People often ask me how I decide what I'm going to write about on this blog. The truth is I don't. I've noticed in my crazy "middle age" that there are certain moments in life that catch my attention. Then I start to ponder that moment and usually end up having a conversation with myself, in my head, about whatever it is I'm pondering. To be honest, it usually happens while I'm running the vacuum or cooking or doing some of my mundane duties. Sometimes, while I'm having this private conversation with myself, another voice will speak......very quietly. I have come to believe and know that this is my Spirit, God's Holy Spirit, speaking to me. I think somewhere in my upbringing I learned that the Holy Spirit talks to us through the scripture, and I believe that to be true with my entire being. But, God's Holy Spirit in me, also speaks to me in a way I can't describe, really. The best way to describe it is that I feel it in my heart. And it happens mostly when I am making a conscious decision to be quiet and listen. "Quiet" might be with the vacuum cleaner going or music playing or loading the dishwasher, but it is usually when I'm sortof saying "Ok, Lord, what do you want to teach me?" So I had another "moment" this week while watching one of my favorite shows, "Parenthood." It's the season finale so I know that all the stories are going to be wrapped up in a nice package to end the season. Throughout the season one of the couples has been struggling with their "foster child," Victor. They have been on a rollercoaster about whether or not to adopt Victor because he is about eleven years old and it isn't always a fun or easy ride. He is resistant and then they are resisitant.......and then the sister is resistant. There is this uneasiness about whether or not they should take the leap and legally adopt him.
So I'm watching the show and the scene comes where the couple, The Grahams, show up at the judge's office to officially adopt Victor. My "moment" came when the judge pronounces that Victor is legally adopted. The judge looks around the room and proudly declares to Victor that "he, as an adopted son, is entitled to all of the "rights" of a natural son." I start to feel my eyes burn and have this desire to rewind the DVR and watch the entire scene again. I'm wondering what it is about those words and this scene that have started the pondering and the classic "conversation in my head." The entire family came together to support each other at the adoption ceremony. They each brought their own "baggage" and their own problems. They vowed to support this little boy and each one promised to use their own unique gift to teach him how to function in the world and in their family. The judge asks 11 year old, Victor, "do you agree to this adoption?" To which he nonchalantly says "yes" and then the parents promise to love him and take care of him. Judge says, "That's quite a family you have there. Ok, on this day, January 24, 2014, you have officially adopted Victor Graham. You are now legally their child. You have all the rights of any natural child." Now I know why my eyes were burning........ I can hear the voice again, only this time it's louder and more deliberate..........."On this day, in 1976, I AM adopting you, Gina Booth. You are my child and you have all the rights of any natural child." In all fairness, I have to admit that I didn't realize, just like this little boy on the show, what it meant when I became a part of God's family at age 12. I didn't know all of the "baggage" my fellow "family members" would bring or all of the issues that we would go through together. My Sunday school teachers and my parents and their friends all used their unique gifts to help me in my journey and like the little boy on the show, when my Heavenly Father said do you agree to this adoption I nonchalantly answered "yes," just as most 12 year olds would do. He then did as he promised he would. He gave me all of the "rights" of His natural son and promised to love me and take care of me. It's no wonder my eyes were burning and I couldn't get this scene off of my mind. I could watch it a hundred times and feel myself in Victor's place and know the joy that goes along with this moment.
The vastness of this promise didn't dawn on me until I was much older. The fact that God, the creator of everything, gave me the "right" to become his child, with all of the "rights" of His natural Son, Jesus, is something that is almost too much to comprehend. I found it amazing and so "God like" that he used a moment from a TV show to, once again, show me how much I am loved. I also feel compelled to say that just like any family, our Christian family, our church family, whatever you want to call it, is not perfect. We each bring our own baggage and issues but the bottom line is that we are all adopted by the same Father and He loves us all. "Yet to all who received Jesus, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children not of a natural descent, nor of human decision, but born of God." John 1:12-13
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
Isaiah 43:1
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
Suffering produces Character.......Hang in there!!!
