Anna's Story - Part 10

(Sorry I'm so late -- got up this morning and FORGOT to update the blog.  So this posting is for Saturday.  But the ivy is cut back on the driveway and I went to Joanne's Fabrics and got some material and some yarn for more baby blankets for Community Pregnancy Services.  So all good.

Anna Smithson is in Kentucky on the mission trip for her church.  They are remodeling a home, and getting to know one another much better.  Anna doesn't miss home or work at this point.)

Part 10

Anna’s job was to help with the painting, and it was fine by her.  The boys and their supervisor were making a huge racket on the roof, including replacing a few of the boards that had rotted from all of the leakage.  The plumber and a helper were busy redoing the bathroom while everyone used a porta-pot that had been delivered to the house. 

The living room was painted a nice deep cream color, and the trim white.  The ceiling got a coat of paint too.  The kitchen color was a blue-green shade that looked really nice with the old white cabinets.  They got painted too.  The kitchen floor could have used some help, but they only had a week and they were also on a budget restricted by whatever funds the group had been able to raise.  Mrs. Licci said they sold donuts after church, sponsored some spaghetti dinners the Lent before, and held car washes numerous times.  A lot of work had gone into the project, and the work began the week after they got back last August.

Mrs. Dunlap stopped by once but she was overcome with emotion and returned to the neighbor’s house.  She just kept thanking them over and over, and wiping tears from her eyes.  The children hung onto their grandmother’s skirts the whole time, with big doe eyes staring at the house that was starting to look presentable again.

 Erin, Will, Kirsten, and Brady were in different groups but the friendship that started on the long trip had flourished from what Anna could tell.  The foursome always sat together for dinner and seemed to have found common ground between them.  Erin was the quiet one, hard to read.  “Still waters run deep,” Anna had always heard, and she wondered if maybe there was more to Erin’s quietness.  One afternoon, it was just Anna and Erin in the kitchen, painting the cabinets.

 “Miss Smithson, did you get along with your dad?” she asked Anna.

 “You can just call me Anna, Erin,” Anna answered. “I think maybe I’m still too young to be called Miss Smithson.”

 Erin laughed a little. 

 “But in answer to your question, sure we got along pretty well.  Both of my parents were good people, and good to me.  I have nothing to complain about.  Why?” Anna asked.

 “Oh, nothing really.  My dad, he’s just hard to understand, or hard for me to understand.  He’s so moody.  I hate it in the morning when I’m getting ready for school and eating some cereal, because I never know what he’s going to be like.  One day he’s okay, joking, and the next day he’s like angry about everything.  It scares me,” Erin said.

“What does your mother have to say about it?” Anna asked, hoping not to probe too much.

“Not much.  She’s really quiet, like me.  We don’t answer him at all.  Seems like it works because if we don’t answer him, he’ll finally settle down and maybe go watch morning TV shows or something,” she said.

“Does he work?” Anna asked.

“Um, yeah, he works.  He works from 3:00 to 11:00 at the hospital as a janitor.  So at night he isn’t around and my mom and I can do whatever we want and it feels comfortable.”

Just then Mrs. Licci came in and was asking them some questions.  The conversation ended, but Anna wanted to be sure and talk to Erin again.

 

 

 

 

Anna's Story - Part 9

(Anna Smithson has volunteered to go to Kentucky with her church's mission trip.  They are at the home of Mrs. Essie Dunlap who is raising her two grandchildren.  The boys are going to work most on the roof, the girls on painting, and the plumber is going to fix up the Dunlap's bathroom.  Anna is forgetting about all of her heartaches a little at a time.)

Part 9 --

The old alarm clock plugged in at the back of church went off at 6:00 a.m. as planned.  Someone trudged back there and turned it off, or so they thought, and ten minutes later it went off again.  It was the snooze.

By that time, the teens and adults were already getting up and ready.  They could smell breakfast cooking somewhere nearby and Anna’s stomach wasn’t feeling welcome.  She never ate this early, preferred waiting until about 10:00 a.m. to have some toast, but she knew that today she would need the energy.  Welcome or not, she would eat whatever they made for them.

The ride over to Mrs. Essie Dunlap’s house took only about five minutes.  This widow was raising two grandchildren on her own in the rickety house, and it was this house that was getting the makeover.  The children and Essie were staying at a neighbor’s house, one that the mission trip from two years before had remodeled in a week.  That way they could really dig in without worrying about Mrs. Dunlap getting back into the house.   

They had specific things they were going to do.  They would paint the house inside and out, and drywall one wall in the kitchen that needed it.  They were putting on a new roof, and that’s what the boys would be working on.  They were replacing the toilet and sink as well, and that’s why one adult volunteer was a plumber.  And finally, they were going to work on the front of the house, giving it some TLC including some new landscaping. 

Buckets, brushes, rollers, and tape were quickly laid out in the places they belonged.  Mrs. Lizzi had the list of teams and tasks and she handed out a copy to everyone.  She cautioned, “There’s women’s work and men’s work, but if there is any work, it’s everyone’s work.”  By noon on the first day, there was a hum at the house.  The weather had cooperated beautifully, and it was clean but very hot.  The boys found out they would be getting up at 5:00 a.m. the next morning and getting on the roof first thing. 

That first day there was some conversation but overall the work came first.  The colors that Mrs. Lizzi had chosen were really wonderful and blended in well with the home.  It was never going to look like something from TV, but it would be clean and fresh for Mrs. Dunlap and her grandchildren.  It would give them some hope and pride in themselves and in their home.  Anna was really starting to enjoy herself.  Kentucky was going to turn out to be a terrific decision, she thought.

 

 

 

Anna's Story - Part 8

(Anna Smithson has ventured outside of her comfort zone and gone on a mission trip to a poor area of Kentucky.  When her boyfriend moved out and her mother died of cancer, Anna's world was turned upside down.  Now maybe she has a chance to build a new life.)

The teens in the van; Erin, Will, Kirsten, and Brady, were an odd grouping.  Anna figured that under normal circumstances, like at school, they probably wouldn’t have become friends at all.  They had different likes and dislikes in just about everything, and so the car ride to Kentucky gave them a chance to explore all of it.

