Happy Tuesday!

Our house has been experiencing electrical power surges and brown outs sporadically for the past couple of weeks. Today began with these electrical phenomenon and Bruce said they went on for hours. The electric company was called and they said that the wiring at the pole in the backyard and the connectors were old. They repaired the damage to the wiring and connectors but not before we lost 2 TV sets, 1 DVD player, 3 power bars, 1 microwave, 1 IPod docking station and the greatest loss of all was the loss of our beloved Bose Wave Radio /CD player. The power surges fried all of these things.

I gave the Bose to Bruce on our 20th wedding anniversary. We listen to it daily and play music on it nightly. It wakes us up in the morning and lulls us to sleep each night. We also took it with us when we would sing somewhere where there was no accompanist. I phoned the insurance company and they will send out an adjuster in the next 24-36 hours. As Bruce was telling me about all of this on the phone as I was driving home and as I was assessing the loss and how we could recover these things, I was reminded that these were luxuries in our lives and that we could learn to live without them if we need to do so. I gave thanks that we had electricity and we were not in the dark. I gave thanks that I had a gas stove and still could prepare dinner. I gave thanks that the refrigerator was still intact.

1 Kings 3:7 “And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father and I am but a little child. I know not how to go out or come in.”

As a first grade teacher I am a mother figure to a lot of my children. And I must admit that I don’t mind being called “Mom” by these children. Mom is a term of endearment. My Mom has always been a person with whom I felt safe, nurtured and could trust no matter what. (You too, Dad!) When I walk down the hall with my students behind me, very often a child walks a bit faster and places their hand in mine as we walk together.

In Casey’s last days I would hold his hand for hours. I held his hand when he was in all of those chemo induced comas. Bruce and Geni were holding his hands when he took his last breath. We were clinging to our son and brother out of love and helplessness. It was the only thing we would do.

God wants us to cling to Him. He draws us near to Himself out of His love for us and our helplessness. God wants us to trust Him with all of our lives. God wants us to trust in Him knowing that He will never fail us. God wants us to cling to Him in our doubts. And God wants us to believe that there is no miracle that He cannot perform. As one of my favorite songs says, “When there is nothing left to do, but just depend on You…”

Let us place our hands in the One who offered His nail scarred hands in love for us.

Take joy in the journey and walk hand in hand with God. Love you all so much, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.