Family Features

Lately I seem to be surrounded by baby announcements.   Family and friends are all having children and grandchildren. I love to see pictures because I am always fascinated by hereditary features of babies and their parents. 

"She has her mother's nose."  "He has grandpa's chin."  "Don't her eyes look like Aunt Sally's?"

I remember the first day we were home after our older son's birth as I was holding him, he smiled. "Wow, he's got my dimples." It just tickled me so. It was one of those moments that I treasure in my heart. 

We have had life long friends on seeing our older son walk into a room, "You can tell who is his daddy- he looks just like his dad at that age."  When our younger son was little, I remember a mother of one of his school mates came up to me, "Oh you must be his mom. He looks just like you." 

Of course, we see the resemblances that we want to see.  The same people who said our son looks like his dad, will, in another context,  say that same son looks like me. 

Not only physical features but our behavior and character can also resemble family members.   Somethings we cherish and others, not so much.  How many of us find a word or phrase that seems to slip from our lips and we groan inside, "Oh no, I sound just like my mother (or father)".   I have already apologized profusely to our sons for behavior that I witnessed with my own parents and I am sure I will exhibit as I age.  Some things I can change but others I am afraid it is inevitable. 

It has gotten me to think about whom do I resemble?  Maybe more importantly, after whom should I model myself?  

For me as a Christ follower, I do want to model myself after Christ.  The question might start with "what would Jesus do?"  but I think the next question I try to ask is  "what would Jesus think?".  How can I become more and more like Christ and less and less like my frail human self?   It is not that I want to think of myself more highly than I ought or that "I am so Christ-like".  Far from that.  Because we all fall short of that goal.  

Rather I want to be more like the person God intends me to be.  To be shaped by my experiences into a person more and more like Jesus.   I am reminded of an old song from Amy Grant.  Click here to hear her singing.

"Father's Eyes"

I may not be every mother's dream for her little girl
And my face may not grace the mind of everyone in the world
But that's all right as long as I can have one wish I pray
When people look inside my life, I want to hear them say

[Chorus:]
She's got her Father's eyes, her Father's eyes
Eyes that find the good in things
When good is not around
Eyes that find the source of help
When help just can't be found
Eyes full of compassion, seeing every pain
Knowin' what you're going through, and feeling it the same
Just like my Father's eyes
My Father's eyes
My Father's eyes
Just like my Father's eyes

And on that day when we will pay for all the deeds we have done
Good and bad they'll all be had to see by everyone
And when you're called to stand and tell just what you saw in me
More than anything I know, I want your words to be

[Chorus]

What about you?  Whom do you resemble?  

 

What is Your Introduction?

Recently I was attending a lecture where the introduction to the speaker was phenomenal. The list went on and on.  He had accomplished much and was involved with much. The things that he had done were recognized through a litany of organizations or multiple degrees.  Immediately I thought, "Gosh, if they introduced me it would be quite short." 

It seems as if we are impressed with those long litanies. But I also thought of those people who might not have the fancy degrees or the  involvement with the "right" organizations.  What about those whose degree is through the school of hard knocks or who are the unsung heroes of their families?  Those who respond to a multitude of simultaneous crises with superhuman endurance and humility.   How do you introduce someone who is volunteer extraordinaire but with many organizations? Someone who works a little with everyone who asks, yet never completes the thousands of hours in one position for a grand citizen award.   How do you introduce someone who is practical, has great common sense, looks out for other's best interest or who is the best listener? 

How do you introduce all the truly extra-ordinary, ordinary people?

It made me think of my life and accomplishments or lack thereof.  Do I just need to market myself better? Or do I need to just accept that in the world's eyes I have not done anything special or at least anything that can be quantified or labelled? 

How do I treat others? Do I expect them to be introduced with a series of recognizable accomplishments?   Does my reaction and treatment of others depend on how they fit into a specific category?  Am I impressed with awards and accomplishments? 

Certainly it is good to be recognized for a job well done. We all crave that. And it is good to strive and attain something whether that is a degree, reward or a recognized accomplishment. 

But I realize that I shouldn't be overly awed by those things either.  Character and integrity of the person matters more. As much as God wants us to live in accordance with His rules and guidance for our lives, it is our hearts and our character that matter the most to Him. We should view ourselves and others in that light as well.  

Underlying the question, how would you be introduced, the question becomes, how is your character?  Would others say that you are a true friend, a confidant, of high integrity, reliable and trustworthy?  

Do you accept yourself for what you have done and not done?  If not, do you have time to “do something”?  Are there degrees or accomplishments that you want to do?  What is holding you back? 

How do you treat others?  Does an "impressive" introduction awe you?  Or do you wait and see how the person acts?  What characteristics would you want yourself and others to portray to be extraordinary ordinary folks? 

What is your introduction? 

