TWA: SW (Travels with Allie) #3: Life Isn’t Just a Bed of Roses . . . Even in America

I’m never sure how much to share about our trips. Our first night we prayed with the pastor of a tiny, struggling congregation in Granite City, Illinois. He and his wife minister among steel workers who live very trying lives. A great guy; a hard life. Both he and his wife have full-time jobs in order to keep their little church going.

I have great admiration for the millions of hard-working Americans for whom life is very tough.

From St. Louis we traveled south through Missouri to Little Rock, Arkansas, where we spent the night visiting a dear friend whom I have loved since graduate school days. Her husband left her for another woman. I suppose it was chiefly the strain of having an autistic child, but nothing can make sense out of abandonment or compensate for the pain it causes. I won’t share too many sad stories. We visited lots of friends along the way (one of our chief delights), and most of the visits were happy, but the world is full of suffering as well as joy, and Americans aren’t exempt, despite our relative affluence.

The hundreds of hours on the road were also ideal for reflection and listening to audio books. Southern Missouri was full of flax-colored fields—all that remained from last autumn’s harvest. As we crossed into Arkansas we began to see some flooding in the fields and swollen rivers with hints of greening spring. Massive flocks of winded snow geese ended their migratory struggles against the evening sun and settled between the furrows to rest for the night. Are you aware that February is Black History Month? The theme for 2023 is “Migration,” referring to the fact that 9% of all black Americans in the U.S. today are foreign born . . . many migrating to our country in hopes of finding peace and rest from war and poverty.

I wrote some haiku as we traveled that day, and we began listening to a powerful book, Ukraine: The Gates of Europe, by Ukrainian-American Harvard Professor, Shehii Plokhy. Russia had just attacked Ukraine (February 24, 2022), and we were trying to understand what was happening.

Gateway Arch and Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri

Gateways and guardrails
How we enter. How we’re kept.
Keep us on the Path!

Migrating flocks in the setting sun near Little Rock, Arkansas

For Earth to survive
We must turn tow’rd each other
Not on each other.

(Inspired by Jesse Jackson, but today also mourning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.)

One year later, I cannot think of any less terrible reasons for the invasion than what seemed obvious last year: covetousness, envy, and greed.

Flocks of snow geese heading north settle on the fields for the night

Is there no end? Jesus taught us that the way to happiness is not seeking it for ourselves, but rather in loving God and others: “The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31, ESV). It is in seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness that we are blessed by God with all that’s necessary for our sustenance (Matthew 6:33).

To oppress others because of racial differences is wrong. To oppress others so we can be richer is wrong: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). We need to stand against evil and help those who are being oppressed. We may end up like Job, but God counted him among the world’s most righteous men “because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him” (Job 29:12). What do you think? Shall we be like Job?

“The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me,
and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy” (Job 29:13).

Haiku from My Heart

While Alan and I were exploring 9,000 miles of our beloved country this spring, I would often see or hear something that evoked a haiku from my heart.

Kathi “in the Oval Office” at the George W. Bush Presidential Museum

Able to respond.
That’s response-ability.
Be responsible!

Looking up at the sky from the interior of Antelope Canyon, Arizona

How do You do this?
I’m just blown away by Your
creativity!

Dry River Bed in West Texas, March 14, 2022

Western skies are blue.
Photographs are perfect, but
parched. Our souls need rain.

May God save America and our entire world!

How we need Jesus!
Even though the sun’s setting,
Never stop praying!

Cotton into cloth.
I can try but can’t succeed.
Only God transforms.

Lone bluebonnet at Lady Bird Johnson’s Wildflower Center, Austin, Texan

I long too early
To see God’s fullness in bloom.
I must learn to wait.

Seals lounging on a Southern Californian beach

Sleeping in the sun.
Fat and well-fed. Do you know
How blessed we are?

White Sands National Park New Mexico.

We can find the world
Both in a grain of sand and
In the heart of God. (Inspired by a quote from William Blake)

Gateway Arch and Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri

Gateways and guardrails
How we enter. How we’re kept.
Keep us on the Path!

