She is thirteen....
The title says it all....
Yay for the power, passion, and wisdom of teenagers.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
The Day I Broke Down in a Place Called Friendship
After I just re-read the title I realized it sounds like some cheesy title for a story about the importance of good friendships.....but...its not
I actually broke down in a place called friendship.
I was driving from Nashville to Fort Worth for my ordination. As I was listenting to my ipod, windows down, singing loudly, trying to keep myself awake somewhere on I-30 in Arkansas, I noticed in front of me a large moving metal piece that looked like it had fallen off of a truck. I was going to swerve but there were cars in both the lanes surrounding me. So, before I had time to consider another option, I found the metal piece under my car. I could hear in my head my Dad's voice from when I was learning how to drive yelling "anticipate" and I was kicking myself.
I got to the side of the road as quick as I could and got out to inspect my car. Now...I know nothing about cars. So my "inspecting" a car was basically making sure there were no huge parts hanging off and nothing was on fire...beyond that I had no idea what to look for.
As I was "inspecting" I noticed a pick up truck stop on the access road. Out of the car came 2 men in overalls and a Yellow Lab running for me. One of the men hollered to see if I was ok, while the other immediatley had himself laying under my car doing what looked like a more helpful inspection than mine had been. They told me that my car looked fine but I might want to stop at a mechanic 2 exits up to make sure. I told them thanks (and was very thankful I had broken down in the south where people in overalls come out to help), got back in my car and headed for the mechanic.
Now the mechanic was at a small arkansas gas station. His name was Bo. He was the mechanic, gas station attendent, and cook for the trucker restaurant. He looked under my car and said it was a little scratched up but should be fine to get me on to Texas.
Feeling confident and lucky I headed back on the highway. About 10 miles later I noticed I was out of gas. So....I pulled off into a gas station in Friendship, Arkansas to fill up. I got it going and then went into the outside restroom while it was filling up. When I came back out I found a screaming woman, 2 more men in overalls, and gas flooding out of my car.
My gas tank had burst.
Luckily...the local fire chief had been at the gas station eating lunch and had run up the road to get the fire truck. The woman turned off the gas valve and I went inside and payed her 80$ for useless gas as I tried to figure out what to do next. The fire chief came back (one of the men in the overalls) and called for Gus from first response and for the sherriff to come help him out. In about 10 minutes the entire town of friendship had come out to see what was going on and to help out if they could. The Sherriff let me know that it was a good thing that this happened when it did. You see, he explanied, yesterday Joe's truck had been stolen. The town had been searching for it and just found it on the side of the road earlier that morning. They figure some teenagers must have gone on a joy ride. But, he said, if Joe's truck had still been missing, he might not have been able to come help me out.
Once the parking lot started to get clean of spilled gas and the excitement had died down most of the people got lunch at the gas station. Lunch consisted of the woman who ran the station taking out a loaf of bread, some ham from a mini-fridge, and making a sandwich. That was the only item on the menu....and everyone had some.
As I was on the phone with AAA, people in the town all told me about their best friends and second cousins who were mechanics or who could tow me to the big city of Hot Springs. And eventually I got to Hot Springs and my car made it to a Toyota shop to be fixed.
Their town is aptly named. They were friendly. And they made what could have been awful into an entertaining adventure. And thats what the best of friends do....they walk with you when your breaking down and provide help and some laughs in the middle of it all.
I actually broke down in a place called friendship.
I was driving from Nashville to Fort Worth for my ordination. As I was listenting to my ipod, windows down, singing loudly, trying to keep myself awake somewhere on I-30 in Arkansas, I noticed in front of me a large moving metal piece that looked like it had fallen off of a truck. I was going to swerve but there were cars in both the lanes surrounding me. So, before I had time to consider another option, I found the metal piece under my car. I could hear in my head my Dad's voice from when I was learning how to drive yelling "anticipate" and I was kicking myself.
I got to the side of the road as quick as I could and got out to inspect my car. Now...I know nothing about cars. So my "inspecting" a car was basically making sure there were no huge parts hanging off and nothing was on fire...beyond that I had no idea what to look for.
As I was "inspecting" I noticed a pick up truck stop on the access road. Out of the car came 2 men in overalls and a Yellow Lab running for me. One of the men hollered to see if I was ok, while the other immediatley had himself laying under my car doing what looked like a more helpful inspection than mine had been. They told me that my car looked fine but I might want to stop at a mechanic 2 exits up to make sure. I told them thanks (and was very thankful I had broken down in the south where people in overalls come out to help), got back in my car and headed for the mechanic.
Now the mechanic was at a small arkansas gas station. His name was Bo. He was the mechanic, gas station attendent, and cook for the trucker restaurant. He looked under my car and said it was a little scratched up but should be fine to get me on to Texas.
Feeling confident and lucky I headed back on the highway. About 10 miles later I noticed I was out of gas. So....I pulled off into a gas station in Friendship, Arkansas to fill up. I got it going and then went into the outside restroom while it was filling up. When I came back out I found a screaming woman, 2 more men in overalls, and gas flooding out of my car.