Forever Treasures

Last week when I was walking to town during my "cracker dog" moment (see January 9th's post)  I noticed an area that is undergoing construction.  Or rather, it is the side of the road that is housing the construction equipment for the construction work being done across the street.  This equipment parking area is all torn up with deep ruts in the ground and bushes and small trees toppled over. Where the equipment hasn't torn up the area, the weeds and neglect of care have the other areas overgrown and looking quite desolate.

If I hadn't known what was there before, I would've thought that the equipment people were just parking in an abandoned lot.

Thing is, this was once a small, beautiful and beautifully maintained garden in memory of a prominent garden club member.  By the looks of the neglect, it seems as if I may be the only one who has remembered it and her. 

Now there may be plans to which I am not privy of revitalizing the garden once the construction across the street is complete.  I certainly hope so. 

And I couldn't help but remember the story of Englishman Roger Bannister the first man to run a mile in under four minutes.  Never had it been done before. The closest was Gunder Hagg from Sweden who, in 1945 ran a mile in 4:01.4. Yet, on May 6, 1954 Mr. Bannister ran it in 3:59.4. I sure that he was elated as were all the running fans. And he probably thought that it might be some time, like the nine years it took him, before someone would break his record.  

Thing is, in less than a year Australian John Landy broke that record with a time of 3:58.0

Just goes to show you that our accomplishments and tributes don't stay around for very long.

The neglected garden and the breaking of sporting records are gentle reminders to me to not put my hopes, my dreams, my sense of self all into the basket of accomplishment.  For if I do, someone else will push me out or dash my hopes and dreams.  There will always be someone else who surpasses our accomplishments like setting a new record or there will always be something that is more pressing than maintaining a piece of unused land like building a new shopping site.

I need to think of myself more than what is achieved. I need to remember the words of Jesus; not to store up treasures on earth that can rust, but lay up treasures in Heaven. 

What does that look like?  For me it means working towards and contributing to a purpose greater than myself.  To know that I have made a difference in the world but that I don't rest on my laurels of whatever contribution that might be. To not be overwhelmed, smitten or too confident in what "I've" produced, created or acquired.  To realize all can be lost in an instant and it is the intangible things like relationships, character, and truth that withstand. 

It is hard.  We are society that takes great pleasure in celebrating, almost deifying those who are "accomplished" aka "successful".  Certainly there is a time for recognition and celebration. I am all for the kudos and the reaping of the benefits from working hard.  But that shouldn't be the raison d'etre.  One hopes that one would be recognized for one's work but there are so many people working hard and never getting any type of recognition or thanks.

Even though the garden was a fitting tribute to our town gardener, it didn't take long before it was destroyed.  At the time the memorial garden was commissioned it was big deal because she was pretty prominent in town helping to shape the gardens around public buildings. Yet it is not the garden that I focus on.  I remember her because she was kind and helpful.  When we had our first house and I wanted to venture into gardening, she recommended some books to us.  We still have the books and I think of her fondly whenever I refer to them. 

What about you?  Can you think of accomplishments, either for yourself or others that have been surpassed?  If it was your own, how does that make you feel?  What kind of treasures are you storing? Earthly or heavenly? 

Passion

No judgements here, but really?  I am sure the heroine has amethyst or jade color eyes. 

No judgements here, but really?  I am sure the heroine has amethyst or jade color eyes. 

How passionate are you? I am not talking the bodice ripping, pulsating harlequin romance type of passion but the type of passion as defined by oxforddictionaries.com, "an intense desire or enthusiasm for something, a thing arousing a great enthusiasm". 

I attended a lecture the other week where the speaker was quite passionate in his subject about a very obscure historical object that was used in determining the Mason Dixon line.  I knew of the line and have crossed it many times but because of his enthusiasm I am more appreciative of it, how it came about and in the men who surveyed it.   I now see the maps and historical letters and documents with appreciative eyes. 

I am sure that you have probably had a similar instance if you ever had a passionate school teacher on a subject. My high school English teacher was passionate about Shakespeare and so I love the Bard's plays. Alas, much to my Physics major husband, my high school Physics professor's passion didn't rub off on me. 

But that speaker did get me thinking:  About what am I passionate?  What stirs my soul?  What arouses an enthusiasm in me?   Do I inspire an enthusiasm in others? 

I am always so impressed with people who are laser focused on a subject and seem to know an inexhaustible amount of information on that subject.  They are the subject experts.  They know what they know.  They stand for something. Their knowledge base becomes their identity.

The more I live, the more I know that I don't know.  As my grandmother predicted many years ago, "jack of all trades, master of none."   In some ways I find that upsetting, because it seems that mastering something becomes who one is.  So, more than not knowing a subject thoroughly, I am wondering about my identity.  For what do I stand?  And, if I stand for it, do I know that subject or viewpoint or theory as an expert?  Should I?

What about you?  Have you ever wondered about your knowledge base?  What do you know?  About what are you passionate?  Is/should that be one and the same? What is your identity?  Are you an expert on that? Does that knowledge inspire others?  Does your enthusiasm rub off? 

What's your passion?