The Wood Between the Worlds....

In the The Magician's Nephew, the opening book of C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, there is quite a bit of world hopping.

Digory and Polly put on their magic rings and have grand adventures in other worlds.

The place they must go to access these worlds is called "the wood between the worlds." It is a forest filled with pools. Each pool's bottom is a different world. It is still and green and quiet in this wood. The only sound is the sound of the trees growing. There are no birds and no wind. Here, Polly and Digory sit on the shore before their adventures begin. They remember who they are and what their mission is and then they jump into a pool. But first, they mark the pool that takes them home.

This week is always a "wood between the worlds" for me. 2010 lies behind and 2011 beckons before, and I sit on the shore and remember who I am and what my mission is. I mentally follow the trail of where I've come this year and I tentatively, prayerfully, map out the trail of where I want to go.

I vow to explore, be creative and adventurous, but to always mark first the pool that takes me home.

I know there will be many changes this year, I can sense them piling up. But, no matter what changes come in our family, in our country, in our world; we serve the changeless One. Obedience to Him and faith in His Son will always bring us home to relationship with Him. So I have no fear of what lies at the bottom of any given pool, only an anticipation for the experiences before me, only an eagerness to know Him more.

"'One-Two-Three-Go!' said Digory. And they jumped."

Quiet

It's been quiet around here.

Not the empty, echoing kind of quiet, but the full, expectant kind of quiet. There's music, and there's laughter, and I suppose much of the same noise as usual, but there's also quiet. A peaceful exuberance that delights my heart.

We're all waiting......... but even in the waiting, we're celebrating. We're reaching out our arms to others the way baby Jesus reached out for Mary. We're taking time to cross the desert the way the wise men did. We're rejoicing with the angels. We're pondering with Mary and trusting with Joseph. We are entering into the nativity and we are celebrating.

We can celebrate the beginning of the story because we know the ending............

I like this kind of quiet.

Though outwardly we are wasting away...

The first birthday we celebrated together was his. I gave him some gifts and to my surprise he gave me some back!
I had to object, "It's not my birthday! You shouldn't give me gifts!"
He countered, "But it's a gift to me to get to give you something!"
So he gave. Then and now.
This year on my day of birth he took the day off and gave me what he knew I'd love best, himself. In the midst of a very busy, busy season he left work to give me the gift of time.
I held it to me and appreciated every moment of it.
And yes, I had to change a child's wet bed on my birthday. And yes, someone put the dirty dishes from the dishwasher away and I had to find everything and rewash them. And yes, I acknowledge I'm another year older and still have so much to learn.
And yet.......
How thankful I am for a loving Father who just keeps on giving to me through my family and friends.

"Therefore we do not lose heart, though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day." 2 Cor. 4:16

Apprenticed

Our lives have been busy lately. Business has been hectic, company has been steady, and my mom has been out of her house (and in ours) because of a bathroom remodel that left fumes.

Wednesday night Dave worked all night and mom slept on the couch. I tucked her in about 8:30, after her long work day, and proceeded to my homemaking duties. I steel cut my oats and put them to soak. I put my beans to soak. I walked two miles on the treadmill and read CS Lewis reasoning out natural vs. supernatural in Miracles. I went outside and took care of the dog and unplugged all the Christmas lights. I checked emails, completed my bedtime rituals in the bathroom, and headed upstairs, only pausing to make sure all the doors were locked, candles blown out, and tree unplugged.

Passing through the living room to the stairs I saw my mom sleeping soundly and I paused. It was in the pause I heard it. The undercurrent that I hadn't been able to hear above my noise. The quiet music of delight, the melody of gratitude, that shadows my movements, accompanies my steps. My heart swelled to it. I went over and kissed the blond hair with grey underneath. Then I went upstairs and did the same thing on four other little foreheads, the rhythm still flowing audibly. I wondered how many times Mom had kissed my forehead when I was a little girl. How many years would it be until I would be on Avonlea's couch with her lips caressing my head?

And more importantly, would I be blond?

I went into my room and started my study of Philippians. A commentary said something about how much we can learn from Paul if we apprentice ourselves to the book of Philippians. Ahhh there's something I can relate to. Apprenticeship is vital in my husband's business. One of his employees is leaving in the spring. Dave wants to hire someone to be apprenticed under him because he is such a good, diligent worker. The better the teacher, the better the apprentice.

I thought of my little Rose. This week I yelled at her in frustration of her repeated request for crackers. I exclaimed, "Rose! I have no gluten-free crackers! Do you understand? I have none to give you!"

She replied, "Well....praise the Lord."

"What did you say?"

"I said what you say, 'Praise the Lord.'"

Apprenticeship.

The song of gratitude that was sung above my cradle haunts my steps. The kisses then, begot kisses now. A lifetime of love taught by God, modeled in parents, siblings, friends, teachers, pastors, and children has resulted in another generation of Christ followers.

Little apprentices learning the business of life in Christ.

I finished my musing and writing and climbed into bed. The melody in my mind softened into a lullaby and I slept to it's tune.