My gas tank had burst.
Luckily...the local fire chief had been at the gas station eating lunch and had run up the road to get the fire truck. The woman turned off the gas valve and I went inside and payed her 80$ for useless gas as I tried to figure out what to do next. The fire chief came back (one of the men in the overalls) and called for Gus from first response and for the sherriff to come help him out. In about 10 minutes the entire town of friendship had come out to see what was going on and to help out if they could. The Sherriff let me know that it was a good thing that this happened when it did. You see, he explanied, yesterday Joe's truck had been stolen. The town had been searching for it and just found it on the side of the road earlier that morning. They figure some teenagers must have gone on a joy ride. But, he said, if Joe's truck had still been missing, he might not have been able to come help me out.
Once the parking lot started to get clean of spilled gas and the excitement had died down most of the people got lunch at the gas station. Lunch consisted of the woman who ran the station taking out a loaf of bread, some ham from a mini-fridge, and making a sandwich. That was the only item on the menu....and everyone had some.
As I was on the phone with AAA, people in the town all told me about their best friends and second cousins who were mechanics or who could tow me to the big city of Hot Springs. And eventually I got to Hot Springs and my car made it to a Toyota shop to be fixed.
Their town is aptly named. They were friendly. And they made what could have been awful into an entertaining adventure. And thats what the best of friends do....they walk with you when your breaking down and provide help and some laughs in the middle of it all.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The Day I Battled a Fly...and Lost
I moved into my apartment in Kansas two weeks ago...and...for the most part...I loved it.
Except that, the second day I was here when we were moving my stuff in, a little fly found its way in. The first time I noticed it, I opened the door to let it out. However, it was not really interested in going back into the heat and so it stayed inside. I decided to ignore it for a while. I had forgotten it was there until I was going to bed that night and heard it buzzing around my head. I turned on the lamp by my bed to try to see it, but it was gone. So, I went back to sleep slightly annoyed. The next day I was decorating my apartment and the fly kept landing on me. At this point it was frustrating me. So every time I felt it I would reach down to try to get it but I kept missing. Later in the day Toby, my dog, finally noticed the fly and began to chase it around the apartment.
Now the fly was mocking us. It would get right by Toby and I's ear buzzing like crazy, would land on us, and then as soon as we would try to get it, it would fly away. Toby and I fought hard...but eventually the fly won.
I was frustrated by our inability to get rid of a tiny bug. But then I was also kind of shocked. I was shocked that I had let something so little and insignificant bother me so much. That little fly, by simply being present and being itself, made itself known and affected my day.
It made me think that if something so little, by simply making itself present, could so greatly affect the world of something much bigger than itself...that maybe i...so insignificant in the big picture...could somehow make a difference in the world around me just by being me and being present. Maybe it doesn't necessarily take huge actions or big plans. Maybe simply being present and living out who we are called to be is enough sometimes.
If we just show up in places where there is brokenness in the world, maybe our very presence and the light of God that shines through each of us would be enough to really bring some change. And if we all showed up, simply being who we are called to be, being ourselves, can you imagine?
Except that, the second day I was here when we were moving my stuff in, a little fly found its way in. The first time I noticed it, I opened the door to let it out. However, it was not really interested in going back into the heat and so it stayed inside. I decided to ignore it for a while. I had forgotten it was there until I was going to bed that night and heard it buzzing around my head. I turned on the lamp by my bed to try to see it, but it was gone. So, I went back to sleep slightly annoyed. The next day I was decorating my apartment and the fly kept landing on me. At this point it was frustrating me. So every time I felt it I would reach down to try to get it but I kept missing. Later in the day Toby, my dog, finally noticed the fly and began to chase it around the apartment.
Now the fly was mocking us. It would get right by Toby and I's ear buzzing like crazy, would land on us, and then as soon as we would try to get it, it would fly away. Toby and I fought hard...but eventually the fly won.
I was frustrated by our inability to get rid of a tiny bug. But then I was also kind of shocked. I was shocked that I had let something so little and insignificant bother me so much. That little fly, by simply being present and being itself, made itself known and affected my day.
It made me think that if something so little, by simply making itself present, could so greatly affect the world of something much bigger than itself...that maybe i...so insignificant in the big picture...could somehow make a difference in the world around me just by being me and being present. Maybe it doesn't necessarily take huge actions or big plans. Maybe simply being present and living out who we are called to be is enough sometimes.
If we just show up in places where there is brokenness in the world, maybe our very presence and the light of God that shines through each of us would be enough to really bring some change. And if we all showed up, simply being who we are called to be, being ourselves, can you imagine?