 

“My favorite Mexican food is enchiladas,” Will proclaimed.

“Oh gross,” Kirsten chimed in.  “How can you eat that?”

Anna just listened and absorbed some of their youthful exuberance, starting to feel the years roll away the farther the van got away from Addleford, Ohio.  Once during the trip, they all started laughing, Mrs. Licci included, and Anna had to wipe tears from her eyes.  When was the last time that ever happened, she thought?

When the caravan stopped at the rest stop for dinner, they had been on the road for five hours already and were about an hour from a location near Bowling Green, Kentucky.  Mrs. Licci explained that they didn’t want to arrive in Kentucky and expect their hosts to feed them right away. 

Kirsten sat next to Anna, and without batting an eye, she said, “I think maybe I’ll order the enchiladas.”  Will almost fell off of his chair laughing.  Anna had an omelet, toast and some bacon, along with a rich cup of coffee with creamer.  Mrs. Licci had a hearty sandwich, and Kirsten ordered a burger. 

After getting back on the highway, it didn’t seem long at all before Mrs. Licci was getting off at a woody area and it felt like the van was being swallowed by trees.  Then winding and twisting roads and more woods – until finally in a clearing that no one would see coming, they pulled into a driveway leading to a rural church with a huge white spire.  This would be their home for the next week, the best and safest way for the teens and their chaperones to get their rest.

 

One pickup truck was largely unoccupied because it was loaded with tools and various building materials.  The larger wood pieces were already on site, they said.  The front door of the church opened and a smiling man greeted them.

“Hi, I’m Father Jim,” he said.  “Welcome, we are so happy you have come.”

That night the group gathered for prayers in the church, sang hymns and prepared themselves for the busy day to come.  The setting sun’s light created a glow in the darkened church lit only by candles and wall sconces.  The cross above the altar glowed as well, and Anna stared into the face of Jesus, asking for help and guidance for everyone. 

Soon the sleeping bags were spread out on the floor and everyone took turns in the bathroom getting ready for bed.  Surprisingly, there was a shower, three toilet stalls and two sinks.  An anonymous donor had provided funds for the new added bathroom in order to better host the mission visitors.  It was a pleasant and welcome surprise.

Twenty people who were just starting to really get to know each other bedded down for the night and the only thing anyone could hear was the sound of a fan in the back of church and the locusts which were everywhere around them.

 

 

 

Part 7 - Anna's Story

(Anna Smithson's life was turned upside down after her boyfriend moved out and then her mother died of cancer.  This work of fiction follows Anna as she climbs out of a pit of sadness.  And Anna is on her way to Kentucky for a mission trip with her church.)

Part 7

 John was rather stunned when Anna told him she was going out of town for a week.

 “Well, who is going to run the shop vac now?” he said, as though that was the first thing that came to his mind.

“I guess either let the dirt build up or maybe one of the guys could help out a little,” she answered, as though he was serious.

Truth be told, Mrs. Parker’s answer that she was the first and only one to call left her a little breathless.  She thought that someone else would have come forward right after Mass and she would be off the hook.  Because the timing was absolutely terrible.  Not once but several times she asked herself, “What was I thinking?”

John continued, “Well, what if I have some kind of question, like we run into a problem and we need some input from you?”

 “My cell phone should be working.  You have the number so just call me on that.  If I don’t answer right away, then I’ll get back with you as soon as I can.  I assume we have our evenings free to some extent,” she said.

“Wow, this is ironic.  I’m fixing your house and you’re going to Kentucky to fix someone else’s house,” John laughed.  “You are very unpredictable.”

“Trust me, no one has said that to me in a very long time,” Anna said.

Once Anna put her mind to it, she got down to the details quickly.  First, she requested vacation for the week, and she figured she might as well take the week after too to finish up things at her own house.  Then she caught up on all of her projects in accounting so things wouldn’t fall apart while she was gone.  Then she started gathering what she needed for the trip, like a backpack, water, and other things that Mrs. Lucci listed for her.  And then she also started packing up her apartment which was very freeing.  It was like putting Jeremy on permanent hold, and shelving all of the memories of him too.  She found some items he had neglected to take, and they went off to the Goodwill.

Finally, she quit going to the house every single day, preferring instead to stop by twice before she left for Kentucky.  On her final stop at the house, she told John, “So surprise me!”  He was still shaking his head when she drove off. 

The church group traveled in a caravan and Anna rode in Mrs. Licci’s van, along with four teenagers and all of their gear.  They were an excited, boisterous group full of enthusiasm and camaraderie already.  They were idealistic and not yet jaded by life.  And they were funny, and they sang songs Anna hadn’t heard in years!!

 “Kentucky, we is off,” she said to Mrs. LIcci as the van pulled out of the church parking lot.  Anna’s car was parked over near the Rectory.  Father Tim waved to them as they left. 

Even in the whirlwind of her preparations and departure, Anna felt a strange sense of wonder and calm, heading into Wildcat country.

 

 

Another Break

We're taking another little break away from the story today since the next part isn't ready yet.  I've got to get up at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow to spend a little time with Ella and Drew before they go to school.  Ella's bus comes at 7:00 a.m. and she is only nine years old!!  School doesn't even start until 8:10 a.m.  It's nuts.  She doesn't get home until 4:20 and she has to go to bed at 7:00 in order to get enough sleep for the next day. 

So let's see ... what do we want to think about today?  Maybe that the signs are certainly evident that fall is coming.  Though the leaves remain green on the trees, the flowers are already looking spent and in some cases "leggy."  Slugs and other annoyances have nibbled on the leaves of the hostas and they look weathered and tired.

Nightfall comes earlier and earlier.  We have less daylight every day as we approach the time change which comes in October.  Hidden from our view in many cases, bugs are preparing for the colder temperatures too.  Birds are getting ready to migrate, except for the lazy Canada geese which have unfortunately decided not to migrate so much anymore.  I guess the experts say that we fed them too much and made life too cushy for them here, so they just decided to hang around.

