It was a good father’s day of remembering special years, having cheers, switching gears, and yes a few tears. I remember my Dad as awesome – and also remember folks whose dads are gone – and those who are not gone but gone from people’s lives – it is a mixed emotion type of day. And we all need processing for whatever state we take Father’s day. I hope we all processed how much our Heavenly Father God loves us. God is LOVE – and my friend whom I have been helping handed me a pin that said “GOD IS LOVE” … Amen… That processing will take the rest of our years and then forever… God is love and therefore love is God.
God always provides the LOVE – so don’t worry about that – Jesus said DON’T WORRY about anything – and if Jesus was saying it – He was showing it too.
Cleaning out my friend’s house “has been a process” for sure – literally and emotionally. The pods drove off yesterday, the process was intense but spread over the course of a month. We both would say that 8 months ago it was seemingly unimaginable, but it was real and really happened. And the stuff behind will be donated and some trashed – but the bulk is recoverable to someone. In other words, it is good stuff – and some junk too… But that is all our lives and our stuff – good and some a bit of junk.
Here is the junk of the day: the junk is the mindset of “I can’t do this” or “I can’t help” – none of that is true – that is pure junk thoughts – because WITH God everything is possible. And he demonstrates it too!
On Father’s Day – after my sermon – I spent a couple hours back at the paper pile – but sitting outside – cat outside – and working either at the back of the subaru or later in her driveway finishing off a whole wheelbarrow full of paper. We figured this was from 8 people’s important junk paper barrage that we get in life. One paper that struck my attention this morning was one of my own – “The Moments that Matter” – yup – these moments even if mundane or whatever do matter – because it is the place to help and to plug in – and as the woman across from me separating paper said: “It’s like the modern day equivalent of sitting on the porch and taking the ends off the beans.” – EXACTLY…
We came across not just paper that needed shredding – SSN’s everywhere – but then inside her Dad’s wallet – her brother’s irish cap – her mom’s hat – her many memories held onto with trinkets and treasures. And in this seemingly endless packing – it was done… the kitchen table pretty much empty – the pods full, the car full, the process made it to progress. My friend would say: “look at all the angels that God has sent me”.
What would my Dad have done in this occasion – on this day – with friends and strangers he didn’t know – yes my Dad was a helper – both my parents always had lots of projects helping – my Dad especially was the organizer for many but the hands-on worker too – from putting together paper directories for the service clubs – to making the coffee for workers coming to help at the camp rebuild cabins getting it ready for summer – all this volunteer work on the evening and weekends – and yeah some “volunteer” at his work too – setting up internal potlucks and raffles to help colleagues with cancer treatment and living expenses…
Yeah – and separating paper – not a hard job and remembering that it is a sitting down job to take a break from the standing up hauling loads job – that’s what my Dad did too… He was also the treasurer to many organizations. And one special time, I was too little to remember, he would drive up to an hour each way in the evening to go help flood victims each night – cleaning out their houses – people he didn’t even know.
Of course, he got to know them – being personable too – he helped a neighbor of a friend he knew thru his service club and we would go visit them years later – he would bring us to see them – both households. The neighbor was a glassblower – immigrant family – old timers – nearly 80 in the 1970’s then – but in his hayday he made beautiful artwork – and then when my mom was talking in the kitchen with his wife, the wife would sneak a piece to my mom to give her – and say “don’t tell my husband’ – but the husband knew and told my dad it was OK to let my mom take them… We still have them – and even I have a glass-made crystal clear candy cane uniquely made by him for that christmas… Treasures – but of memories over items – the items will last – for a time – the memories will be treasures forever.
That is special remembering my Dad – that He would have helped too…
That is special knowing the Lord – that He has made us His Hands and Feet – He helps and He has us help too – to share that love – to be of service – to make a difference – and to shed a few tears in between.
And to be present.
That is the moment that matters most – being present (presence) IS the present (gift) for the present (now).
God always provides the LOVE – so don’t worry about that – Jesus said DON’T WORRY about anything – and if Jesus was saying it – He was showing it too – a moment that MATTERS.
Amen
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Matthew 6:25-34 New King James Version
Do Not Worry
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Debbie Upper 