This week there has been much talk, in the news, about "fallen" sports figures. Words like deception, lies, drug use, scam, doping, cancer and death have been floating around leaving many people with lots and lots of questions. Everyone is asking why two highly successful, highly visible athletes would lie to and deceive their "fans" like they have. Children, as well as adults, idolize these people and if they don't "idolize" them, they certainly follow them closely, follow their tweets, and admire their athletic ability. Whether the person rides a bicycle, plays football, plays basketball, soccer, runs, etc....... doesn't really matter. Everyone has their opinions of why people, specifically professional athletes, "mess up." You guessed........I've got my opinion, too.
As you know, I have three sons. They have all participated in various sports and have excelled at different ones at different points in their lives. For instance, one year basketball might go really well and then the next year football gets the focus. Then, all of a sudden, they might decide that they don't want to play a certain sport at all. They are "burned out," sick of it, it's no fun anymore, and the reasons go on and on. I want to make clear right now that I am not an athlete. Never have been. I don't like to sweat, don't like to have my side hurt from running too much, and don't understand those that do. But, I am a mom to three athletes so I am writing from that point of view.
I think that there are many many reasons why all of us, as human beings, fall into traps involving lying, deception, etc.... But for young athletes it seems different to me. Men like Lance Armstrong possibly fall into a different category......maybe. I'm still undecided. As I'm writing this I'm still not sure, so bear with me. The pressure that is placed on athletes at a young age is tremendous. It starts at a young age. Go to a youth league game sometime and see for yourself. Sadly, I think I was in the middle of it just a few years ago. Yelling like a crazy woman, chewing on my jaw everytime my kid got up to bat, or feeling like I might throw up when my son stepped up to the free throw line. You want them to do well and succeed but a certain amount of pride creeps in when you're kid makes the winning basket, touchdown or homerun. I think that is a normal reaction and probably something that is out of our control. But, the abnormal thing is when we and everyone around expects the same result every time. Do we really think that "Little Johnny" is capable of being the "game winner" every time? Do we really think that he has the ability, the focus and that fate grants him that responsibility on a regular basis? Well, yes, we really do. Especially when they are young and we are young parents and we haven't quite been in the rat race long enough yet. We put pressure on little kids to "be the star" night in and night out at all kinds of sporting events. Now, fast forward a few years and they are in Middle School and High School. Many have dropped out for the reasons I listed earlier and many have dropped out because the pressure became too great. The very very talented athletes usually stick with what they are good at and more and more pressure builds. Everyone wants to know who is recruiting who. Where the top recruits are going. ESPN sends out "alerts" so that you can be the first to know all of the up to the minute recruiting information.
Fast forward to college age. Many of these really gifted athletes are now depending on their athletic talent to pay their way through college. Not only that, but they are now looked at as being "super human." Who can put on the most weight while maintaining their running time? How much can they squat or bench? They put in long hours of difficult practice while going to class. The stress on their mind and the pain in their young bodies is a daily grind that they must deal with. As a parent you hope and pray that there are coaches, trainers, teachers, friends, someone on campus who will care for them just because they do. Not because of what they "bring to the team." Gag......just writing that makes my stomach hurt. This is the reason I have watched quietly as Notre Dame deals with the Manti Te'o story..........
I have no idea what the real story is. Did he get scammed? Did he know that the cyber girlfriend really didn't exist? Did he get "catfished?" Did he really meet her face to face or just have an online relationship? It all sounds beyond ridiculous. I'm actually typing this thinking to myself how absolutely crazy it all sounds, but the bottom line is I could care less about the fake girlfriend. What I see when I look at his picture is a very young man who is put on a pedestal, daily. He reports to a practice facility for many hours every day in all kinds of weather. He very likely got no family time during the Christmas or Thanksgiving holidays. He puts his body through rigorous workouts so we can all be entertained. Did he lie? I don't know. Did he deceive? I don't know. Should he be held accountable for his actions? Absolutely. Does it seem that he has people at Notre Dame who are trying to help him and standing with him? Yes. This makes me happy and it gives me faith that there are adults who are trying to protect and help our college athletes when they face a situation of this magnitude. Adults who care about the person and who want to help them find their way.