For our pioneers, survival was never a guarantee.  The families that made it prepared.  They prepared meat with salt as a preservative.  They had root vegetables that would keep in a cool place for the winter.  And extremely important, they already had their winter's worth of firewood ready to go before the first snowfall.  For the lady of the house, there was wool to spin into yarn, and lots of darning, sewing and knitting, and if there was enough extra money, some threads for needlepoint and embroidery.  There were candles already dipped and hung and the log cabin was as winterized as it could get.

The gun was clean and oiled and ready in case a bear showed up, or a wolf or coyote.

Even though the change of seasons isn't as dramatic as it was in pioneer days, there is still something comforting about going through the motions of getting ready for another fall and winter.  At our house, we will split wood for our downstairs wood burner.  We parboiled and froze peaches for pies and shortcake.  We made jars of preserves.  Soon, we'll be putting away the outdoor furniture and I'll take apart the flowerpots for another year. 

With each season, there are ways that we prepare for them in the church.  For winter, we have Advent.  In spring, we have Lent and these also accompany the biggest changes in weather.   With each season we should take time to thank God for everything and for being there for us.  We should clean house in our souls, doing a little soul searching, and reflect on the good and the bad.  For our children, we should embrace every moment where we can teach them a little more about God, not only through the usual means of learning, but also by allowing them to see US reflect the love of God by loving others.

So as the nights get a little colder, the days a little shorter, and the trees start changing to orange, crimson and yellow, let us think about changing too.  Let's be a little more loving, more giving, and more understanding.

Anna's Story -- Part 6

Part 6 -- Anna's Story

(Anna Smithson's mother died and her live-in boyfriend dumped her after a long relationship.  She has decided to move to her mother's house, but not until a major renovation is completed.)

With Peters Construction at the old house, there was a constant hum of saws, drills and other devices to bring her mother’s house into 2013.  The old kitchen was gone save a few mementoes that John Peters saved for her, like a chunk of drywall with the old wallpaper on it.  The bathroom was gutted and a new tub was already in place.

It was exciting for Anna to have somewhere to go after work.  She went to the house every day to see the progress, and also to get out the shop vac and clean up some of the builders’ dirt.  She knew it would just accumulate again, but it was satisfying to get things spiffed up.  When the work was done, the painter was going to come in and do all of the rooms in the house.  It had been at least 20 years since anything had been done. 

Her mother’s things had been put into storage, that is, what Anna was keeping.  The rest of it was either donated or trashed.  She figured that way, there would be no chance of accidental damage and the painters would have free rein in the house.  In the long run, she figured it would save money and if not, it would certainly make things easier.  At the house at night, when darkness had started to fall, she had a few good cries remembering her mother and hoping that she wouldn’t be upset for Anna with what she was doing. 

Meanwhile Anna kept her promise to attend Mass on Sundays.  The experience was becoming more routine and she felt much more at east there.  People at morning Mass started to recognize her and either nod or wave in recognition.  And she did something that took all of her courage.  She went to Reconciliation, but rather than holding up the regulars with a long session such as hers would likely take, she made an appointment with the priest for her first return.  It went okay, a full starts and stops, but he was kind to her and especially expressed how joyful he was that she had returned.  He knew her mother, of course.

 One Sunday, as Anna was listening to the announcements, one of them really stood out.

 “Due to an unexpected illness, we still need one more adult to join us on our trip to Kentucky.  If anyone can help us, we would be very appreciative.  The kids are counting on us!  The trip will be held August 15^th to 22^nd and we will be helping one family.  If you can assist us, please call the Rectory as soon as possible.”

Being the workaholic that she was, Anna had accumulated a couple of months of vacation.  The trip was in two weeks.  Her mother’s house was all torn up.  She still had to get her apartment packed up at some point, but still, she felt a strong calling.  Was she supposed to go?  At work the next day, she picked up the phone and called the Rectory.  Mrs. Parker answered the phone and Anna told her that she would volunteer.  Mrs. Parker was ecstatic.

 “Oh, my goodness.  Father will be so happy and so will Mrs. Lucci, who is organizing the trip.  I’ll give you her number but I’ll let her know right away that you are coming.  We can move forward now.  Anna, thank you so much.  You are an answer to our prayers.”

 Anna wasn't so sure about that.  She heard an announcement; she had vacation coming; that was it.

Wow.  What had she done?  Her head was spinning.  She felt giddy and suddenly very energetic.  She started making a list of what she would need to take.  Anna was going to Kentucky.

 

A Little Break from Anna's Story

Today we are taking a short break from Anna's story.  We will resume tomorrow.  I'm hoping you aren't bored to death yet!!

Let's start with a quote that came around from Julie Barkey's prayer list:

Romans 5:3-5 Not only that, but we even boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.

So how do we boast in our afflictions?  Well, for one thing, we can share them, not as whiners or complainers but just matter-of-factly if the situation presents itself.  At that point, it seems as though it was absolutely what God wanted because you get some affirmation back. 

How else?  By not running away from reality but by facing our afflictions head-on and dealing with them, not looking down a long road but by dealing with it one day at a time.  Those who cope with addiction must do it one day at a time.  The long haul can be too scary, too filled with potential dread, pain, and fear. 

When I got Crohn's Disease at age 28, it was a lousy blow to be honest.  But having Crohn's made me so much more aware and compassionate for others.  It indeed produced endurance and somehow God sustained me throughout the whole, long ordeal that lasted until I was 40 and had surgery.  Without thinking of life being any different because of it, I just kept on going.  After surgery, the surgeon wanted to know if I'd been eating or going to work and I said yes to both and he was floored.  That's the Holy Spirit at work!! 

At an event that was hosted by Magnificat where we learned about our special gifts called charisms, such as art, music, organization, hospitality, prophecy, etc., a pleasant young woman sat next to me for lunch.  She introduced herself.  "Hi, I'm Terry McNight and I have fourth stage ovarian cancer."  Terry ended up losing her life to the cancer, but she was no loser in life!!  She was an amazing woman and what a wonderful gift it was to have time to talk to her and share some heartaches that only two people who have those heartaches would understand.

