I Saw The Light

Chaos had erupted.

The small living room was all of a sudden even smaller with 3 paramedics and my dad’s care staff now scrambling to each do their jobs they were trained for. “DAD!! , DAD!! Can you hear me!??” My face scrambled to within inches of my dad’s face as he sat hunched over in his wheelchair of many years now, the massive stroke his life had lived around displaying the difficulties his life had endured for many years now.

“DAD!! DAD!! LOOK at me!!”I cried. His glazed eyes slowly met mine as he ever so slowly lifted his head… no response. He was “somewhere else.” My heart was screaming…”Stay with me!! STAY WITH ME!! “You see it!! DONT YOU!?” I cried.

The next minute’s seemed a whirlwind and a blur as I followed the wailing sounds of the local ambulance to the hospital.

My dad had often talked about going to heaven and how he was not one bit afraid now since his stroke stole from his life at the early age of 62. He had accepted God’s free gift as a young boy, back in the 50s, so he knew where his eternity was going to be spent. Heaven.

But I wasn’t ready. Didn’t that count at this moment in time? “DAD!!”I shouted for the umpteenth time in the past half hour. The form laying in the hospital bed didn’t seem familiar. His eyes gazed at the ceiling… wide open. He turned his head at the sight of his “first born”. The way my dad addressed me now since the stroke had changed him some. With much enthusiasm my dad proclaimed:

“I’m going to haul gravel with my dad in heaven!! IM GOING HOME!!” My heart leaped with joy knowing my dad was still with us. I believe he had seen heaven. He “saw the light.” There was no convincing him he wasn’t going to heaven just yet. For the next few days, His eyes shone…he was focused.

My dad recovered from that time, He had stayed on the planet…for a little while longer, but I believe part of him was already living in a glimpse of heavens light. He had a stronger hope of traveling to his forever home where His mom and dad and sweetheart had gone on to now years ago.

He had missed them so much.

Now, 3 years in heaven, his glimpse of the light illuminating heaven now has become a beautiful reality for him. I choose to believe he is hauling gravel with his dad; my Grandpa, a love for both of them here on earth for so many years.

I believe heaven is more real than our earthly lives now. Charlie Pride had a hit in the 70s, “I Saw The Light.” It has drifted back to my memories often now over the years. It was one of my dad’s favorite songs in his collection, crooning from his 8 track 1970 stereo.

“I SAW THE LIGHT, I SAW THE LIGHT…NO MORE DARKNESS NO MORE NIGHT…”

I believe my dad saw the light of heaven that day. I, too, look forward to the day when my journey here is done, and I will “see the light of heaven.”
I believe I’ll be hearing, “I SAW THE LIGHT” streaming through eternity.

No matter what life has handed you, know that the FREE gift of heaven is yours. Accept God’s incredible love…

And experience “the light” of Heaven❤️

The Rock

The backyard carpet of grass was dressed in bright green as spring had made way for summer. My dad had freshly mowed it with his older model mower, neat straight rows, creating a summertime backdrop for the two seater metal swings surrounded by a crisp old fashioned picket fense with a swinging door in the middle, held by a metal hitch, dividing the neighbors yard and ours, in a friendly manner of course.

My mom’s freshly planted garden sat perfectly in the back corner of the yard, framed by the freshly mowed grass. My 5 year old self skipped happily into the back of the yard where my dad had made a pass along the back close to our small town road. It led to my favorite spot. A place to sit…. The rock.

Being five, it seemed much larger than it really was. A smooth angled surface was just perfect for a place to watch the early spring robins intently hopping on my dad’s freshly mowed grass, tugging at morsels of worm, or just watching the latest 70s cars and trucks moving intentionally back-and-forth on the edge of our town road. It was a different time. A slower time.

My mom’s yellow perennials seemed to wave at me on my perch; the large trunk and branches of what felt like a grandmother oak tree shaded my spot on the rock like a protective maternal hug. I sighed a 5 year old sigh. It was a haven of sorts. It was my haven when life got too noisy in my 5 year old world where I could just be me… and whatever rest meant to a 5 yr old mind.

