Monthly Archives: April 2012

Remembering for Pete’s sake

Posted by Mama's Empty Nest in listening, remembering, sharing, story telling and tagged with

His name was Pete and he was a stranger to us.

Alone, he entered the little corner restaurant where my sister and I were enjoying lunch, paused at our table, and announced, “You girls were waiting for me to come join you, weren’t you?”

Now my sister and I aren’t exactly “girls” anymore, but to this older gentleman, we must have appeared to be young ‘uns.  We smiled at him, joked “Sure!” and laughed as he moseyed to the lunch counter and sat down.   He ordered from the menu and turned around to speak to us once more.

We chatted a little, then he began telling us a story.  We asked him to join us at our table as it was easier for him to converse that way.   While he sipped his hot tea and waited for his meal, he talked.  And he talked.  And he shared some interesting narratives about his life.

He relayed stories of his wife, who died five years ago, a wife he loved dearly, so much so that he still sports his wedding band on his left hand.  He shared accounts of their travels to far off places like Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii to name a few.

He made us laugh and when we rewarded him with our laughter, he would say, “Now, you’re not gonna believe this but it’s true.  And this one’s really gonna make you laugh!”  And he’d treat us to another story or two or three.

We listened to anecdotes about his family, childhood, work, and even bowling accomplishments and dancing.    Tales of yore rolled off his tongue in between bites of his hamburger and deep-fried mushrooms.

He was the youngest in a family of eight – the baby of the family.  I mentioned that I was the baby of my family too, and he replied, “Well, hello there, baby!”  I retorted back, “Hello to you too, baby!”

And we laughed some more – the three of us.  But his last story was a serious one, and one that definitely warranted remembering and sharing.

One of his older brothers served as a medic in World War II and that’s where the story began.  His brother was with a unit that had been under heavy fire with many wounded.  The medics thought they had found everyone who needed medical attention and were preparing to leave.  That’s when his brother heard a very faint cry for help.

He rushed to find a badly wounded soldier and carried the man out of harm’s way to a spot where he could be treated and sent to the field hospital.  The soldier would have died left alone if not for Pete’s brother.  He saved the soldier’s life that day but he never saw the wounded soldier again.

A few years later in the Korean War, Pete also served in the military.  He was stationed in the states helping prepare GIs to head to the conflict across the world, but soon he too would be shipped out to that foreign land and face battle.

Pete approached his sergeant and begged him for a three-day pass to go home and see his wife before he left for Korea.  The sergeant denied his request saying no one was allowed a three-day pass because the commander so ordered.

Imagine Pete’s surprise when shortly afterward, the sarge told him he wanted to see him.  It seems the commanding officer came through and as was his custom, he wanted to see the roster of soldiers.  When he came to Pete’s name, the commander told the sergeant, “Give this guy anything he wants.”

Sarge said, “Well, he’d like a three-day pass to go see his wife.”

The commanding officer replied, “Make sure he gets it.  And if he can’t make it back in time afterwards, send an airplane to pick him up!  Give this man anything he wants.”

Why was Pete granted such special treatment?  Because that commanding officer was the man Pete’s brother had saved on the battlefield years before.  He never got to meet Pete’s brother, but over the years, he kept searching soldiers’ rosters for Pete’s last name.  He wanted to repay the man who had saved his life.  When this officer learned that Pete was his rescuer’s own brother, he saw an opportunity to bless that family.

What an endearing story!  Pete’s eyes glistened a little as he recalled it for our benefit.  “That man was a very good man,” I told Pete.

Pete simply replied, “Yes, yes, he was.”

Time flew by and we needed to leave because I was due for an appointment.  Before we bid Pete farewell, he asked us our names and told us how much he appreciated talking with us.  He said he hoped we wouldn’t think he was a crazy, old man.

Pete was an old man, that’s true.  But crazy, no.  Lonely, I think.  In need of good company.  All he asked for was a listening ear and a chance to share the important stories of his life.  And isn’t that what we all need?

Someone to listen.  Someone to care.  Someone to share a laugh.   I once found this Turkish proverb which said, “If speaking is silver, then listening is gold.”

Silver-haired Pete shared his silver gift of telling stories with my sister and me that day, and I’d like to think that as we listened, we gave Pete a gift of gold.

I’ll probably never see Pete again.  I don’t live in his town nor do I visit the area where he lives.  But I’ll never forget him, for Pete’s sake.

