He Speaks!

You know, God speaks to us in a variety of ways, and I am firmly convinced that He knows what we need to hear, when we need to hear it, and puts it there for us to hear.  The trick is that we have to listen!

Today was one of those such times.

The past few days (well, really the past few months, years, decades?) have been hard.  A prominent person in my life has been difficult to say the least.  One of  her favorites pastimes is discrediting anyone and everyone that she can.

If we remember something special, then she tells us how someone involved 'really felt' that only she knows about.

If we have a memory, such as spending time with Grandma Greta, then she tells us how Grandma thought we were selfish, difficult, tried her patience or whatever negative thing she can come up with, just to tarnish the good memory.

When Dad was recuperating in Smithville -Western, I took her to The Barn for lunch before we went to visit him.  As we pulled into the parking area, she said "Your dad hated eating here.  He thought it smelled like goose poop and he would never come here even though *I* always wanted to."  My response was "Well, it was his suggestion to eat here when we came back from the drive over to Beloit during Spring Break.  He seemed to enjoy it."  Mom replied, after a stammering pause, "Well, he may have told *YOU* that, but oh my!  What he told me after you left?  He did NOT like The Barn."  So I said, "Then you are saying that he was lying to me?  That even though he picked here to eat, that he really didn't want to, and even though he told me how much he enjoyed it and what a good day he had and how he thanked me for taking him to see the farm and his house on Indiana Avenue and how he loved the cold peaches here---that was all a big lie?"  And she said, "Well, you have NO idea what he tells me when no one else is around.  He didn't like coming here. He never did!"  I let her out at the door, and quite honestly I was ready to just drive away and leave her there.  I didn't, though, and we sat through lunch totally silent.  And yes....she was successful.  I still remember his squeezing my shoulder and telling me what a good day he had and thanking me for that.  I know that it was the last time he was ever there on the tour of Mahoning, Columbiana, and Stark counties.  But in the back of my mind, I also remember what Mom said a couple of months later to tarnish the memory.

She does that all the time.  She just did with the memory of The Nutcracker.  Greta had given them tickets for the ballet one year, then tickets to two other performances in subsequent years.  Greta remembers Dad sharing how much he enjoyed the events.  I remember him telling me all about going to see the ballet.  He loved the music.  Because of him is why *I* enjoy The Nutcracker.  I always tell the story of Dad's love of "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" and "Waltz of the Snowflakes" and the Overture.  On Thanksgiving this year Mom was telling Kent how she 'had to put her foot down' to make him go and how he really hated the gifts and it was a miserable time.  Totally contrary to the way we remember Dad responding to The Nutcracker.

So how does this fit into my topic for this afternoon?  While Greta was texting me (during church no less!) Jim's sermon focused on "A Christmas Divided."  He said that we have choices when it comes to celebrating the holiday, based on our general state of mind and demeanor.  Happy people generally see the holidays as joyful times.  They are full of cheer, joyous yuletide, and mirth.  Grumpy people are usually sad and grumbly about everything - long lines during shopping, not enough time,  dissatisfaction with gifts and so on.  Hateful people want everyone else to feel as miserable as they do, so they make the holidays as unpleasant as they can so no one will enjoy them.

Three things I realized:

One is that this is true of life in general. Not just at Christmas tine does this apply.

Two is I fall into the grumpy category too often and need to change this. I am getting better, though, since the stress of grading and finishing final grades is not a priority.

Three is Mom is hateful.  She tries to make everyone miserable. And it happens All. The.  Time.  And she enjoys it.

I know there are issues.  I know that Greta and I have spent countless hours trying to figure out what we have done wrong----all the time.  But sometimes we need to step back and listen to the Lord's message.  And yes, I know that it was Jim's message and his interpretation, but the examples that he used (Simeon and King Herod) were spot on and meaningful. When I think about some of the happiest people I know, they are the ones who see the bright side of every dilemma, the ones who offer encouraging words, the ones who I run to when I need a smile or a hug of encouragement.  I also know that after communicating with others, I will be in a bad mood, will start to doubt events and people and memories, and will need time to pull myself up to my normal self again because I feel like I have taken a beating.

He does speak!  That is important, but it is equally important that we hear....and listen.