July 30, 2017
Summer Sunday-Sunshine for the Soul
Who’s There?
One of our grands most fun discoveries has been learning to tell jokes…“Digee, why did the golfer wear two pair of pants?”
“Hmmmmm, I have no idea,” I reluctantly reply…then her response, accompanied by giggles as though she was revealing one of life’s greatest secrets…
“Silly Digee, he wears two pair of pants in case he gets a hole in one”, followed by hysterical laughter…Wow, she got me! Each time, she tells me the same joke…my response is always the same!
And, then of course, the Knock-Knock jokes…
“Knock-Knock…” and my response “Who’s there?” 
A few days ago, I returned to Waco, the place where Billy and I spent most of our years, the city where, for us, so much life was lived and memories made. Today, I looked through the lenses of these memories and from our new perspective, being older now and further down the road of our journey through this gift of life. This morning, the words, “Who’s There? Who’s There…”kept running through my mind, those early morning moments before I heard the sound of eight bare feet running through the house, early morning sneezes, and little voices echoing through the quiet…
Who’s There?
“As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3
The truth is, that our days are filled, and over-flowing with Knock-Knocks…but, these moments are not jokes. They are moments and opportunities filled with people whose lives are intersecting our own in some capacity, no matter where we are…lives of others intersect with ours every day. On my recent trip back to Waco, I remembered this…
I certainly do not pretend to know about your life, but, I am quite aware that I can often dash through my day, after day, after day, in a scheduled routine, and I can miss moments in other’s lives…in my own life…I hear a Knock-Knock…and sometimes I forget to answer, to ask the question, Who’s There?
Whose life is there when I am standing in the line at the grocery store?
Whose life is there as a woman walks into our church on a Sunday morning for the very first time…Eyes searching for something, or someone familiar…Heart searching for some hope…for the HOPE?
Whose life is there when I walk into a senior rehab center to visit an elderly friend who has found herself once again, in the familiar place to overcome a physical condition? Whose lives are there, men and women in wheel-chairs, positioned through the lobby…some with engaging smiles, waiting for one in return. And other lives, who are someones, with a name, a story, a life… But their eyes are vacant…their memories fading…yet, their hearts respond to kindness…and I watch, and look…realizing that I do not want to miss any of these Who’s There Moments…
Whose life is there with my friends who are living life, making the turns, climbing mountains, braving life transitions?
Whose life is there with my grands…and their parents, our children? The difficult and challenging seasons, with health, with home transitions and moves, with jobs and security, with child-rearing and life lessons?
Whose life is there…with my husband…the one with whom I share my days, my life, my heart. Thirty-eight years of marriage…and I do not want to miss any part, any moments of the days and the years ahead…I want to listen and to pay attention…
I believe with all my heart that people knock on the door of our lives every day…and I believe that God arranges that intersection…I believe that we have an assignment in those moments and we need to answer with a willing heart…and just ask Who’s There? Then offer a smile, some encouragement, some courage to press on…some Truth, some Hope, some Love…because that is who our God is!
There are so many of those who knock, who face overwhelming circumstances…tragedy, crises, loss, grief, fear…and the joys of life as well, seeking someone with whom to share some good news. God has arranged a community of His children, throughout His creation…people who are willing to listen for the knocks and who are willing to answer and as a community, as a church, to answer the Knock…Knocks…on the door of Life.
Last evening, as I put the grands to bed after watching some episodes of Season Two of Little House on the Prairie …it was time…time for lights out and tuck ins…Time to pray…As I was exiting the room, one of those little voices spoke up, “Digee, we are scared. Can you pray with each one of us…one at a time?”
Oh that’s right…The group bed-time prayer just was not enough…there was a knock on my life, on my heart…don’t rush, don’t dash…just be still, take time…and pray…for Hope, Confidence, Courage, for Peace, for Rest…His perfect rest. And, amazingly, the precious ones turned over, and slept in perfect sleep and rest…blankets tucked up under their chins, bunnies and babies in arm…
If you read this message, I am certain that you are one of those people in my life who answers the Knocks on your heart, you who offer a smile, some encouragement, some courage to press on…some Truth, some Hope, some Love…because that is who our God is! And, I am thankful.
I pray for you on this Summer Sunday, that you are able to stop the rush, the dash, and just listen…listen for the Knock, Knocks on your life…and that you also are renewed and refreshed…As you find Sunshine for Your Soul. Oh, and one more thing, don’t forget to laugh at jokes over and over and over, even when you heard them before! It feels great!
Abundant Joy and Blessings,