Migrating flocks in the setting sun near Conway, Arkansas

For Earth to survive
We must turn tow’rd each other
Not on each other.
(Inspired by Jesse Jackson, but mourning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine)

Sunset over Dallas, Texas

“Who are you?” I ask.
“I am. I am everything
You will ever need.”

“And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you” (Exodus 3:14).

Haiku Wisdom by Phyliss

To find happiness
go drink at a funeral
–life’s distillation

Optics twist the truth
while we thirst in the desert
lost in a mirage.

Death stalks the poor man
but the rich man doesn’t see
the hearse coming.

Fairy Falls Pathway U.K.

The forgotten path
is the best in the end
but how to find it?

“Thus says the Lord, Stand you in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths,
where is the good way, and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16).

Thank you, Phyliss Hammerstrom, for sharing with us some of the beautifully crafted wisdom you composed for your (2020) Haiku Harvest!

Haiku for Spring, by Phyliss

Early, before light
red robin starts reveille
calls sun to duty

I used to climb high
in the white-laced apple tree
Oh, the clouds seemed close!

The tiny seeds wait
deep in the soul’s rich soil.
Water and tend them!

Under the dead leaves
white lilies-of-the-valley
springing up–rebirth

Unlike my white hair
trillium trades its white “hair”
for purple in old age.

“The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth
from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof” (Psalm 50:1).

About the author: Phyliss Brien Hammerstrom writes drawing on a decade of experience living overseas in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates as a teacher of English. She is an inveterate traveler and explorer of the world. When she isn’t writing, she is painting. She lives in Northeast Ohio and identifies as a follower of Jesus. (She has also been a dear friend of mine since our college days!)

Legacy

A Masterpiece of Beauty

Brilliant, heart-shaped quilt,
Potpourri of symmetries.
You delight my eyes! 

At the Atlanta History Center, this gorgeous quilt caught my attention. It is an exquisite work of art, full of dazzling colors and images—mostly of brightly colored flowers, but also fruits, wispy insects, and other bits of beauty. I stood mesmerized, wishing I had time to ponder each tiny patch in this vast work of quilted art. Hundreds of individual pieces and thousands of tiny stitches. A lifetime treasure. A worthy legacy.

I wonder if the artist had any idea that their quilt would delight the hearts of countless strangers over the years. Wouldn’t you love to have a life as rich, varied, complex, and attractive as this quilt? I would!!

We are building our lives each day, and what we leave as a legacy is up to us. What patches are we choosing to add? Do we have a design in mind? Are we picking each square to depict something that will uplift others and bring them joy? Are we cutting our lines straight? Sewing with meticulous care? When we are gone, will others remember us with gratitude and meditate on what we’ve said and done?

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Find Us Faithful
—Steve Green

I used to sing this song when I was part of a ladies’ ensemble, and it still brings tears to my eyes to hear it, because it speaks of the longing in my own spirit!

We’re pilgrims on the journey
of the narrow road,
and those who’ve gone before us
line the way.
cheering on the faithful,
encouraging the weary,
their lives a stirring testament
to god’s sustaining grace.
o may all who come behind us
find us faithful,
may the fire of our devotion
light their way.
may the footprints that we leave,
lead them to believe,
and the lives we live
inspire them to obey.
o may all who come behind us
find us faithful.Surrounded by so great
a cloud of witnesses,
let us run the race
not only for the prize,
but as those who’ve gone before us.
let us leave to those behind us,
the heritage…

Daffodil Melodies

Are you longing for warmer weather? In the “North Country” (of Michigan, where I live), it seems impossible to keep from longing for spring, but once the flowers begin to bloom, I really hope for a looong season of cool weather to maximize the beauty of spring’s magnificent flowing robes of color. We named our home Tanglewood Cottage, but if it had a second appellation, I’d be tempted to call it Daffodil Cottage! 🙂 Since the deer and various rodents have devoured the leaves and bulbs of almost all our flowers except daffodils (which contain the toxins lycorine and calcium oxalate crystals), over the past 25 years, I’ve planted so many daffodils, and they’ve multiplied so well, that sometimes over 1,000 yellow blossoms edge our woods.

The Music of the Daffodils

Springtime’s chorus line
Dressed in frilly, golden gowns,
Trumpeting God’s grace.