So, today -- let us remember to thank God for pulling us closer to Him, for infusing us with his blessed hope, and for picking us up and carrying us when we can't go on. 

The reading on Sunday was about being on fire for God!  And indeed when we think about all that He does for us, it should come easy. 

Anna's Story - Part 5

Part 5

(Anna Smithson is moving forward after her mother's death and her boyfriend's abrupt departure.  She has grown-up decisions to make.)

Aunt Catherine called.  She wanted to know what Anna was going to do about her mother’s house.  At first, Anna was a little perturbed, but she quelled the resentment and listened to her aunt.  Anna was stubborn and she was well aware of that fault.

 “It is a lovely little house,” Catherine said.  “It needs some updating but it would be such a good investment for you, Anna.  If you change your mind after a while, you could always put it on the market then.  It would be better than throwing good money away on an apartment.”

“I know.  I’ve been thinking about that.  You’re right.  I’ll let Melvin know that I’m going to move to the house.  There’s a lady at work and her husband does really good work, remodeling.  I’ll have him take a look at it and maybe get the work done before I move in.  That way the place would be clean and fresh.  The bathroom needs a makeover, don’t you think?”

 “It sure does.  And also it needs a new color on the walls.  The kitchen should be completely gutted, Anna, truth be told.  Do something more edgy in there, something with stainless steel and granite.  Tile floors maybe?” she continued.  “Get some home type magazines and check them out.  And check online too.  There will be a lot of ideas.  Your mom was sick of everything too, I think, but she just didn’t want to be bothered.”

“Aunt Catherine, since when did you become a designer?” Anna asked.

Her aunt’s laugh bubbled all the way from California to Ohio.  “I get magazines, honestly that’s it.  And I watch those home improvement shows on TV all the time.  Rubs off, I guess.  I didn’t even realize it!”

“You might have missed your calling in life, Catherine,” Anna said.

“And I don’t want you to miss yours,” Catherine answered.

 

Anna's Story - Part 4

Part 4 -

 

Why was everyone hurrying her so, Anna questioned?  What was the big hurry in making a decision about her mother’s house and all of the things in it? 

The week she was off work after the funeral, she went to the house often.  It felt so strange to use a key to enter, when her mother had always left the front door unlocked for her.  She sat in the usual chair in the living room where they’d had so many conversations, some of them rather heated.  The smell of the house was also the smell of her mother – a light flowery scent from a perfume that her mother had used for years.  The dining room looked ready to host a small dinner for the two of them, or maybe once in a while a trio with Jeremy also.

And why hadn’t Jeremy told her that he wasn’t sure about their relationship?  Why did he just continue on or had he?  Was she just so preoccupied with her job and the routines of her life that she hadn’t noticed him distancing himself?  Increasingly, he had spent time at a gym after work and also on the weekends.  She wasn’t a member; her exercise consisted of long walks instead at a nearby park.  He had stopped talking about marriage for a long while.  He seemed bored sometimes and had his head buried in a newspaper or was watching TV, especially sports.  Sunday mornings were always so strange.  He left for the gym and she felt like something more than his presence was missing.  After all of those years of attending Mass on Sundays, the void it left was still there but she wouldn’t go.  She felt like everyone there knew she “lived” with someone.  All she needed was a red letter for her coat.

Back in days gone by like maybe the Victorian era, a woman 28 was already on the shelf.  An embarrassment to her family in many cases.  Unwanted.  And Anna felt like that but she and Jeremy had never had a serious discussion of their feelings for each other in years, but they exchanged a robotic, “Love ‘ya,” at night before bed or in the morning before work sometimes.  She imagined one of those amazing surprises where they would go to a 5-star restaurant and he’d drop down on one knee in front of everyone, holding out a magnificent diamond engagement ring.  Things like that happened to the women at work, one by one.

 He must have met the woman at the gym.  Maybe that’s why he was so enthusiastic about going, and he started wearing cologne.  To the gym, she thought?  And he’d purchased some new clothes too, including some workout items. 

 How foolish Anna felt.  Did he tell his friends about how bored he was with her?  Probably.  Was she that boring? 

Part Three - Anna's Story

Part Three

(Anna Smithson is 28 and her mother died of cancer.  Her boyfriend left her behind for someone else.  She is an accountant and now lives alone.)

“I have my mother’s clothing,” Anna told the funeral home director.  “And I have some things to place in the coffin – a picture of my mother and father and a special prayer she loved.”  The director thanked her and then had her go to the room with him where the coffins were displayed.  She chose a wooden one with an ivory interior; the wood grain gave it more character, she thought.

At 28, Anna had never needed to prepare for a funeral before.  When her father died, her mother had done everything so effortlessly, as though she had prepared for it all her life.  Her mother had channeled the grief into action and made it through the calling hours and the Mass before she finally broke down at home and stayed in bed for a week. 

Anna’s job as an accountant was a stressful one and she knew although they had told her she could take as much time as she needed, that she would have maybe that one week to get her head together before returning.  Otherwise, by the time she got back the workload would be so backed up that any rest she got would be quickly erased. 

 At the calling hours, Anna felt fortunate that her mother’s widowed sister, Catherine, came from California.  Even though Lois Smithson and her sister had never been all that close, Catherine felt an obligation to attend and she didn’t want Anna to be alone for another.  Surprisingly, quite a few came and many of them seemed to know her mother better than she did in some respects.

“Your mother always worried about you, dear,” one kind woman told Anna.  “She loved you so much and prayed for you all the time.” 

 “I loved your mother’s cooking,” another one told her.  “She always put the most interesting things into it, like turnips.  Who would think to do that?” she added. 

 

"We are really going to miss your mother and especially her sense of humor," another said.

 

A part of Anna was thankful for their comments; a part of her was not.  After she moved in with Jeremy and she knew her mother wasn't happy about it, she didn't spend as much time with her as she might have.  The sense of humor comment really bothered her, because she realized that she hadn't seen that much of that side of her mother in a long, long time.  She also realized that she had been a source of her mother's concern to a degree she hadn't considered.

