One of Us

A few years ago, I made a music cd for the car of some of my favorite songs and included the song, “One of Us” by Joan Osborne.  The boys always started laughing when it came on because there’s a little old lady that sings a little tidbit before the song actually starts. 

oh...

one of these nights at about twelve o'clock

this whole earth's gonna reel and rock...

things thay'll tremble and cry for pain

for the Lord's gonna come in his heavenly airplane.

It’s very nasal and whiny and it always made them laugh.    Before long, they were clicking to CD4, Track 18 themselves to hear it.   We must have listened to it hundreds of times before I asked them if they knew what the song was about.  Neither of them really knew.  They always just listened to the start and laughed then let the song play without really listening to it.

When I explained to them that it was about God being just like one of us walking on this earth, riding the bus, with a name just like one of us.  If you could ask Him one question, what would you ask?  It’s really a great song. 

I got to thinking today about that song.  What if you could ask God one question?  Would you?  What would you ask?  I don’t know that I could ask because I’d be so fearful it would be the wrong question. There are so many questions to be asked. 

Why is the sky blue and not hot pink?

What am I supposed to be when I grow up?

Will my children grow up to be happy and giving?

Is Heaven more beautiful than anything I’ve ever seen?

The list goes on and on and on.

The other part of the song talks about God being here as one of us, just a stranger on a bus.  It makes you think doesn’t it?  Would your behavior change if you knew the man sitting next to you in the movie theater crunching popcorn just a little too loudly was actually God?  Would you still honk at the car in front of you for sitting at the green light too long if it was God sitting in the white minivan? 

The part most people forget about is that God pretty much knows every single thing about you.   He knows how many freckles you have, how clean your ears are, how kind your heart is, how thoughtful you are, how angry you can become.  He sees it all. 

Would I make him proud of my actions?  My words?  My thoughts?   Perhaps on a given day I might, but other days I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t get a star next to my name.  Today I’m trying to live like he’s sitting on the couch playing Xbox with the boys.  I need to be mindful of my words and actions because what if God was one of us?  

Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving and for us a day of rest. We celebrated on Sunday before my husband left on a trip and enjoyed a wonderful dinner prepared by my mom.  It was delicious.  So, today, we are enjoying a pajama day at home, watching the parade, reading books, listening to music, playing games, taking a nap and will probably watch a movie to top it off.

We have so much to be thankful for today.  Our home is warm when it is freezing outside.   We have our health and each other.  We have a fridge full of food and family and friends all over the world whom we love each day.

The things I’m most thankful for though are the little slices of the day that happen when no one is watching: getting a hug from my youngest when he’s still rubbing his eyes and half asleep, having my oldest say, “thanks, Mom”; hearing from my husband (who’s traveling today), snuggling together on the couch all reading books with the fireplace going or sharing a bowl of popcorn.   These are the things that make life, life. 

I am thankful for so many things and today I will enjoy this life and all the reasons to be thankful.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.  May your home be warm and filled with all things beautiful today.

Someday...

Someday…I’m going own my own gift store in a little town in Vermont and sell homemade jams and hand-embroidered dishtowels.

Someday…I’m going to fly to Paris on business for an important meeting.

Someday…I’m going to write a book that everyone will have to read.

Someday…I’m going to learn how to knit a scarf that I will wear with everything.

Someday…I’m going to join a crewing team for the spring.

Someday…I’m going to live by a lake and feed the birds each morning.

Someday…I’m going to meet a queen and know how to bow just so.

Someday…I’m going to run my own business selling my crafts and wares.

Someday…I’m going to cut my hair so short, it will dry before I’m out of the shower.

Someday…I’m going to learn about gardening……ok, maybe not.

Someday…all my little dreams will come true.

Friday Thoughts

Today is Friday and the end of a somewhat long week.   Here are a few thoughts that have crossed my mind the last few days.

  

-I am so proud of my family. 

-Teaching school is a difficult job.  You have to have so much patience and understanding.  When the little boy’s mother comes to volunteer and he’s not in her group for that day’s rotation, you have to bend the rules and make that child’s day.  Let him be in the group his mother is teaching. Teachers deserve more respect and appreciation.  I think it should be mandatory that every parent teach their child’s class for one day.   They’d never complain about anything again! 

-My kids are funny, loving, and just plain great.

-I am one of many stay at home mothers, but am so grateful for the opportunity every day.  I love being home when my children are done with school and hearing about everything that happened in school that day.  I love knowing what they’re thinking right as the think it.  I know that it’s making a difference in their lives and am thankful to my husband for supporting my dream job.

-Every morning our neighbor leaves at the exact same time.  The truck is loud and once I hear it, I know my slumber is coming to an end.   I’m hoping he’ll take a vacation next week while the boys are off from school!  Doubtful, but a girl can hope right?

-I have wind chimes outside our back door.  They’ve been ringing too much for my liking.   Go away wind!

-I haven’t read a book in over four weeks.   Need to change that.  My mom brought over a book today for me, so may need to start it tonight.   She tucked three tissues in the inside cover.  Hope it will be a good cry and not a sad cry. 

-I don’t have an oven right now.  I’ve managed to get along without it, but it’s really starting to hinder my dinner choices.  I think we’ll have to get one ordered this weekend.  Need to make pie and cupcakes for the holidays and want to have a frozen pizza for a change.

Daily Gratefulness

-for patient teachers

-for kleenex

-for medicine to make a sinus headache vanish

Wink

Today the wind is blowing like it has somewhere to be in a hurry.   The sun is shining brightly now, but was hiding behind the gray clouds just moments ago.  It’s cold. I have socks on to keep my ever freezing toes warm.  I have one cat sleeping beside me on the floor and the other is an inch from my keyboard, snoring.  It’s Monday.  I’m sitting here typing and thinking that today could have been a very different day if it weren't for a very powerful wink.

My husband almost always drives an hour north each day to work and today was to be no different.  He was supposed to meet a client early, but hadn’t heard back from them to confirm their appointment.  He e-mailed and waited for a response.  He went about working from home waiting on a reply.  If he left without confirming the appointment, it might be a wasted drive and wasted time on his part. He waited another thirty minutes before the e-mail plunged into his inbox.

Finally, the reply came, and indeed, the time wasn’t going to work after all, thus canceling his reason for driving north for over an hour.  As he got the reply, the news alert ticker crawled across the bottom of the tv screen.  There had been a pile up on the interstate, about thirty miles north of us.  Over forty-three cars were involved and fourteen people were taken to the hospital.   A sudden burst of snow across the road turned everything into black ice instantly. It was thirty minutes away.  He was supposed to have left thirty minutes earlier.

God winked.

Had he left when he was supposed to and assumed the appointment would be confirmed, which he normally would have done, he would have been right at the area of the accident.  But something someone told him to wait for confirmation instead of just heading on out and driving anyway.   It went against his normal routine, yet he waited.

Don’t ever doubt.  I know this to be true.  God is there. He sees us. He hears us.  He loves us.  He knows how all this works. Don’t ever question it. He can change our worlds one moment at a time.   Open  your eyes.  Open  your hearts and you will see Him wink down upon your life.  

Daily Gratefulness:

-for e-mail

-for the grace of God

-for belief