TAKIN' THE TIME...TO REFLECT

Today is Sunday. Ordinarily my husband and I would be in church, but he returned quite late from Ohio. I had cleaned house more than usual since I had said goodbye to my two oldest grandchildren and their two friends as they drove south to meet the rest of their family for a week at Sanibel following a couple nights spent visiting with me. It was great fun having them here especially while watching them attempt to catch an alligator-no joke! Well, maybe a "little" joke!

Bob and I decided to do devotions and read a very inspiring story (not unusual) from The Word For Today..by Bob Gass. Before I actually quote from it I want to let you in on a few of the reflections I had afterward. I recall as a 5 year old child, my dad washing a neighbor child's hair. Since we had moved to the 'trailor' park in Lexington from Harlan, Ky, I can only surmise that she may have had lice! That's because my Mom told me I said I felt like a movie star when we moved in and her comment to me was that I must be "a pretty poor one" (movie star that is).

Anyway, I guess from that I'd have to believe we weren't "rich" and neither would our neighbors have been. Obviously, I must have drawn a conclusion from my Dad's example that we weren't supposed to 'ignore' other people's needs. I find myself hiding newspapers whenever my neighbors don't pick them up so that they don't leave tell tale signs that they may be out of town even though we live in a gated community. I also close the lids on garbage cans so it won't rain into them. I do these things because I notice and care. I appreciate when someone pulls my recycle bins and trash can near my garage door if I return late. I pick up papers, plastic bottles. You get the picture.

The photo above was taken when one evening I kept hearing a "racket" and finally left the kitchen only to discover these three, little, disoriented limpkins (common Fl birds) which could see their reflection in our window pecking like crazy. An incoming guest was holding the gate open hoping they'd find their way out, but to no avail. My brave husband decided to grab one..and take it back to the lake...and of course, he'd have to repeat that procedure if the others didn't follow along, which they didn't. In fact, you'd have thought he planned to serve them for dinner. He did manage to catch one without losing his hand to my surprise. And, to our neighbor's surprise, the Momma bird reclaimed them all...and they ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVERY AFTER!

Bear with me because this writing may appear disjointed but I think you'll understand it better once you read the following quotation from the devotional: Chuck Swindoll tells of The Giving Tree: "When the boy was young he swung from the tree's branches, ate her apples and slept in her shade. The tree loved those years. But as the boy grew he spent less and less time with the tree. 'Come on, let's play,' said the tree, but the young man was only interested in money. 'Then take all my apples and sell them,' said the tree. He did, and the tree was happy. He didn't return for a long time, but the tree smiled when he passed one day. 'Come on, let's play!' But the man was older and tired of the world. He wanted to get away from it all. 'Cut me down. Take my trunk, make yourself a boat, then you can sail away,' said the tree. The man did, and the tree was happy. Many seasons passed--and the tree waited. Finally, the old man returned, too old to play, or pursue riches, or sail the seas. 'I have a pretty good stump left. Just sit here and rest,' said the tree. He did, and the tree was happy."

Swindoll continues, "I stared into the fire, reviewing my life as I grew older with tree and the boy. I identified with both-- and it hurt. How many giving trees have there been? How many people have given themselves so that I might grow, accomplish my goals, and find wholeness and satisfaction? Thank you Lord for each one. That night I crawled into bed. I had wept, now I was smiling. 'Goodnight, Lord.' I was a THANKFUL MAN. THANKFUL I'D TAKEN THE TIME TO REFLECT."