I hope that we are all raising our boys to be the right kind of men. To be honest and to do the right thing, even when the right thing is difficult. I hope that we are teaching them how to develop their character not just their athletic abilities. I also pray that there will be men who will rise up and support the younger ones who get into trouble, who have trouble handling the pressure, and who will "live" what is right and not just talk about it. "Suffering produces perserverance, and perserverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:4
As you know, I have three sons. They have all participated in various sports and have excelled at different ones at different points in their lives. For instance, one year basketball might go really well and then the next year football gets the focus. Then, all of a sudden, they might decide that they don't want to play a certain sport at all. They are "burned out," sick of it, it's no fun anymore, and the reasons go on and on. I want to make clear right now that I am not an athlete. Never have been. I don't like to sweat, don't like to have my side hurt from running too much, and don't understand those that do. But, I am a mom to three athletes so I am writing from that point of view.
I think that there are many many reasons why all of us, as human beings, fall into traps involving lying, deception, etc.... But for young athletes it seems different to me. Men like Lance Armstrong possibly fall into a different category......maybe. I'm still undecided. As I'm writing this I'm still not sure, so bear with me. The pressure that is placed on athletes at a young age is tremendous. It starts at a young age. Go to a youth league game sometime and see for yourself. Sadly, I think I was in the middle of it just a few years ago. Yelling like a crazy woman, chewing on my jaw everytime my kid got up to bat, or feeling like I might throw up when my son stepped up to the free throw line. You want them to do well and succeed but a certain amount of pride creeps in when you're kid makes the winning basket, touchdown or homerun. I think that is a normal reaction and probably something that is out of our control. But, the abnormal thing is when we and everyone around expects the same result every time. Do we really think that "Little Johnny" is capable of being the "game winner" every time? Do we really think that he has the ability, the focus and that fate grants him that responsibility on a regular basis? Well, yes, we really do. Especially when they are young and we are young parents and we haven't quite been in the rat race long enough yet. We put pressure on little kids to "be the star" night in and night out at all kinds of sporting events. Now, fast forward a few years and they are in Middle School and High School. Many have dropped out for the reasons I listed earlier and many have dropped out because the pressure became too great. The very very talented athletes usually stick with what they are good at and more and more pressure builds. Everyone wants to know who is recruiting who. Where the top recruits are going. ESPN sends out "alerts" so that you can be the first to know all of the up to the minute recruiting information.
Fast forward to college age. Many of these really gifted athletes are now depending on their athletic talent to pay their way through college. Not only that, but they are now looked at as being "super human." Who can put on the most weight while maintaining their running time? How much can they squat or bench? They put in long hours of difficult practice while going to class. The stress on their mind and the pain in their young bodies is a daily grind that they must deal with. As a parent you hope and pray that there are coaches, trainers, teachers, friends, someone on campus who will care for them just because they do. Not because of what they "bring to the team." Gag......just writing that makes my stomach hurt. This is the reason I have watched quietly as Notre Dame deals with the Manti Te'o story..........
I have no idea what the real story is. Did he get scammed? Did he know that the cyber girlfriend really didn't exist? Did he get "catfished?" Did he really meet her face to face or just have an online relationship? It all sounds beyond ridiculous. I'm actually typing this thinking to myself how absolutely crazy it all sounds, but the bottom line is I could care less about the fake girlfriend. What I see when I look at his picture is a very young man who is put on a pedestal, daily. He reports to a practice facility for many hours every day in all kinds of weather. He very likely got no family time during the Christmas or Thanksgiving holidays. He puts his body through rigorous workouts so we can all be entertained. Did he lie? I don't know. Did he deceive? I don't know. Should he be held accountable for his actions? Absolutely. Does it seem that he has people at Notre Dame who are trying to help him and standing with him? Yes. This makes me happy and it gives me faith that there are adults who are trying to protect and help our college athletes when they face a situation of this magnitude. Adults who care about the person and who want to help them find their way.
