The Magic Roundabout: Part VII

Peter found himself walking down a forest trail with Marie.  She had run ahead and was looking at something along side the trail.  The terrain was very hilly and he believed they must be in the Appalachians.  How did they get there?  He was focused on the trees around him when he realized that Marie was a girl and no longer a young woman.   How did that happen?  Where were they?  She was bent over looking at something.  He called to her, “Sweetie, come to daddy.  I don’t want you to get lost.”

Marie stood up from the other side of a tree and looked at her father.  She called out, “But daddy, mommy’s right here.”  Melissa peaked her head from the other side of the tree and said, “I’m right here, Pete.  We’re looking at a walking stick.”

Peter’s knee’s felt weak.  It was Melissa.  His wife was alive.  How was this possible?  He walked to her and stood there, gazing, while Melissa and Marie looked at the insect.  Melissa, who always loved “critters,” told Marie how the walking stick stays safe since predators have trouble recognizing it. 

After Melissa stood up Peter said, “Honey, I love you.”  He reached his arms around her and held her in a warm, loving embrace.  Melissa chuckled, “I love you, too.  Are you ok?”

Peter wondered if the last 18 years had been a dream.  Was this real?  Is this reality and everything he knew wasn’t?  He didn’t want to come across as strange to his wife so he replied, “No, I’m ok.  I’ve just been thinking and I realize what a happy and blessed man I am.  I am happy you decided to marry me.  You have made me so happy.  I am just grateful for my family.”

“You’ve done a great job raising our little girl.”

“Well, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“What do you mean?  I died giving birth to Marie.  You did it all yourself.”

Peter felt as if he’d been punched in the stomach.  His mind whirled.  All he could say was a weak croak that sounded something like, “What?”

“I know you know what I’m talking about, Pete.  I died about 18 years ago when Marie was born.”

The Magic Roundabout: Part VI

Peter and Marie were on the drive home.  Marie was sharing the latest gossip from her dorm.  She spoke nonstop since they left college.  Peter smiled to himself since her continual chatter reminded him of when she was little.  Once Marie learned to speak, she practiced all the time and there was no topic that was off limits. 

Little Marie always had an opinion and was willing to share it.  She once emphatically stated to Peter about a woman she saw that was fat.  When Peter looked in the direction of the woman in question, he was certain she was pregnant.  Peter quietly corrected Marie that she wasn’t fat but had a baby in her tummy.  About a month later the two of them were at the park and Marie walked up to a man with a beer belly.  She said to him, “I know you have a baby in your tummy.” 

Peter laughed out loud which stopped Marie’s one sided conversation.  She looked at her father and asked, “What?”

“Do you remember the time you told a man he had a baby in his tummy?”

“I know you have told me about that but I don’t remember the event.”

“You are a sweet young lady and I am proud you are my daughter.”

“Thanks daddy.”

Shortly thereafter, they were upon the roundabout.  Peter asked, “How many laps do you want to do?”

“Let’s do seven.”

“Seven it is.”

Peter did the first lap slowly and gradually picked up speed.  As he began the sixth lap, a bright light began to envelop the car.  The surrounding temperature began to rise.  A tingling sensation was felt by both Peter and Marie.  Peter believed it must have something to do with the g-forces, however small, they were experiencing.  He let up off the gas expecting the car to slow.  Instead, the vehicle increased in speed. 

Father and daughter turned to look at each other.  Their eyes locked.  Peter expected a look of fear in Marie’s eyes.  Instead, he saw joy, contentment.  He began to relax and the acceleration continued.  The light brightened more and seemed to consume them.  Peter had a sensation as if his body was melting plastic.  He felt he was a vapor, capable of going anywhere and any time.  Marie was still with him but now the car was gone.  The roundabout was gone.  They were no longer part of time and space.  Rather than fear, both of them felt peace.  This is where they were supposed to be, but where were they?

Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Picture this:

The Father is our goal.  He is the author and creator of the universe.  He is everything and everything we are and have and could wish for is ultimately Him.

The Son is the standard.  He lived the life the Father wants mankind to live.  That is, a life devoted to God, the Father.  Everything Jesus did was the will of His Father.  Therefore, Jesus is the blueprint of how we are to live our lives. 

The Holy Spirit is the energy by which we can live this life.  The power comes from within.  He prompts us in the way we should go and breathes into us the fuel to live in obedience. 

When someone believes and accepts that Jesus is the substitute for our sins, we become adopted sons and daughters of God.  Therefore, we are to live the life that Jesus lived in obedience to the Father.  How do we do this?

The Father is ahead of us.  He is our destination and our journey.  The Son is beside us.  He will coach us on the path for it is one He Himself has taken.  The Spirit dwells within us.  He prompts us for each step to take and empowers us to make each step.

A Child`s Eyes

The universe is packed to overflowing with

new and delightfully wonderful elements to

capture and hold a mind willingly open to

grasp the present realities of daily living

All of creation is good and mesmerizing

and there is nothing to fear for mommy and

daddy have a protective love that guides

to only the best places

There is no anxiety for all needs are

overabundantly filled and goodness is

lavished upon the precious, little treasure

Elevate Your Thoughts

Elevate your thoughts

Live where you belong

You’re a child of God

You must sing the song

What is your excuse

to pass off the might

of the God Most High

who keeps you in sight?

God lives inside you

and He is the One

that gives you the strength.

The battle is done

Elevate your thoughts

Believe what He said

Live where you belong

Don’t live your life dead

The Magic Roundabout: Part V

In two days, Peter was going to travel to pick up Marie.  He felt like a kid waiting for Christmas.  The hours at work seemed like days.  It was no better when he arrived home.  Again, he had reminders of Marie and they only compounded the need to see his little girl.

That night Peter dreamed he and Marie were riding home from college and they were circling the roundabout.  Marie was giggling like she did when she was little.  Peter turned to look at her and she actually was about 5 or 6 years old.  Her laughter caused his heart to soar.  He and his little girl were together again.  They must have gone round and round 20 times.  Each revolution brought bigger smiles and laughs.  Peter felt a tremendous lightness in his heart.  It was a feeling he last had the day he was married. 

Marie was cramming for a test while Jenny, her roommate, listened to music.  She needed to tell her Jenny to use her headphones.  Her stress was high but she was certain she would do well on the test.  Still, she always stressed over tests.  Some might say she had test anxiety but she didn’t freeze when taking tests.  She merely had a lot of tension prior to taking them.

College life agreed with Marie.  She savored it.  There were moments of conflict with her roommate but the way Marie looked at it, they were both from different families.  There were bound to be differences between them.  Marie always wanted to talk things out but Jenny tended to keep things in.  It bugged Marie that Jenny avoided her when there was something she didn’t like.  She couldn’t think about that now. 

As she studied, seeing her father was in the back of her mind.  She was conflicted about visiting him.  Yes, she loved and wanted to see him.  Still, she enjoyed her new independence.  She loved life.  Part of her felt he held her back.  He smothered her.  She didn’t want to go back to that. 

Army Worms

One of the popular stories of my family history happened when my dad and his family still lived and worked on a farm.  For years I thought this event happened shortly before grandma and grandpa sold the farm but dad says that isn’t so.  Nonetheless, this is an interesting and true story.

Though born in Nebraska, my dad grew up in Michigan.  The farm is still there.  The barn looks good and the house has had some additions and upgrades.  The house was built in the 1800s.  At some point, grandma used to say, she felt the Lord was telling her they needed to sell the farm and move but she loved it there and didn’t want to.  Consequently, they didn’t. 

Many of us have heard about the plagues God brought upon Egypt.  This is similar.  One summer all the crops were wiped out by army worms.  As dad described it, the army worms started on one side of the property and just moved across everything.  He said it looked like a slow moving black blanket moving across the land.  The crops were green, the army worms were black, and they left nothing but brown dirt and occasional partially eaten twigs. 

The thing that makes this appear to be God’s judgment is this important fact:  Only the land and crops belonging to my family were affected.  The army worms literally went up to the fence of a neighbor’s land but did not cross the line. 

When I visited the place a couple years ago, I went into the house for the first time.  We went into the basement and dad pointed out how the house was built upon one of the rock formations.  You can see one of the rock formations in the picture.  Dad mentioned how if you were in the basement, you could here people coming to the house from the barn if they were running.  The rock somehow amplified the sound of the footsteps.  

Grandma and grandpa did end up selling the place a few years later.  My grandma loved it there and always cried whenever we visited.  Most of the family stories I know took place there.  It was up for sale and I’d love to have it in the family again.  It just isn’t in the cards right now.