Quite the Eye Candy!

Sunshine daffodils,
Who even notices our
Rusty propane tank?

Natural beauty always inspires me, and I love how something bright and beautiful can draw our eyes to focus so much on what is lovely that what is ugly recedes from our view and thoughts. Our old propane tank suffers from rust and mold, which is particularly unsightly during late fall and early spring, when there is neither snow nor shrubbery to conceal it. However, when the daffodils begin to bloom, it ceases to strike me as such an eye soar because I stop noticing it! Yes, I should probably scrub and paint it every year, but once the summer foliage fills out, I forget all about it again and tackle other projects instead.

I have some distinct similarities to my old propane tank. When I get a good look at myself in the mirror, I am especially distressed by all the “rust” of age and the speckles and spots on my face. I guess I should paint my face to conceal the aging better, but usually I look up at Jesus, notice His exquisite beauty, and forget all about my human imperfections. I don’t want to be like the careless person who looks in the mirror and then doesn’t do anything about her appearance, but I do find consolation in concentrating on the unfading beauty of our eternal God!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,⁴ To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,⁵ Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Calling Versus Being Allured

Walking on the water

Sometimes You call us;
Sometimes we are lured away.
Always—You’ll rescue!

Last Sunday our church commissioned a young female surgeon who is heading off the Africa as a missionary. To me, that’s nothing short of asking her to walk on water, and yet I know it’s possible that she will do just fine, since during the Ebola epidemic a few years back, another young female surgeon with tremendous courage left the safety of Grand Rapids to help out with the epidemic in Africa . . . and lived to tell about it.

Probably more often than not, people are lured over their heads by temptation rather than calling, but I know God loves us and is willing to help us regardless. Whether we break through the ice accidentally, like John Smith, or we’re drawn to some addictive idol and find ourselves drowning, or we’re called to walk through oceans of difficulty with Jesus, He will rescue us if we’re willing to turn to him for help.

“But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.² When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” ( Isaiah 43:1-3).

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-SGMedia-sgmedia_maps&hsimp=yhs-sgmedia_maps&hspart=SGMedia&p=lyrics+to+the+song+oceans+where+feet+may+fail#id=1&vid=e7107baeafc0e4ba59e82a5d837ccb80&action=click

“Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” (by Hillsong United)

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
And You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour

Oh, Jesus, you’re my God!

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

(The two beautiful paintings are used by permission of Yongsung Kim. I will share more about him next week! Thank you!! To see more of his work, click here! https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrCwLB8IqZce2cAeQ0PxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw–?p=yongsung+kim+paintings&fr=yhs-SGMedia-sgmedia_maps&hspart=SGMedia&hsimp=yhs-sgmedia_maps#id=83&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmelaniejeanjuneau.files.wordpress.com%2F2014%2F07%2F4ecee8ce284d4b49e0b89f77132b6122.jpg%3Fw%3D452%26h%3D539&action=click )

Downside Up is Upside Down

Downside Up
 
Sorry, little fly.
Wings sail on wind, not water.
What a sad shipwreck!

There are definite problems with going to sleep at night with unresolved pictures and problems on your brain. For instance, the night before I was going to write a haiku about this image, I woke up several times with different takes on the poor, lifeless dragon fly I found in the wake at Daytona Beach.

Bye, Bye Dragonfly

Such a tragedy!
Even though you’re all washed up
You can’t eat supper.

Even though by midnight I could see some dark humor in playing on words, I found myself grieving the loss of this tiny, shiny life. His fragile wings were still intact, and he looked completely whole, like he should be struggling to free himself and fly away. But, in reality, he had no life left in him. He had drowned.

Of course, everything in life reminds me of other struggles and challenges, such as those that I, my friends, and my loved ones face. I grieve for every person who is tempted to do something they weren’t created to do and won’t be able to handle. I grieve for everyone who thinks they can live below where there is no air. God created us to live and thrive, but it’s our responsibility to stay above the surf . . . upright.

Fulfilling Our Purpose

Made to soar, not swim.
No fly is built to backstroke.
Sleep now; it’s your wake.

Drugs, sex, alcohol . . . whatever siren is calling you, please don’t flirt with the waves. You’ll be enticed out into the deep, where it’s way over your head, and sin will win in the end. Escape while you can!

