Circa 1966

DD wanted to go to the city. And it was a great day for a Friday drive after school.  And she has her learner's license. So off to the city we went. My Sweetheart sat in the passenger seat.  Driving with a child who has a learner's license is his job. I'm too high strung.  Too nervous. He's the epitome of calm, cool, and collected in matters such as driving.

While at Wally's world we were perusing the dvd's and cd's - I saw something that made me do a double take. I almost couldn't believe my eyes.  Almost.

There, all by itself, in the cd area, was THE Elvis "how great thou art" CD. The cover was the exact same cover of the LP that had been in My Mom's collection years earlier. Years.  Circa 1966. The cover with the face of Elvis in the front left corner, blue skies at the top, and a white church on the left hand side.

I was 2 when that album showed up in the old farmhouse. I was 2 when my Blue Suede Brother, and my Other Brother had been asked to sing in church. For some reason, likely my young age, I hadn't been asked to sing.  And I was hurt. I had been snubbed for the first time in my life by the 'ask-ers'.

"If you can learn the words to the song," My Mom told me, "you can sing with the boys."

Out came the Elvis "How Great thou Art" album and the song 'In the Garden' was played over and over and over. I just realized, now in fact, that My Mom would have been the one lifting the needle up and back, over and over and over- just for me.

I remember when I knew the song. My Mom was downstairs in the scary, dark, damp basement - putting clothes in or taking clothes out of the dryer.  I opened the basement door and yelled "I KNOW IT!!!!"

I remember singing it for her. And then I remember standing in front of Scandia Lutheran with my Blue Suede Brother and my Other Brother as we sang. We would have been standing youngest to oldest, looking like stair steps. The oldest almost 8, then 6, then- me. I was as happy as could be- singing with my brothers, encouraged by the congregation, and loved by my parents.

That song has been one I've sang many times throughout the 47 years since. Mostly at funerals.
But I didn't really understand the words of it until a few years ago. It was written, according to the songwriter, from the viewpoint of Jesus, while He was in the garden of Gethsemane- just before He was was arrested.

I come to the garden alone,
while the dew is still on the roses,
and the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me
and He talks with me
and He tells me I am His Own
and the joy we share as we tarry there
none other has ever known.

Jesus was in that garden, alone, praying. He knew what was going to be happening. But He did it anyway- because of love.

He speaks and the sound of His voice
though the night around me be falling,
but He bids me go through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

The voice of woe. How terrible and how lonely that voice must have been. But Jesus endured. He stayed and prayed with His Heavenly Father.

He listened.

He wept.

He loved.

He was betrayed.

He forgave.

He suffered.

He bled.

He died.

He conquered death.

He lives.

And now I can come to the garden - alone. I know He walks with me.  I know He talks with me. I know He calls me His own.

Of course I bought that CD. I'll probably end up giving it to Mom- it was one of her favorite albums.

Comfort Dogs

"My dogs," I said to a friend yesterday over coffee, "seem to know when I'm not feeling well. They will want to be as close to me as possible then." We had been talking about our pets and what great company they are. I was recalling how, just the previous week, while suffering a migraine, Chico wanted up on the bed with me. She curled her little body next to mine and slept. She only does that when I'm not feeling well.

I remembered watching a news program on tv, shortly after the Newtown tragedy. On that particular program 'comfort dogs' were featured. 5 or 6  Golden Retrievers, along with their handlers, had been dispatched to Newtown.  Their job was simple - to comfort anyone who needed comfort. I, being a lover of Golden Retrievers, was in tears while watching. I was wondering, just yesterday, if the 'comfort dogs' would be dispatched to Boston. My answer came this morning, while watching the news, while on my eliptical. The 'comfort dogs' - the same ones that were in Conneticut a few months earlier, were sitting in front of a Lutheran Church in Boston- waiting to do their job; and in the meantime were getting lots of kisses and hugs from the news correspondent.

It was a touching segment. People are suffering.  People need comfort. But what about those people who don't have access to 'comfort dogs'? What about those who are going through:

intense heartbreak..
immense sorrow...
extreme loneliness...
pain....
separation or divorce....
loneliness and longing...?

What about those who are:

misunderstood....
marginalized...
mocked....
beaten down....
lied about....?

What about the widows? The orphans? The shut-ins?

What about the people who seemingly have it all together on the outside, but inside are screaming to be loved?

We live in a world besot by evil. From the beginning, when God first created the world, evil entered. Evil, that threatens to  destroy good and devour all that is right,is rampant.  Evil manipulates and lies. Evil does not want good to flourish. That is why the world is in turmoil.  That is why bombs go off at finish lines at marathons. That is why kids take guns to schools.  That is why families disintigrate.  That is why marriages crumble. That is why people sue each other. That is why churches split.

My Bible says "your enemy- your adversary- the devil - prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour..." 1 Peter 5:8

But it goes on to say, in verse 9 - "The suffering won't last forever.  It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ- eternal and glorious plans they are! - will have you put together and on your feet for good. HE gets the last word."

If you're in need of comfort, look to God.  He is a present help in times of trouble. He is always available- unlike comfort dogs. The way to God is through Jesus. Jesus conquered sin.  He is alive. He loves you. He says, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No one  comes to the Father, but through Me." - John 14:6

Finally, be encouraged and comforted by these words - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1:4

Friendliness Training

One out of three girls at the reception desk, at the eye doctor's, where I took My Mom today, was friendly. She greeted Mom with a smile, looked her in the eye when talking to her, and generally showed kindness. I liked her. And after she whisked Mom away for the myriad of things that needed to be done, I sat and waited and observed while pretending to feign interest in Woman's Day magazines. A lot of observing can transpire in 90 some minutes.

I observed two things, really, that stick out in my mind right now.  One of them is that the elderly enjoy visiting.  The other was that friendliness was lacking at the reception desk from the other girls- the 2 out of the  3 girls.

What flabbergasted me the most and still is making me cringe, hours after the fact, was the way 1 of the receptionists in particular was communicating, or not communicating, with an elderly patient that had made her way to the reception desk. The patient was using a walker and was obviously very hard of hearing. The receptionist didn't even make eye contact, not once, with the patient. I was watching the whole thing transpire. She seemed to be annoyed when she had to repeat herself.  'Seemed' might not even be the correct word. She was annoyed. Finally the rigamarole at the reception desk was completed and the patient sat down in the waiting room.

The other unfriendly receptionist dealt with Mom and I after My Mom's appointment. She had to deal with me because I am Mom's driver. Mom sets her appointment dates in consultation with me in order to make sure I am available for driving.  The first date didn't work for me. It was for the beginning of July. That seemed to annoy the receptionist. The second date didn't work either.  "When," she said in a condescending way, "do you plan on being able to bring her?" "Well," replied myself, "I'm not exactly sure when we'll be back from our camping trip...."

At that point I think I saw her eyeballs roll. I thought maybe I should have called her boss to the front to see if he could do anything about rolling eyeballs, but then thought better of it. So I smiled. And said "we should be back by the middle of July."

Then Mom and I left and went shoe shopping. I bought 2 pairs of shoes from the saleslady because she was so friendly. Some people could take friendliness training from her.