Now, 50 plus years later, the road to my grandchildren’s homes brings me past the now even larger oak shading the rock, which seems so much smaller now. I proceed to tell the same story they hear every time we pass by as they ride in my SUV’s back seat.

“This is where Grandma used to sit on the rock.” They crane their little necks as they follow my gestures in the direction of the rock . It happens often, it seems. And each time, I start telling the story of the Rock, the grandchildren chirp… “Grandma! There is your rock!” and beat me to it. I guess I’ve told them that story 1 time too many times already. I’m glad they remember.

But I want the next generation to know where my rock of rest had been all those years. But more importantly, I want my next generation to know where my rock of rest is now in my life, and has been for many years. The “ROCK of ages,…” JESUS❤️.

The hymn “Rock of Ages” cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee, brings my thoughts back to the words in the navy blue church hymnal as a five year old. The words didn’t have much meaning then… My 5 year old self had not lived enough life yet to have the need for the “Rock of rest,”… an unmovable place of “rest” called JESUS.

Looking back on the memories of my rock, I realized my need for some quiet rest. Even at the age of 5. It serves as a remembrance of how our minds need a steady “rock of rest” in different ways in different seasons.

As I continue to travel that road that passes my childhood rock, my prayer continues to be for the future generations…my grandchildren…that they too will find the ultimate ROCK…the ROCK of REST… JESUS❤️

The Waiting Room

His eyes gazed towards the ceiling; fixed as if watching a never ending reel of a lifetime of memories only he could see. The view more often than not that he would have liked. The past 13 years, a debilitating stroke took the life he once enjoyed,.. and twisted it… mercilessly.

Yet despite this new life he faced, my dad was an encourager in the midst of many hours of life, staring towards the ceiling.

As I entered his room on one of my night shifts with my dad after my mom had passed away, the familiar sounds of Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, and so many more signature names, crooned out Christmas, one hit after another.

It was the month of July, but that didn’t matter to my dad.
Memories of my mom embedded in these songs carried my dad through the days and nights through different seasons since my mom had passed away. The sounds of Christmas filled the darkened room as my dad lay tucked in his bed by the evening shift. I stood in the doorway, taking in the moment as my eyes got accustomed to the darkness, seeing my dad’s figure slowly appearing…gazing at the ceiling.

“Hi dad, it’s me.” I said in a louder than I wanted to voice, but it was necessary as the volume of the music and my dad’s declining hearing made it a necessity. He turned his head towards the sound of my voice and answered in his beautiful bass voice… “Is this my first born?” I chuckled, he chuckled, and I answered, “Yes, dad, it’s your first born:)”…a new way of speaking dad had taken on after his stroke. So much had changed, yet underneath the layers of his stroke…dad was still my dad… climbing through ever so often.

“How are your kids doing? How was the house reno coming along? Are the grandkids taking swimming lessons yet? You know it’s important… Are they taking piano lessons like you did? Keep it up being a good Grandma. I had a dream about mom last night… It was so real…” My eyes glistened as I listened to his encouragement and dreams.

Wasn’t I the one to be my dad’s encourager? I did try, but my dad always seemed to cover those first thing as he’d stare at the ceiling…like he did now in the blackness of the room.

For almost 13 years now, he had waited for his miracle to walk again.. buy a camper and truck and join us for our camping weeks at the Lake. and so much more. He was just 62 when life hit him hard, and retirement had been rudely interrupted so cruely for mom and dad both. Dad and mom had missed a lot in the waiting as they both continued to look to the miracle of my dad. Walking had not come to pass… . He always still had hope, but in the meanwhile, he encouraged, he told stories, he lived his spiritual life on his sleeve… now more than ever.

He told me many times he was not afraid to die. He knew Heaven would be his eternal home with his Jesus and mom and so many others who had gone on ahead….. I don’t know that I could have waited that well, praying for a miracle he so longed and waited for..