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:¹⁴ But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.¹⁵ Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. ¹⁶ Do not err, my beloved brethren” (James 1:13-16).

P.S.—If you noticed my photo yesterday, I still have pins in my little finger which are not scheduled to come out until next week, and as the external pins have now become internal pins (from banging them too often accidentally), it’s likely to be a very miserable process to extract them, leaving my paddy paw quite sore. So, if you’ll indulge me, I know it’s now May and I no longer have “April is National Poetry Writers Month” as an excuse for writing shorter posts, but I may continue until I have a full set of fingers for typing again! 🙂

Birthday Party. Birth Day Love

Dainty little girl!
Talks a blue streak; knows her mind,
Yet, she just turned two!

Shelley and I have a special appreciation for our shared grand children, because we prayed together, long and tearfully, for five years before Samuel was born. And then, Samuel was born frighteningly early, at 27.5 weeks as a micro-premie who spent his first 105 days in a neonatal intensive care unit. 😦 That kept us all on our knees for months and rejoicing ever since! Elanor—on the other hand—came without complications, but we don’t love her any less! She has been an unmitigated joy and keeps us amazed with her incredible vocabulary and dexterity.

Have you ever noticed how each child is precious and special . . . but for different reasons? As the youngest of five, I would sometimes worry about whether or not my mother loved me as much as my older brothers and sisters, and so I would ask her, “Who’s your favorite?” She would smile and say, “I don’t have a favorite! I love you all with all my heart!” I loved that and remembered her example as my own very different but all wonderful children were growing up.

I was so crazy about my firstborn that I secretly worried about whether or not I could ever love another child as much. But, without any effort on my part, I immediately “fell in love” with our second son the moment he was born, and the miracle continued with each child. I realized that what my mother had told me wasn’t just a sweet lie to make me feel good. It was true! Each child (and now grand child) is totally unique and lovable, but my love for them is so much deeper than any “because they are or do this or that!” I love them simply because they are mine. Period!

This inexplicable love of a mother for her children has helped me understand the love of God a little better. He created each of us, and He loves each of us, not because we are so clever or cute . . . or even good. (Despite our best efforts, our “good” isn’t really all that good!) Yes, God wants us to be wise and good, but He hangs in there with us through thick and thin not based on our being all he’d hoped we’d be, but because He loves us with an everlasting love. If you’re a parent, I hope you know what I’m talking about! Never give up. God never gives up! Accept his love! He’s waiting with open arms!

^“13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.¹⁴ But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.¹⁵ Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.¹⁶ Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me” (Isaiah 49:13-16).

Willow, Weep for Me?

I will weep for you!
How is it that simple winds
Can break a huge tree?

Although weeping willows grow quickly to great heights and are often prized by romantics (like me) for their long, gracefully arching branches and lacey leaves, they are relatively short-lived (about 50 years). They have vast root systems that suck up huge amounts of water, and in the winter, the water can freeze, causing the branches to become rigid and brittle. So, despite their beauty and size, weeping willows are prone to ice damage, and even a stiff spring wind can cause a great fall, such as happened recently to one of the lovely willows along our lane.

In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul describes the healthy way for a church to grow. Have you noticed that some churches grow at amazingly rapid rates? They may be drinking in a lot of spiritual water (the Word, Ephesians 5:26) and even have sturdy root systems (rooted and grounded in love, Ephesians 3:17), but if they don’t recognize and utilize the full compliment of their church’s gifts (as given by God to each member), they are likely to become rigid and brittle over time (which happens in churches led by only one man) and very susceptible to “every wind of doctrine” that blows. The results can be devastating, just like weeping willow trees: Individual branches break off easily, and sometimes even huge limbs can come crashing down in a wind storm, not only killing a large part of the tree, but exposing the rest of the tree to disease and eventual death.

If you are a part of the leadership at your church, are you making sure to use all the spiritually gifted members of your congregation? Many minds and hearts working together will protect you from doctrinal error and strengthen your church family. If you are an inactive member of your congregation, do you know what your spiritual gift is? Will you offer to use your gift to help your church be healthy and grow stronger?

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:11-16, ESV).