and getting her relocated with care for her condition. What they did was not a miracle by anyone's account but I find it remarkable none the less. I don't remember many times in my life when I witnessed so many of them working together....working out the details with all personal issues aside.
How does my Dad fit into this? He has been long gone for ten years now, but I remember having a conversation with him where he clearly told me his "greatest joy in life was watching us kids take care of one another."
I can't help but know in my heart he was looking down and chuckling in his deep growl his approval to himself of watching the recent events that transpired. Knowing they all did their best to contribute in some way and take care of Mom as well as the ultimate goal....well if taking care of each other was his greatest joy in life then this moment must have been my Dad's greatest joy of all time.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
PUI (parking under the influence)
I take my work very seriously...I try to give great customer service, very friendly and good quality food....and though try as I might, I really haven't gotten any kind of positive feedback on my company's website to be recognized like I have desired.
Sometimes we get recognized not for our efforts but just by what happens in the journey.
I was working the overnight shift this past weekend and that means many drunk customers...some happy drunks, some goofy drunks and some angry hungry drunks. When the bars close they all come for food. It makes for interesting and crazy stories. I've even had customers who thought they were driving and swerving all the while they were not even in a car...simply crazy times.
I could see the nose of a car out the corner of my peripheral vision parked half in my drive through lane and half in the exit lane. The problem was that because the driver occupied some of each lane I couldn't serve anyone as nobody could get around him on either side. I could see that the driver's window was down so I tried yelling out to him to get him to move. There was no response. I screamed my loudest...no response.
I unlocked the doors and locked my crew safely inside and went out to investigate. I approached cautiously to the side of the car...wrote down the make, model, color and plate number. I tried talking, yelling, and literally banging on the top of the man's car repeatedly while yelling as loud as I could. This went on for about ten minutes. He was out cold...car running, with only his foot on the brake to hold him in place while he slept.
Eventually I gave up attempting to awaken him and called in the police. The moment they put on their sirens it startled him enough to wake him up which caused him to take his foot off the brakes and race across the street into McDonalds where they stopped him and put him in jail for the night to sleep it off.
I wondered who he was and how did his friends let him drive this way?...what was the story behind the story....I had no time to think about it for long because I had to get back to work.
I didn't give it much further thought until last night. My store received a complimentary e-mail on the company website yesterday. My boss called me to read it to me. It read "I want to send out my thanks to the employee who called the police on me the other night. They saved my life. I was impaired and in no condition to drive. I endangered others lives and my whole future. I am to be married in 45 days and I have my whole future in front of me...I almost threw it all away. Again, I am in no way angry at whoever made the call...they should be commended for acting quickly and properly as it probably saved my life that night. I appreciate Krystal more now than ever before."
Kind of amusing that my most distinguished moment at this job seems to be a moment I find very small and less than exceptional and seemed to have nothing to do with the job description.
Now to the point---why mention all of this? I hope this man comes to live a GREAT STORY. The story needs to be more than DUI or PUI...lives are a one shot deal and they need to be lived out boldly and intentionally.
What do I mean by that? It's what Don Miller would call a chance to change the story and live in a better story.... one with an incredible ending yet to be written.
Sometimes we get recognized not for our efforts but just by what happens in the journey.
I was working the overnight shift this past weekend and that means many drunk customers...some happy drunks, some goofy drunks and some angry hungry drunks. When the bars close they all come for food. It makes for interesting and crazy stories. I've even had customers who thought they were driving and swerving all the while they were not even in a car...simply crazy times.
I could see the nose of a car out the corner of my peripheral vision parked half in my drive through lane and half in the exit lane. The problem was that because the driver occupied some of each lane I couldn't serve anyone as nobody could get around him on either side. I could see that the driver's window was down so I tried yelling out to him to get him to move. There was no response. I screamed my loudest...no response.
I unlocked the doors and locked my crew safely inside and went out to investigate. I approached cautiously to the side of the car...wrote down the make, model, color and plate number. I tried talking, yelling, and literally banging on the top of the man's car repeatedly while yelling as loud as I could. This went on for about ten minutes. He was out cold...car running, with only his foot on the brake to hold him in place while he slept.
Eventually I gave up attempting to awaken him and called in the police. The moment they put on their sirens it startled him enough to wake him up which caused him to take his foot off the brakes and race across the street into McDonalds where they stopped him and put him in jail for the night to sleep it off.
I wondered who he was and how did his friends let him drive this way?...what was the story behind the story....I had no time to think about it for long because I had to get back to work.
I didn't give it much further thought until last night. My store received a complimentary e-mail on the company website yesterday. My boss called me to read it to me. It read "I want to send out my thanks to the employee who called the police on me the other night. They saved my life. I was impaired and in no condition to drive. I endangered others lives and my whole future. I am to be married in 45 days and I have my whole future in front of me...I almost threw it all away. Again, I am in no way angry at whoever made the call...they should be commended for acting quickly and properly as it probably saved my life that night. I appreciate Krystal more now than ever before."
Kind of amusing that my most distinguished moment at this job seems to be a moment I find very small and less than exceptional and seemed to have nothing to do with the job description.
Now to the point---why mention all of this? I hope this man comes to live a GREAT STORY. The story needs to be more than DUI or PUI...lives are a one shot deal and they need to be lived out boldly and intentionally.
What do I mean by that? It's what Don Miller would call a chance to change the story and live in a better story.... one with an incredible ending yet to be written.
My wife Michelle loves photos that have paths that twist and turn and show the infinite possible turns our lives and story can take. So many choices...so many possibilities...it's what makes life special.
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