 The calling hours ended at 9:00 and then the funeral Mass was the next morning at 10:00 a.m.  Her mother was buried next to her father in the church cemetery a few blocks away.  Catherine insisted on paying for a luncheon for anyone who wanted to come, and there were about 50.  And then it was over and Catherine flew back to California.

Jeremy who knew her mother quite well didn’t come.

Anna's Story - Part Two

This is part two of Anna's story -- a woman who has reason to be disappointed with her life at this point.  Let's see what's going on today:

Anna Smithson had become almost like a hermit.  A set of happenings had changed everything for her.  First, a long-time boyfriend suddenly called off their relationship, moved out and quickly married someone else.  With that blow still very fresh, her mother told her one afternoon, almost as a by-the-way that she had cancer.  Always a woman very much in charge, her mother got treatment for the cancer which was centered in her bowel, but at some point along the way she halted everything and told Anna that she had made her peace with the disease. 

 That didn’t set well and Anna had begged her mother to continue, but her mother wouldn’t be dissuaded – it was time for her to see Anna’s father again, she said. 

 “But Mom, the doctors told me that they have something else they might be able to try,” Anna pleaded.  “You might qualify to be part of a trial drug.”

“Anna, I know this must be terribly hard for you, but I am not strong when it comes to illness.  You know yourself I’ve always been so well.  These trips to the doctor’s office and to the hospital are just leaving me so tired and weak.  It’s just too much for me, and I hope you won’t hate me for this decision I’ve made, she said.  “I’ve thought about this a lot and it’s the right thing for me.”

At that, Anna became quiet.  Her mother moved closer toward her only daughter on the living room couch and put her arm around her. 

“I’ll miss you so much, Anna.  But in heaven I can pray for you and for everyone,” her mother said.

Her mother’s condition deteriorated very quickly after that, and in her final days at a nearby hospice, she was heavily medicated to control the pain.  Still, she seemed restless at times and needed to talk, especially in the evenings since she could see the setting sun from her room.

“Anna, you know I’ve kept quiet about ‘everything,’ but you have to make me a promise and then make it to yourself.  You’ll go back to church.  You’ll find your true purpose.  And don’t blame God for Jeremy leaving and don’t blame God for my cancer,” she whispered. 

“Oh, Mom,” Anna said.

 “Anna, all things work into a pattern of good for those who know and serve the Lord.  And it is so true, so right,” her mother said.

 Later that same day, her mother slipped into a coma and died on a Friday evening with red sun’s rays disappearing over the horizon.

Anna's Story

Sorry about this morning!!  I honestly forgot to post the start of the story that I promised.  Hope you can all forgive me for my lapse.  So this late posting on Wednesday counts for tomorrow.

Anna's Story

Part One

The woman sat in the second to the last pew on St. Joseph’s side, the toe of her shoe just outside the imaginary line that followed the rows of pews to the altar.  As though by doing so, she could bolt out of church at a moment’s notice.  She was alone and felt very much so.  Quickly looking about, it seemed to her that every other person in church was with someone, and like a lone diner in a fancy restaurant, she felt self-conscious. 

 

As the Mass went along, she followed in the missal and softly said the prayers in response to the priest.  She did not sing but she listened and let her heart rise and fall with the lilting melodies.  At the sign of peace, a jovial-looking woman sitting by her side thrust her large hand toward her in a gesture of welcome, and they shook hands.  A gentleman in front of her turned around and offered her his hand as well.  She watched as a cherubic blond-haired child gave her mother a kiss and hugged her neck tight.  During Communion, she rose only to let the others in her pew get out. 

 

Her presence at Mass was not the norm; in fact, it was the first time in eight years that she had attended.  A few of the spoken parts had changed but overall the experience was familiar and comforting.  Perhaps, she hoped, it was time to heal, to move forward.  She pushed away the negative thoughts that pummeled her, the ones that were making her second guess the decision to attend, and she made a solemn vow to God – I’ll be back next week.  The last stanza of the closing song still playing in her head, she walked slowly to her car and headed to her apartment.

New Idea

For the blog, I've been thinking about doing something a little different, but I didn't want to spring it on my loyal readers without a warning.

How about we have a work of fiction and each day we get a little farther into the story?  In other words, the way you would read a book on vacation -- a segment at a time.  I'm not sure how long it will last, maybe a couple of weeks?  But here's the thing.  I want to hear from you as to whether or not you like it once we get going tomorrow.  If it doesn't work, then we'll return to the usual format.

You can easily reach me (if you don't want to use the "comment" that goes along with the blog) at knelsen@uakron.edu.  I read my emails at least once a day. 

Also, if you have any ideas for the blog or subject matter that you would like to see explored, that would be great too.

So that's it for today, other than a comment from me on the news lately.  Is it just because it's summer or have there been an awful lot of murders lately?  And some of them involve really little kids which is heartbreaking. 

God gave us the ten commandments.  He gave them to the Israelites while they were seeking a place of peace from persecution, while they were nomads without a home.  They are a marvelous guidepost for us in succinct form.  According to a website about the commandments, it states that they are the very minimum of behavior to live a Christian life, but they are far from everything. 

1. I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve. 
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. 
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.

According to a website I visited about the ten commandments, "Again, the Ten Commandments are a description of the basic freedom from sin that is necessary to live as a Christian. They are a minimum level of living, below which we must not go."  It also states that each of the commandments is a summary of an entire category of actions. 

The example the site gives is that #8, bearing false witness, refers to any sort of falsehood including lying, perjury, slander, rash judgment, etc.  It's worth a review of all of this once in a while; it was for me today.

So tomorrow -- we will begin with the story.  See you then.

Mysterious Priest

If you have ever read one of Joan Wester Anderson's books about angels, they all have a very familiar ring to them.  And always, the angels disappear in the same exact way -- quickly and without any notice.

Recently, a terrible car crash in Missouri left a young woman trapped in her vehicle for quite a while.  The firefighters on the scene were further frustrated when their equipment (Jaws of Life) failed.  The young woman fully conscious and realizing her situation asked her rescuers to pray with her.  According to those around her, she was fading.  At almost that very moment a Catholic priest came to the scene and helped both the victim and her rescuers.