Those times he lay staring at the ceiling, became his waiting room, waiting… waiting for his miracle. Yet while he was waiting, he blessed others, encouraged, dreamed of camping again with his children and waited to meet mom, the love of his life, in his dreams as he listened to the timeless Christmas songs him and mom had enjoyed. From where I sat looking at his life… dad waited well.

Today he is walking! Walking the streets of gold!. His prayers have been answered, walking on the streets of gold with mom, I love to imagine, and his Jesus of course! I miss him so much, but I’m so incredibly glad hiis seasons in his waiting room are over forever… He waited well.

How well have I waited in my own waiting room on this planet? I’ve had many opportunities to practice the wait and still do until I leave for my forever home! And have joys forever more! Never more to wait!

We all have a choice while we wait in our own waiting rooms. Will we wait with hope, contentment, peace, encouragement, and more? We all want/ need miracles in our lives. but how we wait can be the hope and blessing someone else may be needing.

My prayer is that I will make my waiting room count as I keep praying for my miracles in my lifetime.

Be encouraged! My dad’s Jesus was with him every moment of every day, and most of all, in the darkness of the night when all he could do was gaze at the ceiling.

He promises to be with us as we wait for our miracles in our waiting room.

Make it count. Wait well, somebody may need your blessing…

in YOUR waiting room..

What A Day That Will Be!

The night had been short. Morning had come too soon, so a homeday it would be,wrapping myself even tighter in my king sized white duvae.

My fingers scrolled hungrily through photos gone by and those taken just yesterday. A younger mom, a younger dad, my children, grandchildren… much life lived.

My mind traveled the dusty roads that wound through each picture, vintage and new, holding good times/ memories that told many a story.

Amidst the scroll, my fingers stopped as my curiosity zoomed in to get a closer look. My mind quickly remembered the day I had snapped the picture. My fingers now lingered hard on it..

The day had started somewhat like this one. Paging through my mom’s yearly diaries had taken my attention over scrolling through photos.

My mind scrolled back to that particular day. A beautiful Spring day, the grass greening, the blooms opening, the trees. budding, the sun warming… a season my mom loved the most. It always spoke of new life to my mom’s heart, especially in her younger years when her large vegetable garden beckened planting to eventually stock her large pantries over the years. Those were the days she dreamed of.

But this entry fast-forwarded those earlier,.. perhaps happier years, to a season that was much more difficult for my mom and dad. This second season of their life had not been part of the dream…. life had not been kind. Mom had suffered heart issues. and dad , struck down in life by a debilitating stroke, in the midst of looking forward to an earlier retirement.

It was not in the plans. Not thier plans.

It was a new life with many a new challenge. 13 years…. mom leaving for Heaven first, with dad to follow 2 years later.

Through those incredibly difficult years, there were days both found hard to look forward with hope, as everyday had its old and new challenges, both being robbed of a retirement dreamed of.

Yet, my daughter heart saw through the challenges and found their hearts to have a foundation of Hope despite the mountain of grief and yearnings of a different life.

This photo of a journal entry that was penned just a few years before my mom entered Heaven, continued to keep my attention as I read and reread it.

“A New Year has come and gone”

“We don’t know the future, but we know who holds it”

” We must go on till we see the King face to face”

“No more tears, no more sorrows or Sickness… just rejoicing forever more!”

“What a day that will be!!!”

As long as I can remember, my mom’s Bible was a constant…laying open on her made bed, finding Hope for every day. And Hope she needed more than ever in this season.

Mom had Hope! Dad had Hope! She found it in her constant companion… her Bible! Zachariah 14 : 6-11 paints a beautiful picture of HOPE✨️

Today, no matter what season you are in amidst the hard times of grief, carry on!! and know that a BETTER day is COMING!!
Our Peace that passes understanding here…. and our ultimate HOPE in HEAVEN!!

“WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE!!! (Excerpt January 2015)

CHOSEN

Her tiny, piercing, jet black eyes peered curiously through her soft black curly hair as she perched contently on the back of the sofa.

“Who is this strange lady coming into my home?”

This 10 week old puppy may have wondered as her head tilted slightly in curiosity. Mommy and the other pups lay nearby, doing what moms and her pups do.

” This lady is getting curiously closer, and she is smiling...she smells so nice…like vanilla. She’s moving a little closer now in each moment. My furry, fun tail is telling her I’m glad she is here. Mom and the pups are now hanging out with me, but this lady seems to only have eyes for me with her very kind eyes. She smiles at the other pups and mom, but keeps turning her attention to me only.”

“Her eyes tell me a story. She LOVES…she LOVES soo much! I WANT SOME! Lady gathers all of me oh so gently in her arms. She holds me close…oh so close! My little very pink tongue is kissing lady now unashamedly all over her face! I can’t help it!”

She had stolen our hearts…our little furry friend was CHOSEN:)

We ALL want to be Chosen.

Sadly, not all are chosen on this planet. But there is great news! We are ALL CHOSEN! Hand picked! Chased after! His smile is wide! He is fascinated with you…and loves you soon much❤.

He is on a mission…He knows ALL about you. He knew you before you were born.

The WORD tells us He will leave the 99 to come search for us…Choose us! And when He has found us, He will joyfully carry you/us HOME on His shoulders…what a picture!

He CHOSE to die for us…each one of us…

He CHOOSES me…He CHOOSES you! His sweet aroma of GRACE permeates His pursuit of us. His loving arms are forever outstretched to His CHOSEN. His eyes are ALWAYS on me, ALWAYS on you.

He is such a personal God❤

It brings Him great pleasure to “bring us home”.

Such a beautiful word…CHOSEN.

I Can Only Imagine…

Dreams… hopes… wishes; we both had them.

We met for the first time when we were only 13. We could only imagine school crushes that could become life partners. Life seemed invincible at 13. It was only a few years later it seemed, one of our dreams and hopes were crushed, as my friend was left picking up the pieces with young children now needing raising and doing life without their dad.

I could only imagine…

The first time I heard of the group Mercy Me and their now ever popular song, I can Only Imagine, was at the celebration of this young father and husband’s life. My heart just could not imagine what my friend was facing as her hopes and dreams she had, came crashing down around her.

“I had a choice“…

rang loudly in my heart for a long time… My friend made a choice to look forward… move… repeat…one step at a time, get up out of bed amidst her hopes and dreams being shattered in an instant… I can only imagine.

“I can only image, when I walk by your side… what my eyes would see… surrounded by your glory… will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still… will I sing… will I speak…I can only imagine when all I will do… is forever worship you... I can only imagine…”

The words of the song seemed far away in my head as I only heard some of them in my grief and disbelief for my friend.

“I made a choice“, still echoed quietly in my heart over the next months… maybe even years.

So many hopes and dreams have been shattered around me this past year. Some close… some not. Still all individual stories of heartbreaking loss. A son… a brother… a sister…a father… a mother… a baby… dashed hopes… dashed dreams.

My young friend knew where the love of her life was beginning his eternal life now. She could only imagine. Yet she took comfort in her faith, much leaned on her Jesus, who promised In His Word to wrap His arms of love around her. (Matthew 5:14)

He also promised in His Word to heal her broken heart and bind up her wounds. (psalms 147:4)

Still…Oh so many questions…

What was the love of her life experiencing now in Heaven? I can only imagine asked many of those questions we all would ask, even now as some of us face hopes and dreams dashed this season.

The scriptures told her her sweetheart had embraced the King of Kings as He had entered the gates of Heaven!! What a picture!!! She was promised there would be no more sickness, pain, death, or suffering for the love of her life and father to her young children. He was joyfully embracing those he had loved so on Earth!! Every tear wiped away! every hurt… healed! He had been escorted to a seat with his name on it at God’s amazing banquet table!! Feasts! singing!… oh the singing!… the laughter! (Luke 6:2)

The only tears now will be tears of joy for him and for many of our loved ones that have gone before us!! What a Hope there is for those who have accepted His Free gift of Eternal Life! Our mourning will turn to Joy!! Our hopes and dreams…. NEVER to be dashed again!!

Take heart!! MAKE A CHOICE to look into the face of the Ultimate Hope amidst the crushing blows of this fallen world… the taker of our hopes and dreams…

Joy… FOREVERMORE!❤

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE…!!

Loosen your grip

It was a view beyond all views.

My young heart could hardly take it all in. My dad had parked our 1970s family motor home he was the captain of, many steps below on a winding path where our little family was now standing in holy reverence of sorts, as each of us took in the sights in our own personal way.

The Grand Canyon.

Rugged beyond rugged, far beyond far anything my young self had ever experienced. My little heart beat with an anxiousness beyond anxiousness as the black metal railing was the only thing that separated where I stood, from a vast world so far, so wide, so unknown, so breath taking. My eyes wanted to see everything all at once it seemed, and the further my eyes could focus, the further I wanted to see.

I leaned my young self as far to the right as I could, then as far to the left as I could, and then, straight ahead as far as I could. I even turned myself around to take in the awe inspiring 360 vast view that seemed to never ever stop .

Yet, as much as I could see all of this vast expanse around me, nothing was as solid, real solid, as my little hands wrapped vulnerably and oh so tightly around the black railing in front of me.

That was my place of certainty; solid, when I would lose sight of where my mind, my thoughts would wander the depths of the canyon as I looked down into the unknown ruggedness formed so long ago.

**********

What was I grasping on to now as the view of my deep Canyon of grieving was seeking to overturn my heart??

Where was my steady black railing now?? Nothing looked the same, sounded the same, felt the same…. life would be forever different. Nothing could change that…. nothing was the same.

My mind traveled back in a moment. Oh how my young fingers had gripped that anchored black railing so many seasons ago now, protecting me from the depths of that canyon, the seemingly endless rock and danger lurking just beyond the jet black railing.

It had been 225 days.

The hands of time had seemed to spin out of control as if all were a million years ago… and yet had seemed to stand still all at the same time. The tide flowing and ebbing in my heart seemed to have a rhythm, and yet some days no rhythm at all.

The aroma and sight of a freshly baked blueberry platz, or the first smell of her summer time soups, penetrating the air caused the methodic tide to shift… and the waters seemed to wash over my head and stay a bit longer some moments than others.

She was still here.

Sometimes the view seemed to wash over my heart of things seen and unseen things remembered, and things revealed all at once it seemed. This earth was not her home any longer… yet the twinkle in the smile in my brand new grandbaby’s eyes felt as if she was still here….

My well worn journals over the many decades were dotted with verses I had searched when wading through life’s canyons.

One such verse stood out above the rest as it painted a comforting picture in my heart.

“…. HE WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH HIS RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND” -Isaiah 4:10

Now instead of me gripping the Grand Canyon solid black railing, I gained a picture of my Jesus upholding me with His righteous right hand. Not my strength, but HIS… reaching out to me.

I could rest my weary grip and let Him uphold me, to keep from falling… give support. Oh how I needed to keep from falling…

The journey on this planet can have us endure heart aches deeper than the depths of the Grand canyon’s. Yet when we choose to believe His promise He will uphold us, we can let our hearts and our minds rest when the canyon of grief seems too vast.

Let Him keep you from falling… rest in Him. His strong grip on me with His righteous right hand held me tight as the depths of the canyons of life threatened to swallow me at times.

He promises to do the same for you. There is healing in His righteous right hand.

He will NOT let go…

As you….

loosen your grip.

The Lost Earring

In a hurry to get changed to head out the door for what seemed like the 10th time that day, I realized quickly my fashion for the day excluded one small dangly jewel, gifted to me by my one and only the previous Christmas.

