Just do it!

2:39 p.m. Today's project was to wake up with all the energy needed to prepare refried beans, salad from our garden and dessert for this evening's Home Fellowship, "stirred up [to] love and and good works" (Hebrews 10:24) by a great morning at church. I always know we'll have an excellent verse-by-verse teaching message from Pastor John; outstanding worship by Mark Murdaugh and his team; and I was also expecting our friend, Pastor Paul Havsgaard, to meet us for second service. Glorious!!

We did have a wonderful service, topped off by bringing Paul over to visit with John and Robin. But the smoothness of the morning was dissrupted early in the day. I had had very broken sleep, thanks to Steve's tossing and turning, a more frequent occurence with his Alzheimers now. So you could say I woke up a bit crabby! The welcoming sound of perking coffee gave me a smile, and I emptied the dishwasher with aromatic anticipation. And once I got moving, the arthritis in my lift hip eased, and I then looked forward eagerly to my time with the Lord. In addition to setting out Steve's Bible to the correct page, with his meds, banana and water, today I needed to get the large cans of Rosarita refries and Bush's black beans stirred together in the crockpot to simmer until 5:00. Steve began his devotions and we were soon into our 7-day-a-week routine.

I heard Heidi get up about an hour later, as she usually does on Sunday, take her shower, and I went upstairs to take something, or get something, or take my shower; at my age the memory slips a bit! There she was standing in the doorway of her bedroom, wrapped in her towel, crying really badly, sobbing! Her lower back was in hideous pain, and she hadn't hurt herself that she knew of. I was a bit shaken, knowing that the pain had to be fierce for her to break down, laid hands on and prayed while I embraced her. My morning had come to a halt!

I ran downstairs to get her some Advil and water, and toasted her a bagel with margarine so she wouldn't be taking meds on an empty stomach. She managed to dress herself and get back to bed, and Pavel came over later to pick up her Sunday School lesson for her sub Jordan to teach 3rd service. We got her as comfortable as possible, and the three of us went to church. Afterwards, before I left the parking lot, I called to see how she was doing, and Heidi said she wasn't sure Jordan had gotten her text. So I re-parked, got out, and went to find the 3rd service children's church leader Sarah Underwood, to notify her; then ran up to "the hill" where Heidi's 5/6 classroom is. Praise the Lord, there was Jordan going over the notes, and Pavel waiting to make sure there weren't too many students for one teacher to manage. All was in good order, I later let Sarah and Heidi know. Back at home, Steve and I hustled around "spot cleaning" the floor for company, and picked up all the piles of tax prep paperwork!

We had invited Paul to stop by the house after church and visit with Pavel, whose own parents came here separately from Romania, the country where the Ark International orphanage was founded for the rescue and salvation of street children. Paul gave us a lovely album of the ministry that I plan to share that with our Home Fellowship tonight. He and Pavel had a good visit as Steve and I listened and contributed, in between washing off fresh picked lettuce and making my salad for tonight. Heidi's back isn't much better, but at least Pavel brought her lunch from Chipotle, her favorite restaurant.

Yes, God disrupts or delays our plans momentarily, or even permanently, but always for a better blessing or more excellent opportunity to serve one another! Oddly, I had been praying for Heidi and me to become closer, and it took this back incident to show me that we are close, and that she can cry in my arms about any number of important things (and also share the victories and longings) and because she knows that my prayers will always be at the ready!

Motherhood is a very special, priceless calling. We are truly God's hands and feet to our own children, and often to other children as well, without hesitating one bit! As any mom would, I drop everything to help my beloved sons and daughters in any way possible, impossible, or improbable. [An example of the "improbable" would be my painting body dye onto Steven's back and neck for his bodybuilding competitions, with him dressed only in a Speedo! TMI! TMI!]

Women in our culture are so frantic to avoid aging, and as a disclaimer, I use and sell skincare products myself!! But if we truly want to be timeless in our face and form, we need to be "about our Father's business," as Jesus was on this earth: praying, witnessing, helping, comforting, healing, ministering and feeding others out of whatever talents and substance God has given us to work with. Try applying "youthful" energy tempered with "mature" judgment to your family and to the Body of Christ, and then stand back and watch what happens!

II Timothy 4:2 says, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." This description of pastoral duties fits a mother's role quite well, doesn't it?

And the time you apply to learning the scriptures thoroughly yourself so you might encourage others will give you "the face of an angel" to those fortunate enough to be in your life!