He anointed the woman with oil and said the prayers of the Last Rites of the church, and he prayed with the rescuers as well, bringing peace and calm to the scene.  Just then the Hannibal, Missouri firefighters arrived with a fresh set of jaws and set to work on Katie Lenz's older Mercedes.  In no time at all, they had extricated her from between the steering wheel and the dash and she was whisked off to the hospital where she continues to recover from her injuries that include several broken bones.

Just as they had succeeded, they turned toward where the priest had been standing to thank him and he was gone.  Traffic was backed up for at least a quarter of a mile and there were no cars parked anywhere nearby.  Where could he have come from?  The rescuers clearly saw him and interacted with him, and they are very amazed by what happened.  Some are calling it a miracle.  Ms. Lenz is telling people to pray loud and often.

Was the priest an angel?  As I mentioned above, the story has that same ring to it that Joan Anderson's do. 

Ms. Lenz's life will never be the same because of this single moment when she was hit by a drunk driver.  And rather than being embittered and angry, she seems to be filled with joy and an appreciation for her life. 

The Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways.  And as for me, I believe!!

 

The Mermaid Story

Maybe you saw the TV special a while ago about mermaids.  I believe it was shown on the Animal Planet Channel.

The premise was that sailors' stories, pictures, and lore about mermaids might have some basis in fact.  They tell a story about two boys who were wandering about the beach one morning and they had a camera/phone with them, a very new technology for the time that this happened.  One of the boys saw something on the beach and went closer to investigate.  It was a human-like creature with a tail and it was lying on the beach motionless.  The boy reached out to touch its hand and the creature suddenly sprang to life and raised itself up, showing its teeth and making strange sounds.

Then they used the military to further the story, saying that there was evidence that the creature was captured by the Navy and kept for six years until its death.  All very hush-hush, of course.

The backdrop to finding the mermaid was that the Navy had discovered a powerful weapon, a sound wave device that when unleashed in the ocean caused the death of many whales and apparently mermaids too.  Independent researchers had learned of this and had proof, but the Navy showed up one day and took all of their pictures and notes.  Only the boys' phone pictures remained.

Mermaids, one researcher said, moved about with the dolphins and they were friends.  They could "speak" to one another and they had some recordings of mermaid sounds that were different from other sea creatures.  They had recordings made during the sound wave weapon testing that showed creatures in terrible pain.  They had rudimentary weapons found in sharks that had been crafted by mermaids.

My husband and I watched the special and it was absolutely riveting.  One of those edge of your seat kind of TV events.  We never saw any kind of disclaimer before or after the broadcast.  We rarely sit through the credits if that is when a disclaimer was shown.  It was not a documentary as one would think -- it was a docudrama.  To this day I don't know if any part of it was real or factual.  It was a "hoax," according to later reports that I found about it.  The channel was criticized for what they did.  An online poll showed that people did not approve of the docudrama, especially by a channel like Animal Planet.  Or just maybe if they had been totally upfront about it, and said clearly at the beginning, there would not have been as much outrage.  In other words, people were angry because they had been duped.  They believed what they saw, kind of like that ad about the Internet, "They can't put anything on the Internet that isn't true."

Apparently, this special was a tryout for a new kind of television.  Not like the "reality" shows nor like the typical drama but a reality science meets sci-fi thing.

There are many, many times in life when we are drawn into something completely and believe what someone has told us, only to find out later that the whole thing was a lie.  It's not a good feeling being duped.  After a while, it is easy to get kind of crusty and wary of just about anything.  Discovery made people feel stupid, never a smart thing.

Animal Planet recently broadcast a sequel to the first one and 3.6 million people watched.  It was more manufactured evidence that mermaids exist including faked skeletal remains. 

Since then, experts have insisted that there is no evidence of any humanoid sea creature, however there is evidence of a sonar weapon killing whales.

Real truth is compelling.  The real truth for us to hang onto for all that we are worth is that God is real and that Jesus became man and bore our sins on the cross so that we might be reconciled to Him.  The real truth is that love is the strongest weapon against the forces of evil. 

The Console

Near my sister's house in Westlake, there is a most unusual consignment store called Chelsea's.  In fact, it is the front and center, featured store in a small shopping plaza.  They sell fantastic used furniture, glassware, lamps, and artwork. 

My sister found it because at the time she was going to Curves right next door.  Although she really didn't buy anything there, she wanted me to see it on one of my visits.  And see it, I have -- many times over.  So far, I've purchased a double bed frame, a dresser, and a mirror and display case.

Chelsea's puts pictures of their items on the website and so I check it out every so often.  The empty spot is in the dining room where "something" would look ever so nice.  It isn't a large area so a typical piece of dining room furniture wouldn't be right at all.  A couple of weeks ago, I spotted what they called a "console" on the website -- a dark piece of furniture with two wide drawers on top and two shelves on the bottom.  Great for baskets to hold sundry items. 

I must have checked it out 10 times before our trip to Westlake yesterday, to be sure it was still there and to be sure it was the perfect piece for that space.  But we didn't rush over there.  We went to Bob Evans first and had a nice meal.  Then we stopped at my nephew's business place nearby, and THEN we went to Chelsea's.  In the first area of display furniture, nothing.  In the second area, nothing, and in the final area where the piece might have been -- nothing.  The clerk verified that the piece had been sold. 

The last couple of days, I'd been a little uneasy about buying this furniture.  It would have been put to good use, and it might have also had another purpose down the road.  Our basement television is about 11 years old and once it goes, we'll have to replace it.  The console was the perfect spot for a flat screen and the underneath storage perfect for DVDs, controllers, etc.  Still, something bothered me.  Finally, as we walked into Chelsea's, I told my sister and husband that if it was meant to be, then it would still be there.  If not, then it wasn't mean to be.  Still, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed, since I've been searching for something for that spot for years.

Well, here's the good news!!  My husband said last night that he would make something for me.  He's just finishing up some storage cabinets for the laundry area and so after that, he'll get some wood and make a console.  And just the right size for a lamp to sit on too!!  He thought it was a bit silly to buy the console, but once he heard my rationale about using it as a TV stand, he changed his mind.  See, one of these days we are going to move to something a little easier to care for.  Something with a little less property and the challenges that go with it. 