I was in the habit of wearing the complete set, so I panicked in that moment as I grabbed my now earingless ear, much to my dismay.

Where would I even begin to look as I didn’t know how long it had been missing. Years earlier, the situation would have kept me in panic mode for a whole lot longer than I would have liked. My anxiety taking over and keeping me from moving through my day or even days.

But not today. Yes I was sad in the moment at the concept of my incomplete set of the special gift from my sweetheart, but life had dealt some bigger blows the past 3 years with the passing of my parents, changed relationships and the healing that had surrounded all of that. It had been the hardest 3 years of my life despite the struggles I had experienced most of my many many years prior to these past years.

But there was a difference now. I was ready. Ready to heal. I had become a student. I allowed the Holy Spirit to teach me… heal me. It was hard.

It was very hard. It was a very new season in uncharted territory.

I still wanted it my way at times.

I listened more than I ever had to the Holy Spirit. My self reliance could not solve this major season in my life. But oh had I tried. I was not perfect, but I was willing to have my ears and eyes opened.

This was the key to a “door” I had not opened fully before. His answer to me when I would hear and see more clearly was,

Let go..

REST in Me.

I’ve got this. Give it to ME.

I have work to do… STOP getting in the way.

That last part seemed harsh from my God, but it changed the following years of my life, and still is an ongoing journey. And today, encountering the loss of this precious earring which would have immobilized me years prior, left me with an attitude of “letting it go” in this moment, and “giving it up” to God.

“God, you know where my lost earring is. I don’t want to stress about it. You know how much this gift means to me.”

and with that… I went about my day.

Three days later, after not having thought about the lost earring, I was adding some food to my China girls food dish in the back corner of the dining room when my eye caught the glint of something sparkly on the floor just passed the dog dish.

And there it was! In the most unlikely place I would have looked!

“Thank you Jesus” where the first words I uttered with an easy smile accompanying my words.

My God is in the little things as well as the biggest things. I had trusted Him with the biggest things in my life over the years, why not this lost earring?

Sometimes, God wants us to trust Him in the little things to show us He is trustworthy in the bigger things.

Leave it to Him… REST…. go about your day…. He loves us THAT much.

And that is just the beginning.

I learned a lesson that day. I realized how my life had changed in the way I had responded to even the smallest of things, by walking through the biggest of things with my God.

Today, no matter what you are going through…. the biggest things or the smallest things, know that God wants you to trust Him as much in the smallest of things as the biggest of things.

He cared about my lost earring.

He cares about YOUR “lost earring..”

He Loves Us …THAT Much

Little pudgy fingers grasped the now half frozen treat clumsily, as much stickiness enveloped her eager little hands. Some of the coveted treat slid haphazardly down one side of her little soft chin. Not all made it “home” between her pink little lips, But oh did she try.

My little girl was lost in her own little world, making sure she would get the most of this special treat her papa had blessed her with on aaa hot summer afternoon.

My mama heart welled up as I took in this beautiful picture of a little blonde haired, blue eyed girl, enjoying a treat from her papa to the fullest. She didn’t seem to mind that not all of the delectable treat hadn’t made it into her sweet little mouth. She enjoyed what she got out of it.

When no more of the delicious treat was to be had, she was off to swing and laugh and play with no further thoughts on how the eating of this treat had transpired. No guilt. Just pure enjoyment.

How may we try to devour all that is good in the Word, and in the process have some wisdom and revelation go by the wayside, perhaps ” sliding off our chin, landing on the floor only to be enjoyed by some busy summertime ants”.

I could just imagine our Heavenly Father’s heart welling up with MUCH joy as He watches us, sometimes clumsily devour His Word, only to miss some nuggets of knowledge He wants to open our eyes and hearts to.

I would imagine His joy would be no less than this earthly mama watching the attempt at her little girl devouring her delectable treat.