I hope that we are all raising our boys to be the right kind of men. To be honest and to do the right thing, even when the right thing is difficult. I hope that we are teaching them how to develop their character not just their athletic abilities. I also pray that there will be men who will rise up and support the younger ones who get into trouble, who have trouble handling the pressure, and who will "live" what is right and not just talk about it. "Suffering produces perserverance, and perserverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:4
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Gracious Uncertainty
Gracious Uncertainty...... It's a phrase that was mentioned this morning at church. Why was I fixated on it. At the age of 48 I find myself reflecting on the oddest things. Sometimes I wonder why certain things didn't work out in my life and why other things did. I look back and think about all the time and money wasted on things that seemed so great at the time, only to look foolish now. There are lots of things that have gone by the wayside that I used to put great importance on. I used to get a kick out of going into my parent's house and finding my dad sitting in his recliner staring at the ceiling. No TV on, no book in his hand, no music on the stereo, just staring in silence. He was just pondering. Just thinking........just reflecting. Oh my, I am becoming that. I pretty much see lessons and reflections in most every event. Perhaps this is why I was fixated on this phrase, Gracious Uncertainty.
The other day my husband and I were watching an episode of "Bonanza" while eating breakfast. The episode is playing out on the TV but in my mind, my Spirit is taking me back about 25 years. 1988. It was a time when I was fresh out of college and working and figuring out what I was going to do next. It was a time of break up between myself and a white collar boyfriend. It was a time when the expectations, in the area I grew up in, were high. Jobs were good, income was plentiful, people were collecting lots of different things to put on their bookshelves and in their garages. It was a time of Snow Babies, Precious Moments, Fur Coats, Florida condos, boats in the garage, and fancy first impressions. For me, I was a teacher on a limited salary who spent a lot of time on Saturdays watching episodes of "Bonanza" and whatever else happened to be on cable TV. I remember watching as the Cartwright men worked the Pondorosa and fought the "bad guys." I loved how they treated all women with respect and I loved how "Ben Cartwright, the dad," demanded certain things out of his boys. Hard work, fun times, dinnertime all together when "Hop Sing" said it was time. Most viewers loved "Little Joe" because he was so handsome, but I loved the strength of the middle son, Hoss, the gentle giant. He could carry anything and anyone on his back and whistle while doing it. He could also walk into the saloon and "wipe up" every man in there with no problem. I distinctly remember telling my cousin, Vicki, that I was going to marry someone like Hoss, strong and gentle. It also helped that Hoss was the "middle child" and I always always always have a soft spot for the "middle child."
Gracious Uncertainty.......... I don't really remember praying specifically that God would send Hoss to my life, but I do remember that I knew what I was looking for. Someone who respected women, who was big and strong, and someone who was a gentle giant. It wasn't a concious search, per se, but that is just what appealed to me. Pure and Simple. In 1992 I married my friend and life partner and we started "life" together, through thick and thin, good and bad, but mostly good. Now fast forward to last week, watching the old, non HD version of Bonanza. I'm sitting there watching, haven't thought about my "Hoss" obsession in a long long time and my mind is taking me back 25 years. Let me just say right now that I prayed and prayed for healthy children, but I also must confess that I prayed and prayed for at least one baby girl. I wanted to dress her in smocked dresses and leather t-straps and have huge bows for her white blonde hair. She was going to take piano lessons starting at age 5 and have every Barbie doll known to mankind. Gracious Uncertainty......... there it is again. God, in his great wisdom, and because He probably remembered those Saturdays when I would sit in my small apartment and admire the Cartwright men, saw fit to bless me with three boys. He gave me my own "Pondorosa" full of boys. He gave me a "Ben Cartwright" who sees to it that these boys know how to work hard and then laugh around the dinner table. He gave me strong gentle giants who respect their mother. (He forgot to give me a "Hop Sing" but that's OK.....that's where I fit in.)
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)