We had a great visit yesterday!  I hated for it to end because spending time with my sister is so special.  Thank you, Lord, for everything!! 

And thank you, Lord, for the Community Pregnancy Center!  Remember this place in your prayers.

Divine Mercy

The other day while driving it occurred to me that I could fill pages with all of my sins.  Sometimes without any warning, a vivid memory of one of them crosses my mind and is actually physically painful.  I think to myself -- who was that horrible person?  And of course, why?  And then I'm flooded with embarrassment and shame.

Divine Mercy is God's gift to us in that He forgives us our sins, if we but only repent of them.  For Catholics, that means a trip to the confessional.  Honestly, it isn't as bad as you might think.  It is humbling but oh so cleansing!!  We have a choice to go either face-to-face or behind a curtain.  I prefer face-to-face because being inside the small cubicle is far worse for me.

After a recent memory of a sin, that's when I started thinking about the list of sins.  And then I thought about Divine Mercy and what God wants of us.  It is right that we remember our sins, even though they are forgiven.  The memory of our sins is what makes us appreciate His Divine Mercy in our lives.  But for that mercy for which Jesus paid such a high price, we would have no way to reconcile ourselves with God.  And without repenting of their sins, that's the weight that many people are carrying around with them all the time.

Divine Mercy Sunday is one way that Catholics commemorate this mysterious and precious mercy.  Another way is to say a series of prayers called the Divine Mercy Chaplet.  It is not hard to do at all, and you can use a rosary if you wish to follow along a little better.

The following is the Divine Mercy Chaplet -- a very powerful instrument of prayer:

1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, one Our Father, one Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed.       2. Using your rosary beads (and see the illustration at the top of the blog), focus on the second bead by itself (after the cross) and say:    "Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world." 3. On the 10 Hail Mary beads say the following:   "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world." (Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades). 4. Conclude with (three times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.

Greed's Grasp

In church on Sunday, one of the readings was about greed.  It said that greed is idolatry.

So let's just look at this "deadly" sin and see what it all means.  Greed by definition according to thefreedictionary.com is:  "An excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth."

Because of this excessive desire, we are putting the acquisition of material things over everything else, including God.  Obtaining an overabundance of material things equals idolatry because at that point, we basically kneel at the altar of materialism.  Material things replace God in our lives.

When I worked at the newspaper all those years ago, the editorial page was an important feature.  My boss had his column, "Never worked and never will."  This was a nod to the fact that when we are doing the kind of work that we love, it doesn't feel like work at all.  He was one of the lucky ones who found just that kind of work.  And so was I. 

So when he told me that it was my time for a column on the editorial page and I had to find a name for it, I had to really give it some thought.  My first inkling was that it should be something from my faith experience -- something from the Bible.  From Ecclesiastes, I happened upon a reading that stated that all is vanity -- a chasing of the wind.  "Chasing the Wind" became my column's name -- a reference to the fact that we should be humble creatures and rely on the Lord.  When we do otherwise, all of the things we try to do are like chasing the wind, rather impossible. 

On another website, agodman.com, I found a reference to the quote about vanity that frames it a little better -- If we do not find our content with God, then all is vanity.  Makes sense to me.

Back to the reading from Sunday.  Vanity and greed walk hand in hand.  Carole King wrote, "You're so vain.  You probably think this song is about you."  Then she auctioned off the name of the person she wrote the song about and gave the money to charity.  Critics panned the song, saying it was one of the worst ever written.  I kind of like it -- and like the fact that it brought the word "vain" back into circulation.  We don't hear much about vanity these days -- because "I'm worth it."

We don't hear much about greed either.  The reading was about a wealthy man who had a huge silo of grain, and he wondered what he would do with another bountiful crop.  So he tore the first silo down and built a larger one to store the grain.  He was saving it for his future meals, when what he really had was only that last day to live.  It is indeed food for thought, for each one of us.  This life is all about keeping our priorities where they belong.

Thank you, God, for forgiving me all of my sins!!

...And He Went To Church

One of the details that we got this past week about Ariel Castro is that he went to church every week.  He went to God's house and prayed ... for what?  In his twisted mind, one can only wonder.

Most people who move away from God avoid church because going there becomes a reminder of everything that they are doing wrong.  The "guilt" comes to roost.  Instead, people steeped in a sinful life seek out the company of others who play the same game.  Castro apparently is a little different.

The three girls come from the same general area of Cleveland and they were young.  They all share something else in common -- they accepted a ride from Castro.  And that was the beginning of their horror and ten years of abuse.

There is a wonderful gift that comes from God -- discernment.  Discernment gives us insight into all sorts of things without any special sort of educational process.  Some might call it a sixth sense because it functions like the other five as far as providing a warning that something might not be right.  The way that it works might be an idea that pops into our heads or perhaps that hair at the back of our heads or just a visceral reaction.  In any case, it would be almost impossible to explain.

What made it really difficult for the three girls is that they had seen this man around.  At least one of them knew him to a degree.  They didn't suspect a guy who lived in their neighborhood and seemed so normal.  A musician, a church goer, a friendly "older" guy. 

Sometimes with our kids we just try to bypass any lack of discernment that they may have and set up rules to protect them.  I'm sure that the three girls had those same rules too, like don't accept rides from strangers.  Or don't walk home alone; someone will pick you up from work.  In the three cases, nothing worked and their lives were forever changed from accepting that one ride.

Pray for the gift of discernment.  It is an invaluable gift.  A mysterious gift.  A gift that keeps on giving all through our lives, and keeps on giving by helping us help the ones we love.

From everything that's been on the news, the three young ladies are doing things right.  They are getting the help that they need to heal and strengthen.  They remain with their families and are surrounded by love and support -- including the support of many people who have poured out their concern with a contribution.  I pray that they will find the one other thing that would help ensure a deeper healing -- a deep relationship with God.

