Relationships -- An Ordinary Evening?

I spent Tuesday and Thursday evenings with my mother. We got together specifically to watch the Republican Convention. I'm very much into politics. I know it's not for everyone, but I'm hooked. My mother isn't passionate it, but she cares about her country and who our leaders are so she tries to stay informed.

Throughout the two evenings, while we listened to guests and speakers we laughed, cried and cheered for them, for hope and for our country. We both voiced a wish to actually be present at the convention, thinking about how amazing that would be.

While we have much in common politically that common bond is not what our time spent together was all about. No--it had everything to do with our mutual love of country, our spirit of hope and a desire to see our country take a fresh breath of life.

When it was time for me to leave. Mom said, "I loved sharing this with you." Her eyes shimmered with tears and the light of promise and love lit her face.

We expected politics and fun, but we were given so much more. Together we were lifted up. We were given hope for a better future. And we were reminded of our shared values. We have a long history together--eighty-seven years. I don't remember the beginning, but my mother does. And to still feel that exceptional bond after all these years is a precious gift.

These two nights will be filed away in my memory bank where they will whisper to me from the past and make me smile. Find something to share with the ones you love. The choice of activity may not seem special, but you never know what you may discover in the ordinary.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Relationship -- Comrades

I spent last weekend with new and old writing friends. Ann Shorey, Laura Frantz, Mesu Andrews and I joined forces at Lifeway Christian Books in Beaverton, Oregon and Tukwila, Washington. We had a good time chatting with readers, signing books and getting to know each other better. Ann and I have been buddies for years, but I'd never met Laura or Mesu. The book-signing was scheduled as a promotion for our work, but it turned out to be more than that.

I now feel as if I have new comrades in the writing world. Writers need each other--we understand what the writing life is like--the challenges and the joys. Us gals had fun sharing battle tales, triumphs and the perplexities of an author's life. And we laid groundwork for what may be long-standing friendships.

It was fun hanging out together. We know one another in a way we didn't before, and we better understand how to pray for one another. And I personally feel freer to reach out when I'm in need of guidance or support. We are comrades. A writer's life can feel isolated so in some ways when we bond it feels like us against the world. Ann, Mesu, Laura and I are now less alone in the great big writing ocean.

You and I--we all have our niche, and there are others we can share our interests and gifts with. Seek out one another. Share your unique talents as well as your strengths and weaknesses. Link arms and lean on one another. You will be stronger for it.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Relationship: The In-Between Places

Christmas of 2010 family gathered at my home from around the globe--My Sis and her husband traveled from Alaska, Mom and Dad came from Washington, my son skated over the mountains from Central Oregon, my  niece and her family jetted all the way from New Zealand and a nephew flew from Florida, while numerous others joined us from within our county here in Southern Oregon.


As you can see in the picture (and others I posted back in 2010) we are having a grand time. We all look
happy . . . don't we? We were, truly. But it wasn't all laughter and merriment. We had our "moments".

Some faced jet lag, others had colds and the stomach flu made its rounds through the family. There were temper tantrums from some of the little ones and short tempers from us all, even a few tense moments between family members. It wasn't all beauty and light.

And yet, there was beauty and love--lots of love.

A few nights ago while hanging out with my mother in the ER I got to thinking about the in-between spaces of our lives. It was definitely not a good thing to be in the ER. I hated that my  mother was sick again and losing her sleep and having to be poked and prodded once more by doctors. I was tired and wished I were in bed. But, in the midst of all that Mom cracked jokes and spoke tenderly to me. We shared thoughts and feelings, traveled through memories together . . . and as I think about the time in the ER--I loved it. At least the in-between spaces.

Life is not perfect and never will be, not on this earth. There will be no perfect holidays or family gatherings, no perfect aging process or perfect relationships. But there will be moments that make all the rest beautiful.

So, when you're tempted to see only the troubles of life, remember the moments that make it remarkable.

Life even with all it's messes is a gift. And so are the people we love.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Relationship: A Wedding or a Marriage.

My mind is on weddings. My daughter Sarah married the man of her dreams today--Robert Spencer, a good man. But a wedding is just the beginning of a journey.

