Time to Plan a Wedding

Is this the little girl I carried, is this the little boy at play?  I don't remember growing older, when did they?  Those are the opening lines to the song "Sunrise, Sunset" from "Fiddler on the Roof"...and that is my reality today.

My little girl got engaged last April.  It was exciting, but still a bit nebulous because no date was set.  Until today.  It's no longer "my daughter's engaged"... it's "my daughter's getting married, October 4th, 2013."  Now it's really real.  Now the planning begins in earnest.  But first, let me reminisce...

She's always been early.  It started when she arrived two weeks before her due date, and 26 years later, she's always the first to arrive at work, losing patience with the ones she has to wait on to gain access.

She's always been a bit of a daredevil.  I remember her in a baby swing, throwing her little feet out to force herself higher - the legs of the swing would sometimes lift off the ground.  I thought then, this kid is going to love amusement park rides...and in fact, the higher and faster the roller coaster, the better she likes 'em. She's a little heavy-footed on the gas pedal too!

She's always - well almost always - been a Fashionista.  It started with her first tap costume - a 'bo peep' like number that she pranced around in long after the recital...and now she's a visual merchandiser for a well-known, world-wide clothing chain.  Of course, there was a year or two in there when goth clothing was her thing.  Not the makeup, hair or piercings, but oh how I remember those horrible baggy pants with tons of zippers.  It's hard to believe that same child who once proclaimed "I hate dresses - I'm going to wear a suit at my wedding!" now wants to say "yes to the dress" - and desires one of the laciest 'vintage' wedding gowns I've ever seen.

And she's always been creative.  When she was about 4, I took her for her regular check up.  The doctor asked her to draw a picture of herself.  When she was done, he was amazed.  "Incredible detail for a child her age" he marveled.  "She's drawn buttons on the clothes, laces on the shoes, and barrettes in her hair."  When she was about 7 and her brother was 3, she wanted him to play school.  He whined "mom, I don't WANT to learn my letters and numbers again!"  Jackie thought a moment and  played on her brother's interest of ocean creatures.  "I know...we'll play 'sea school' she announced..."I'll be Mrs. Octopus, and you can be a whale!"  Now that's creative - my son bought into it 'hook, line and sinker'.  Ultimately, she graduated from college with a degree in Visual Arts with a concentration in photography.  Some of her work can be seen on her photography Facebook page...J.C. Photography

I'm proud of my daughter and the woman she's become.  She's hard-working, thoughtful, giving and loving.  She's chosen a man who loves and cares for her and takes care of her...and occasionally indulges her penchant for stuffed animals since their apartment complex frowns on having REAL polar bears and tigers live on the premises.  And now, she's getting married.  October 4, 2013.  We have a date.  Let the official planning begin!

Waiting or Abiding?

It's amazing what you can learn when you pick up a dictionary.  Well, okay,  it's been a long time since I've held the pages of that book in my hands...dictionary.com is my go to source anymore.  Like the encyclopedia, an actual dictionary is going the way of the dinosaur.  But I digress...

I was considering what to call this blog entry about where I've been the past month.  I typed in "abiding".  Then I thought..."that's not really a user friendly word.  Kind of 'old-fashioned' like a word you'd find in an old hymn.  Just a word that people won't relate to so much any more."  So I backspaced over it and typed..."waiting".   I really thought the words were synonyms...that they could be used interchangeably.

Then the wordsmith in me said 'look them up'.  So I did.  I think my wordsmithyness - okay that's not really a word, but, that thing in me that strives to use words that most closely and concisely convey my thoughts - that thing...was influenced by God.  Because this is what I found and it really does speak to the point I set out to make today:

"Waiting" used as an a noun means a period of waiting, pause, interval or delay.  As a verb, it means to remain inactive in a state of repose as until something expected happens.  A secondary meaning is to postpone or delay in expectation.  But "abiding" isn't ever used as a noun.  As an adjective, it means continuing without change; enduring; steadfast.   And as a verb?  To remain, continue, stay...to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting.  Do you see the difference?

Waiting, even as an action, is passive.  Abiding requires an engagement of the senses...yes, it says remain and stay which don't indicate movement, but then it goes further.  It says 'endure'...which means to hold out against - it's an engagement of the will...'sustain' - support, hold, bear up, undergo, experience, suffer - an engagement of the body...'withstand' - hold out against, resist or oppose...engagement of the mind.  When you abide, it is no passive thing.  You may not be in forward motion, but every part of you is on alert.  You are in a fight - even if that fight is to not lose ground.  You are engaged body, mind, and spirit.

These past few weeks, my pen has been silent.  I have also stepped back from a number of ministry obligations.  But I am not in 'repose'.  Quite the opposite.  I am engaged in a battle.  It is a fight for things precious to me.  This 'down' time is not about putting my life on pause even though I'm clearing my calendar...it is about putting on the full armor of God at described in Eph. 6:10-18.

"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."

The passage above tells us to stand firm or stand our ground 3 times and it clearly shows the action involved in that...be strong, resist, be prepared, stay alert and be persistent in prayer. 

So while I'm going through this trial that I cannot delve into at this juncture, I am not laying back, waiting on God to move...I'm abiding in His presence, abiding in His love, and abiding in the truth of His promises.  I am actively enduring and withstanding.  Abiding is more than mere waiting...it is looking to God with hope and expectancy...abiding is not allowing the circumstances to wash over you...it is digging in your heels, eyes looking "to the hills from where my help comes". 

So I ask you...when you face troubles and trials...are you waiting anxiously for them to blow over as they put your life on pause?  Or are you abiding in God, putting on His armor, preparing for battle and standing firm?  Waiting or abiding...the difference is huge.