Yearly Archives: 2011

People-Watching

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I’m not sure if only women do it, but many share my penchant for people-watching. It’s especially fun in public spaces like museums, theme parks and beaches. The variety is endless, no two alike, and guessing about their biographies captivates me. I have all I can do not to stop them to ask questions, wanting to confirm or debunk my assumptions.

An airport is another prime spot to watch, packed with colorful people both rushing and waiting. Nate and I did a fair amount of flying, and on one trip we sat behind a couple who bickered all the way from Chicago to Mexico. As we all left the plane, the woman strode off indignantly, putting quick distance between her and her husband. When he saw that, he shouted after her. “Oh right, now you go and commit the crime of walking ahead! You know how I hate that!”

Ever after, if Nate or I saw a couple walking one ahead of the other, we’d lock eyes and say, “The crime of walking ahead,” and then share a laugh.

Today I had the delightful task of collecting daughter Linnea, 3 year old Skylar, and 1 year old Micah at Chicago’s Midway Airport after their flight from Orlando. Arriving early to be sure I could help her maneuver children, a double stroller, a heavy car seat, carry-ons and multiple suitcases, I had ample opportunity to do some quality people-watching.

I kept an eye on waiting “greeters” who were scanning the crowd for their specific loved ones. As they connected, it was hugs, kisses, and exclamations of joy. Another favorite was watching military personnel dressed in full uniforms, each probably brimming with fascinating and possibly traumatic stories to tell their families. Then there were those in wheelchairs making a herculean effort to connect with others.

As I watched hundreds come and go, I thought of the ultimate in people-watchers: God.

He’s not only good at watching, he’s good at seeing. He can study the face of each person on the earth, all at once. He sees eye color, dimples, even freckles. But better than that, he doesn’t have to ask questions to get information, since he owns 100% of the details already. Superior even to that, though, is his ability to look inside: head, heart, body. And he watches all of this day and night, never taking his eyes off of us.

While I was waiting for Linnea and pondering all that, God reminded me of the most important facet of his people-watching. It has little to do with visuals and everything to do with how he feels about each passerby, loving them personally, eternally, unfailingly.

And this love is far superior to even the happiest reunion of airport passengers connecting with the ones they love. I hope they all know that.

“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” (Psalm 86:5)

Having Fun

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Everyone needs to have a little fun now and then. Good times seem to follow some people and not others, and the rest of us are drawn to them because they give life an up-side when it gets heavy on the down.

My mother was one of those and had a head full of jokes and a closet full of games. I don’t mean games like Monopoly or Scrabble, although she had those, too, but action games that got people out of their chairs, on the floor… and laughing. She loved to have a good time and went to great lengths to coax others to do the same.

But there’s another aspect to cheery people. They put pizzazz in an otherwise ordinary set of circumstances. Yesterday on a Michigan expressway I saw one of these people. Though I’ll never meet him, I wish I could. He was driving a massive semi-truck with a heavy load on it heading toward Chicago. As I passed him, I noticed a tiny little something securely tied to his flat bed with a big strap: a tiny toy truck.

Grabbing my phone, I clicked a picture while enjoying the intended chuckle. God seems to place us next to people like this when we need them most. He partners the lighthearted with the somber in friendship, in marriage, and in business. But interestingly, it’s not just about the joyful ones trying to brighten up the serious.

Fun-lovers gain greatly by sharing a laugh with others, more so than keeping it to themselves. That’s what’s behind the waves of forwarded email humor we all receive and send onward. It’s also what drives stand-up comics and is what’s peeking out beneath our “Merry Christmas” greetings. It’s also what motivates a truck driver to grab our attention with a toy.

Scripture touts the importance of spreading this good cheer. Different passages recommend it

  • when anxiety weighs down the heart
  • when someone is feeling oppressed
  • when medical problems are overwhelming
  • when it’s too hot or too cold
  • when a person is feeling old and worn out
  • when heartache has crushed the spirit
  • when mourning has gone on too long
  • when someone is troubled and feels hopeless

All of these people benefit from a dose of good cheer. There is one instance, however, when the Bible says sorrow is better than laughter, and that’s when repentance is needed. Paul describes sorrow over personal sin as an important “downer,” since it often leads to repentance and in turn, to an open relationship with God. Injecting fun into that situation too soon would only damage what could otherwise be a priceless outcome.

But after someone has become right with God, then is the time to have some fun, maybe even to strap a tiny truck onto the bed of a giant semi.

“Now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended.” (2 Corinthians 7:9)

 

 

 

 

 

A Worthwhile Harvest

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Nate died 25 months ago, but his influence continues on. This will be true for all of us. The seeds sown into others’ lives keep on taking root, blossoming and bearing fruit, whether good or bad. All of us are given a lifetime of days during which to do our farming, and it’s up to us what we plant.

Jesus told a fascinating story about seeds. He describes an industrious farmer who worked hard planting a big field, after which he went to bed satisfied with his effort. While he was sleeping, though, his enemy quietly moved in and planted weed-seeds among the wheat.

As the good plants began peeking above the soil, the bad ones did, too, and the wise farmer recognized the subversive work of an adversary. Once the plants were growing together, there wasn’t much he could do, but at harvest time, with extra effort, he solved the dilemma.

By that time the weeds were easy to separate from the wheat, probably because they were taller. Weeds always seem to grow bigger and quicker than the more valuable plants. The farmer had the weeds pulled first, bundling and burning them, followed by the wheat that had been left standing. It was hard work, but in the end he got the cash crop he’d originally planted.

This afternoon I found fresh evidence of Nate’s profitable farming. I opened one of our many Bibles to check a passage and noticed his handwriting in the front. He’d been planting heart-seeds in one of his children who was leaving home for college, gifting him with a Bible and words of affirmation on the flyleaf:

 “As your father, I’ve noticed your ability to befriend others with ease; of kindness and patience with small children; of self-confidence and grace with your peers.”

He went on to challenge him to use college years to develop the talents God had given him. Then he wrote, “Your abilities can be used to worship God and also to lead others to Christ and to make the right choices in their lives.” He continued, quoting from his favorite Scripture passage, giving his son a heads-up about avoiding sin.

In concluding he wrote, “Know that your mother and I love and cherish you as a child of ours and as a child of the Lord. Love, Papa.”

Nate was planting good seeds, regardless of the enemy’s desire to mix bad in with the his good. Reading the words he wrote challenged me to keep farming, despite unwittingly planting bad seeds among the good. According to Scripture, the harvest can be 100 times what was sown, which makes it doubly important to “plant positive.”

But the scriptural parable can encourage even those of us who occasionally mess up, telling us that all it takes is one good seed to bring a magnificent crop.

“Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree.” (Matthew 13:32)