I believe He wants us to come boldly into His presence, as He says in His Word, as His children. NO fear… just COME as we are… like this little girl.

My heart smiled wide as I watched with much delight, as my little granddaughter wrapped her tiny pink three-year-old tongue clumsily around the half broken chocolate covered ice cream, perched clumsily on the ice cream stick.

NO guilt.

His smile is wider… His love is greater… His heart…. BIGGER than any other.

We may want to shrink back from reading His Word because we may not be doing it exactly right. His love overshadows our imperfections. The JOY He has at our imperfect attempts is infinitely more than any earthly mama can have.

Find HOPE in His Word. Let NOTHING stop you from enjoying the nuggets in God’s Word. Nuggets of wisdom and direction that do end up being planted in your heart as you just begin…

Our God knows our heart.

As time goes by, your ability to receive the wisdom and direction from God grows, as you get to know Him more intimately.

He loves us SO incredibly much.

He says so in His Word… His letters to us.

BELIEVE it…. ENJOY it….. EXPERIENCE it. He is forever waiting… watching…with SO much love at our attempts at digesting the nuggets in His Word.

Have NO fear. Come BOLDLY. Find HOPE… find JOY….find PEACE. Just freely indulge in His Word … because….

He loves us… THAT much❤

Be A Catalyst of Hope In The Moment

The summertime birds chirped cheerfully as I rode my not so new bike through the neighborhood on a beautiful warm summers day.

As I rode through the quaint streets of my small town, enjoying the fullness of of the summertime greenery of the mature trees along my chosen route, my gaze turned to an elderly man strolling aimlessly it seemed on the sidewalk.

We greeted each other with a short nod. As I was about to ride by, the man tilted his brimmed foreign looking hat towards me and asked if I knew German… in German. I said I understood it well, but to speak it was not very eloquent to say the least. I asked if he knew any English. He responded with a shake of his head and a short questioning shrug of his shoulders.

Knowing this, the likelyhood of our meeting lasting past the quaint nod and smile seemed unlikely at the moment.

Not so it seemed as my inadequate attempt at a language I had been surrounded with all my life seemed to be adequate in this moment… It didn’t seem to deter him at all.

And so the “magic” began.

The older gentleman listened with much grace. A small grin sat happily on a face that had seen many generations as he listened. He then proceeded to tell me of his homeland in the most beautiful fluent language I had been so familiar with all of my life.

As the story went, he had only arrived four short months earlier.

As I stood listening to this gentleman’s story, half perched on my bike, I could see his face begin to relax more and more the deeper into his story he got with a fluent German that rolled smoothly and rhythmically off his tongue . It seemed to be a comfort to him to speak in his own familiar tongue to a stranger he just met in a foreign country.

Listening to this elderly gentleman brought back memories of years gone by of beautiful family gatherings at my grandparent’s home on their farm that always seemed so magical. Nothing but German… and for a few moments, I was transported back in time to that beautiful season in my life again.

What a beautiful moment.

As our chance meeting came to a close, or was it chance?… We bid each other a fond farewell and went our own opposite ways, A “fond farewell” as we had now become a little less strangers than when we had met such a short while ago. All because of a meeting “in the moment”.

Unknown to this gentleman, he had given me the gift of warm remembrance of a time and place that had been delicately tucked away deep in my heart.

In his own need to connect, he accomplished a smile in someone else’s heart effortlessly.

This side of Heaven, we may never know how these in the moment encounters will affect someone or ourselves for that matter. It may very well happen when someone needs it the most.

So why not take a chance?… sieze the moment… be IN the moment. For you never know when we can bring hope to someone who may be carrying a heavy heart.

Willingness to connect and step out of his comfort zone in a foreign country impacted my life by him just opening his mouth and wanting to connect in a foreign land.

We both came out winners that day as we both allowed ourselves to be catalysts of hope… one from a foreign land needing connection, and one being transported back to a familiar land of heartfelt remembrance.

All because two people chose to be catalysts of hope…

“In the moment.”