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The Day I Came up with The Day I Stories
The first week in my homiletics class in Divinity School we had to give a basic speech so the professors and Teaching Fellow's could get an idea of how we were at public speaking before we began preaching. We had a couple prompts we could choose from to speak off of. That night my friend Selena and I went out to a coffee shop to study and decided to spend part of the time deciding what we would speak on. One of the prompts was, "the day I..." Slightly making fun of the assignment we began sharing stories of silly things we had done and trying to come up with the best, "the day I..." titles. My favorite titles I came up with were...
The day I Got Third Degree Burns from Syrup
The day I Ate Lamb Flavored Chips and Got Stopped by an Elephant
and...The day I Lost Texas.
The day I Got Third Degree Burns from Syrup
The day I Ate Lamb Flavored Chips and Got Stopped by an Elephant
and...The day I Lost Texas.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Day I was Loved by Strangers
It happened when I was in Namibia last summer after we had travelled for a while. My luggage never arrived. So, while I was loving every moment of the trip and had been learning a ton, I was tired of travelling and sharing clothes and was ready to find home. I didn't neccesarily want to be back in Nashville or Texas. I just wanted that feeling of home. That feeling of falling into a couch, putting my feet up, and feeling free to let it all go and rest. Not for a long time, just a moment of that rest.
But, thats not what I was feeling then. Instead I was feeling more anxious and I was preparing to have to be "on" for a while. We had just arrived in the northern rural areas of Namibia. We were splitting off into pairs and were going to stay with a family for a few days. Two by two the other pairs were meeting their families and leaving with them. Finally it was just my partner and I and one other pair left. The longer we waited the more anxious I became. But then a woman arrived. I introduced myself reaching my hand out. She threw her arms around me and said in broken English, "my daughter, I am so glad you are here"
That is what it was like the entire time. The whole family treated me as a long lost daughter and sister. I found home in a rural village in northern Namibia.
All of the families were like this. One family even slaughtered their fatted calf and had a party for the pair from our group who was staying with them. Im serious....It was amazing. Later when we were discussing the radical hospitality we experienced our guide who helped choose the families said,"they loved you before they ever met you"
They loved me before they ever knew me.
I have had the same experience since I have arrived at St. Andrew Christian Church. I had barely pulled in the drive and there were people from the church here to help me move in. My first sunday was filled with hugs and joy. The next day I arrived at the church only to find it filled with posters with pictures of my disciples house family and me which read, "welcome allison, we hope you find home here like you did in Nashville" The next day I recieved an email asking what I might want because the church was throwing a party for me. The staff calls and emails regularly to see how I am doing, invite me places, and tell me how excited they are that i am here. They don't even know me yet.
They loved me before they ever knew me.
I wonder what it might be like if we all tried to practice this radical hospitality. If we all tried to love people before we even know them. A minister in Nashville who works with the homeless once told me that the problem is that we try so hard to be our sister's keeper that we forget that we are our sister's sister. What would it be like if we saw the homeless person on our street as our brother. If Americans first saw Iraqis as our siblings. If we looked at those we encounter in our lives...throw our arms around them....say, "my sister" and then try to create home for them. If we love them before we even know them. Being on the recieving end i have realized it is a powerful love....now i just have to figure out how to share it.
But, thats not what I was feeling then. Instead I was feeling more anxious and I was preparing to have to be "on" for a while. We had just arrived in the northern rural areas of Namibia. We were splitting off into pairs and were going to stay with a family for a few days. Two by two the other pairs were meeting their families and leaving with them. Finally it was just my partner and I and one other pair left. The longer we waited the more anxious I became. But then a woman arrived. I introduced myself reaching my hand out. She threw her arms around me and said in broken English, "my daughter, I am so glad you are here"
That is what it was like the entire time. The whole family treated me as a long lost daughter and sister. I found home in a rural village in northern Namibia.
All of the families were like this. One family even slaughtered their fatted calf and had a party for the pair from our group who was staying with them. Im serious....It was amazing. Later when we were discussing the radical hospitality we experienced our guide who helped choose the families said,"they loved you before they ever met you"
They loved me before they ever knew me.
I have had the same experience since I have arrived at St. Andrew Christian Church. I had barely pulled in the drive and there were people from the church here to help me move in. My first sunday was filled with hugs and joy. The next day I arrived at the church only to find it filled with posters with pictures of my disciples house family and me which read, "welcome allison, we hope you find home here like you did in Nashville" The next day I recieved an email asking what I might want because the church was throwing a party for me. The staff calls and emails regularly to see how I am doing, invite me places, and tell me how excited they are that i am here. They don't even know me yet.
They loved me before they ever knew me.
I wonder what it might be like if we all tried to practice this radical hospitality. If we all tried to love people before we even know them. A minister in Nashville who works with the homeless once told me that the problem is that we try so hard to be our sister's keeper that we forget that we are our sister's sister. What would it be like if we saw the homeless person on our street as our brother. If Americans first saw Iraqis as our siblings. If we looked at those we encounter in our lives...throw our arms around them....say, "my sister" and then try to create home for them. If we love them before we even know them. Being on the recieving end i have realized it is a powerful love....now i just have to figure out how to share it.
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