While they move on with their lives and begin to venture out, their captor moves into his 5 x 8 cell at Grafton Correctional Institution where he will be in solitary.  Michelle Knight was right, his hell is just beginning.

The Blame Game

The old soap opera, "Days of Our Lives," has one thing right -- the title.  Our lives are indeed made up of individual days and if we aren't careful one goes into the other and so on without much thought or reflection.

Do you know anyone who constantly harps on the negative in their life?  No conversation that you have with this individual can go on for too long without being brought back to the focus of their negative attention.  Sounding familiar?  How about you try to give them some advice, or at least something to chew on for a while?  Oh, no, that never works.  They have an answer for everything you mention -- tried that, didn't work, never going to try it again, waste of time, etc.

There is a name for this sort of individual -- a negaholic.  They are people who just feed on negative energy and obsess on every little detail.  To some real extent, negaholics are addicted to the "nenergy" and push everything else aside to focus on it. 

Not too surprisingly, people who know and love negaholics tend to avoid them after a while.  Because they exude negativism being in their presence for too long is very uncomfortable.  People who know and love them have drained their own energy in trying to help the person out of the well of destruction with absolutely no success.  Eventually, to preserve what little positive thoughts they still have, they distance themselves.  They have to drink from the well of hope and love to restore themselves.  The negaholic's reaction -- "No one cares about me."

Negative people take little responsibility for what they have done in their lives and find someone or something to blame.  There is no shortage of targets to choose for this blame and when one doesn't work so well anymore, they'll just find another one.  Negative people are often the ones who prompt a person who tried to help say, "Oh, well, no good deed goes unpunished." 

Negaholics to a very real extent become victims all through life.  Since they never take the blame for anything, all of the "wrongs" that have been done to them build up and become the basis for their life experience.  With each new experience, rather than hope for something good, they immediately look for something to go wrong.  If they are fortunate enough to get a new car, they keep a log book detailing all of the things that aren't right so they can write the company.  If they buy some new clothes, they don't fit right, don't launder well, and aren't well made.  And if they have a friend, the friend is full of faults too!!

My husband worked for a woman like this.  Her house was a disaster because her deceased husband, a chronic do-it-yourselfer, didn't really know what he was doing.  She qualified for some government assistance to repair her house and undo some of the mistakes, and my husband became the hapless person who tried to assist.  He fixed her bathtub and she accused him of making it drain the wrong way.  He repaired some other areas of the home which were not plumb or level and then her son came over and "showed" his mother all of the "mistakes".  Finally, she contacted the Franklin Township Trustees about her dissatisfaction with the work my husband did at her home.  The woman loudly complained at a public meeting about the quality of work my husband did.  An inspector came out and met him there to go over the work, and the inspector said that the work was very good, especially given what he had to work with.  But there was no way to discuss any of this with the woman; she was in third gear riding along in her negaholic world.  And her son was right behind her.

The blog about Charley should make any one of us take note.  Charley has found joy in life!!  Even confined to a cot, he smiles and appreciates.  God so loves Charley. 

What we can do to reflect back to God the love that he showers on us is to love others.  While we are doing that, there is no room in our hearts for negativism.  If we are praying for others, the hope that is Christ floods our minds and drives out all that pulls us away.  In a quiet moment of the day, we relish the silence and recall what Jesus said, "Ask and you shall receive; seek and ye shall find; knock and the door shall be opened for you."  Please Lord -- help those whose eyes are blinded to Your goodness.

On another note -- my niece tends to find helpless kittens a lot.  Her neighbor recently found four little ones, and she again raised this litter herself.  She says that they are gentle and love to sleep with her and follow her around the house.  She showers these kittens with love so that they become exceptional adult cats who trust humans.  They've already been to the vet's and had their first shots.  There are two girls and two boys.  The pet shop that usually sells her kittens (she takes no money from them) is full right now.  She is looking for good homes.  If you are interested in a special little kitten (or two), just let me know at knelsen@uakron.edu and I can make arrangements.

Thanks.

Amazing Earthenware Pot

Archeologists and language experts have apparently been trying for about a year to determine what the fragments of an earthenware pot say on the side of it.  Some thought it was the language of the Canaanites but that was proved false.

Recently, Douglas Petrovich believes that he has cracked the code and traced the inscription to the earliest form of Hebrew.  It would mean that the pot which is about 3,000 years old and found near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem last year puts the Israelites in Jerusalem much earlier than believed.  They would have been there during the time of David and Solomon.

And the significance of this is very great for Christians.  Why?  To quote from an article on foxnews.com, "If Petrovich's analysis proves true, it would be evidence of the accuracy of Old Testament tales. If Hebrew as a written language existed in the 10th century, as he says, the ancient Israelites were recording their history in real time as opposed to writing it down several hundred years later. That would make the Old Testament an historical account of real-life events."

This might explain why a number of Old Testament places have been found and authenticated.  It makes the Christian Bible much more authoritative and impactful. 

Apparently, other archeologists are unwilling to label the language Hebrew, because the climate right now is against attributing much to the early Israelites.  Even a Tel Aviv archeologist, Israel Finkelstein, warned against romantic notions about early history and its link to the Bible, stating that scientific methods must be used. 

It's interesting how often science and faith clash, but it is neither science nor faith that cause the clashes.  It's us.

And by the way, on another matter relating to faith -- a text used in advanced placement classes offered to ninth graders in Brevard County, Florida, spends 32 pages on Muslim civilizations and its culture.  No space was devoted to Christian faith and culture, and none to the Jewish faith and culture.  Wow.  The content includes information about Mohammed as God's messenger and explains jihad as a holy war to defend the Muslim faith ... kind of like Christianity and the Crusades.  Another wow.  The book tells about how wonderfully women are treated.  The publisher is Pearson, no small player in the textbook business.  Todd Starnes from Fox Radio told Hannity on last night's show that at least 80 textbooks show Muslim bias.

Be watchful, those of you with children in school.  There is no guarantee that the books used in your child's school are historically accurate.  There is no excuse for so-called educated people to veer away from the facts.  Remember what the archeologist said in an earlier paragraph?  Stick to scientific methods?  How about at least stick to the facts.