No matter what kind of relationship we are part of we need to ask ourselves, "Is this a wedding or a marriage?" There is a profound difference between the two.

When a couple plans to wed there is a lot of hoopla about the wedding. And sadly, the focus is often more about the wedding than the marriage. There's nothing wrong with planning a memorable wedding. Weddings are fun. There are enchanting decorations, gorgeous clothing, handsome grooms and stunning brides, as well as meaningful promises, dancing and merriment. A wedding is a grand celebration. It should be. But weddings last only a few hours. And it's more about present happiness and fun rather than the promise made for a lifetime.

Marriage is living in the trenches . . . together with people we love. Good times and bad are shared between a man and a woman who love one another and are committed to each other. They count on their partner to stand with them in the midst of the storms as well as the joys of life. It is a lifetime commitment, not a party. It's not just about merriment, though there is that. There is fun and reasons to celebrate, beautiful moments and unexpected joys, but there are also disappointments, sorrows and suffering. When we are pledged to another we are assured that we will not make our journey on our own--it will be shared.

There are all sorts of relationships--Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, friend to friend, even a child and their pet or neighbor to their neighbor and of course there is God's commitment to mankind. When we consider these relationships what do we see a wedding or a marriage? And what do we want?

A marriage makes life richer. It offers what really counts . . . love. 1 Corinthians 13 says,"Three things will last forever--faith, hope and love--and the greatest of these is love."


I pray the relationships in my life will be more than just weddings. How about you?

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Relationship -- Father & Son

Today is Good Friday -- the day Christ gave up His life. Too often we consider His sacrifice lightly. We fail to contemplate and pray about what our Lord did for us. Good Friday is a day of deep sorrow and hope renewed. What happened on that day is so big that we mere humans can't fully comprehend its divergent offering to the world -- a covenant between God and man, fulfilled. The lamb of God sacrificed. Heaven accessible for all who accept God's offering of His Son.

If not for Christ's willingness to fulfill His Father's promise to us we would be locked away in our sin for all eternity. And just because Jesus is the God/man what He faced was not easy. The night before His arrest, Jesus agonized over what was to come. He knew what lay before Him and though He asked God if there were another way, He submitted to His Father's will and lay his life down, trusting God and obeying Him.

This was the greatest sorrow the world would ever know, yet Jesus offered Himself to His Father and to us. It was more than suffering and death, it was the acceptance of all mankind's sins, laid upon Him while at the same moment separation from His Father God, something that had never happened before nor since.

Jesus trusted His Father. We can trust Christ. He gave all a man can give--his life.

Easter is coming, a day to herald Christ's resurrection, but before you celebrate, take time to contemplate the reason, the sacrifice made and the inheritance offered. And honor our Lord. The gift is free to us, but it came at a great price to the Lord.

There is no greater love than to give up one's life for a brother.

Thank you, Jesus.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Relationship -- It began in The Garden.

"When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about the garden."

Adam and Eve heard the Lord in the garden! Can you imagine, walking in the garden with God? When I walk through a forest with the sound of wind in the trees and bird song all around I catch a glimpse. When I look out over a broad green valley I catch a glimpse. When I gaze at an azure sky tufted with clouds I catch a glimpse. I can see Him and feel His presence. And yet, it isn't The Garden.

In the beginning there was no enmity between man and God. Adam and Eve conversed with the Lord. He was Father God. They loved one another and spent time together. They had a relationship. And then sin destroyed the perfection of that relationship.

Since that time, mankind has longed for what he lost. It is only because Jesus Christ permitted men to nail him to a cross and then accepted our sins as His own that it became possible for us to walk with The Father as Adam and Eve once did. Do you find yourself longing for that kind of relationship? To be so close to God that He isn't further away than your next breath?

I do. And I hunger for that kind of relationship with the people in my life. The Garden is the place we begin. The Father reaches down to us, we accept His embrace, His unconditional love and then we reach out to others. Human love is flawed and insufficient unless it is coupled with the love of God.

If we're to love one another as God commands us, we must begin with Him.


Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie