His Church, Our Weakness, Pure Joy. The band hit the first note and people flooded forward, dancing before they had even left their seats. An oversized tricycle sat on the perimeter just in case it was needed, and jumper cables lay beside the alter. I could feel my heart race; I’d been waiting two years to experience this. Actually, I'd been waiting twenty years - every since the first moment my … [Read more...]
The Evidence of God: Exhibit A
The evidence is indisputable, even when it's all wet. For the past 5 summers Max has been taking kayaking lessons, which I affectionately refer to as my exercise in letting go. Each year I stand on the shore and watch as, one by one, Max and four other young adults are helped into pencil thin boats that sit on top of the water. All of them require assistance. A few need to be carefully lifted and … [Read more...]
Waiting for Wisdom
We’re told not to worry, but what about the big stuff? If I had more closet space, I’d probably fill it with my anxieties. Maybe I’m just expressing my inner Woody Allen, or feeling the plight of single motherhood. But sometimes I wish I had someone to help me with the really big stuff in life. The weight of responsibilities can press against me until I begin to feel like a 90 year-old … [Read more...]
Love to the Max
Reflections on Movies, Muppets, and the Power of Redemption. I ran to the doorway just in time to see a 37’ white stretch limousine pull up to the theater. Others jumped forward with cameras snapping pictures like paparazzi. The driver, wearing a black suit and sunglasses, stepped out of the limo and stood at attention. “They’re not ready yet,” he said in a deep gravely voice. I might have … [Read more...]
Is He Ready? On Helping Our Children Transition to Adulthood
There’s an expression I heard just after graduating from college, back when I was fresh-faced with optimism, living on instant coffee, and in need of a great job. “Luck,” so this saying went, “is when preparation meets opportunity.” At 23 years of age, this was a revelation. Suddenly, luck wasn’t some random commodity floating around in the air; it was actually within my control. I could … [Read more...]
The Certainty of Risk
Something redeeming happens when you admit your deepest hurts—you meet people. People become part of the healing. My son Max and I had a terrible experience when we went to the movies last month. Maybe you read about it. Max broke movie theater etiquette and was talking through the previews, laughing too loudly at Kermit. But there was more… he panicked a few times when the volume of the … [Read more...]