Monday, August 30, 2010

A Little Grace

But he gives us more grace. James 4:6 (NIV)

I can't believe it is almost the end of the month and my last post was August 1st. Needless to say, we have been on the go. The grandgirlies and my daughter arrived for a week with the fun, excitement, activity, and chatter that fills up the house. This time, however, we all traveled back to California for Dad's 88th birthday, a baby shower for my new grandgirlie-to-be, my 45th High School Reunion, and time with Dad—being his eyes as he struggles with the details of his life. I drove almost 2000 miles in two weeks.

I planned to take a few days to catch up, but that lasted all of one day. Life changed abruptly in the Blumberg household with the addition of a cute rescue dog that we named Parker. Mark hinted at adopting a dog for several months but I was not interested. I'm a cat person and never had an indoor dog. But the more I thought about it, I realized that a dog might be the one thing that would encourage Mark to get out and exercise—a directive that his doctors reiterate every time he has a check-up.

The idea of a puppy with all the training necessary did not appeal to me so we decided to adopt through a rescue organization. Someone found Parker giving birth in a field in South Tucson. She had already delivered two pups and after they picked her up, she delivered four more. We met her after the puppies were weaned and just before all the craziness of our month began. Mark was sold. I, on the other hand, had mixed feelings.

I gave her a few instructions on the way home after we picked her up from her foster mom:

No barking.
No chewing.
No getting on the furniture.
No jumping up.
No sniffing in wrong places.
No peeing on the rugs.

She just looked at me.

Parker and Mark are now joined at the hip. He takes total care of her — I'm only an adjunct if all else fails. If he heads out without her, she lays down near the door until he returns. No budging. They take several walks each day and Mark is intimately acquainted with all the rocks bordering the street as he waits for Parker to sniff them. They're fun to watch.

She is pretty good with all of my instructions—except one. She piddles on the rug with she gets excited and only does it with me. This is where the grace comes in. For all the pleasure she gives, she is not perfect. I have to get over it.

I'm so thankful that God gives more grace rather than just a one time gift. I may be cute, but I'm not perfect. I may even be able to be obedient most of the time to what I know He wants me to do. But not always. How can I be upset with her when I see the love and forgiveness lavishly bestowed on me by my Heavenly Father?

What's going in your life that requires a little grace? Take a deep breath and be generous.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

No Falling

 

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24
A few years ago, I took a tumble, landing on my elbow breaking off the end of it. The injury required surgery, immobilization in a cast, followed by physical therapy. I responded well and as the doctor discharged me, I asked him if there was anything else I needed to know.

"Rule number one — DO NOT fall," he said. And that was the end of his advice.

As we age, balance tends to be an issue. One misstep and a serious mishap may occur. My mom fell getting out of bed and hit her head. The injury was so severe that she never left the hospital and was gone in less than a month. Mark's mom had a similar experience last year and spent several weeks in rehab before returning to her apartment. Last week Dad called and he had fallen in his bathroom requiring a trip to the emergency room but thankfully only suffered cuts and bruises.

The consequences may be short-lived but it still throws our equilibrium off and tends to make us more cautious. Have you noticed how many older people use walkers these days? It gives them confidence on uneven surfaces.

But we're not limited to stumbles in the physical realm. We can make a pretty big mess in our emotional and spiritual lives, too, treading into areas that are dangerous to our health and well being. How many times do we use an emotional crutch in a tense situation rather than facing it head on? We lie to avoid the pain of a truthful answer. We hide when someone is counting on us but we feel inadequate. We get angry to camouflage our insecurity.

God offers us a much better way to live. In fact, He wants to hear about our fears and frustrations so He can help us navigate the mine fields of our lives. Rather than clutching out after straws, catch hold of the hand of the One who will never let you fall.