“The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.”  ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Dear Mr. State Trooper

Posted by Mama's Empty Nest in lessons learned, light in the darkness, prayer, state trooper and tagged with ,

Dear Mr. State Trooper,

I don’t know you and you don’t know me either.  Because we’ve never met, you probably would find what I have to say a little strange.

Oh, I’ve probably seen you before.  Either you or your comrades in arms sit watchfully in your patrol cars at strategic points along the four-lane highway which links my little town to the big city.

Yes, I’ve noticed you pointing a radar gun at vehicles traveling to and fro.  I know you are not only trying to catch speeders but also protecting the rest of us who do manage to drive safely.  I also know you patrol that highway stopping suspicious drivers in an effort to keep drugs from being pipelined to our town and beyond.  Yes, drugs right here in my little town and in the rural areas surrounding us.

I do want you to know that I truly appreciate your service as you protect citizens like me, sometimes putting your life on the line.  I have the utmost respect for you and all policemen.  But there’s something important I want to share with you today.

Yesterday as I was driving to work – yes, sir, I’m certain I was traveling the speed limit  because my car was set on cruise control – I spied the flashing lights of your patrol car stopped on the highway berm and noticed that you had a car pulled over, a speeder I assumed.

As I came upon this scene,  I signaled to move into the left-hand lane – see, I do obey our homeland laws.   I watched as you stepped out of your marked vehicle  and surveyed oncoming traffic.  It seemed as if you looked right at me.  And then you turned and started walking toward that pulled over car in front of yours.

That’s when it happened. God prompted me to do something for you.

Since I don’t know you personally, I have no idea if you believe in God or know Him.  You know who I mean? God our Creator, Maker of heaven and earth.  The same God who knit you together in your mother’s womb.  The God who came to earth in human form as Jesus, the Son, and died to save you and give you eternal life.  The God who sent His Spirit to comfort you and to guide you.

That God, very God, prompted me into action.

An overwhelming thought came into my head as I watched you in my rear view window walk towards that parked car.  I believe the Lord planted this thought in my mind and I chose to obey Him.

“Pray for him.”  That was the thought.  “Pray for him right now.”

I believe the Lord wanted me to pray for you.  So I did.  I prayed for your safety.  I prayed that angels of protection would surround you and no harm would come to you.  I prayed that the person in the stopped vehicle would not be out of control or a danger to you as you approached his car and spoke with him.  I prayed that no wayward or speedy driver would swerve out of the lane of traffic and accidentally hit you.

Mr. State Trooper, I prayed hard for you as I drove on to my destination.  And then something completely thought-provoking also entered my brain.  You see, I’m one of those “what if” kind of people.

I see things and I wonder, “What if?”  I think about possibilities and ponder, “What if?”

So here’s the provocative “what if?” that I’m considering today in my book of Opportunity.

What if I prayed like that all the time?  What if I prayed for each person as I encountered him or her – complete strangers?  What if I prayed for that clerk at the convenience store or the guy beside me at the gas pump?

What if I prayed for the safety of each person driving past me in a hurry to get somewhere?  What if I prayed for that school bus full of children and its driver?

What if I prayed for my mailman as he delivers my mail or my dental hygienist as she cleans my teeth or my chiropractor as he adjusts that achy old hip of mine?

What if all of us believers prayed like that every single day?

Praying for you, Mr. State Trooper, made me realize I need to do some major changing in my life.  First, I need to be more sensitive to the Spirit’s prompting me to prayer on someone’s behalf.  Next,  I must be obedient to pray, not later, but right then at that very moment.  And lastly,  I need to share this experience with others.

You know why I think that, Mr. State Trooper?  Because when I safely arrived at work, an event I take for granted every day, this quote greeted me on my daily calendar:  “If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it.” ~ Margaret Fuller

What if we all “lit our candles” and prayed for one another without ceasing?  Light would overcome the darkness.  The world would be a brighter place and maybe, just maybe, a little safer too.

I prayed that the Lord would keep you safe and protected yesterday,  Mr. State Trooper.  Actually, I continued to pray for you all day because I realized that even if you don’t know Him, God loves and cares about you very, very much.  That’s why He asked me to pray for you.  And in the process, He taught me yet another lesson.

Be safe, Mr. State Trooper.  And God be with you till we meet again.

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

ABC…not quite as easy as 1,2,3

Posted by Mama's Empty Nest in ABC, awards, blogging, friendship and tagged with , ,

The Jackson Five sang it…. “ABC, it’s easy as 1, 2, 3…”

Uh-huh.  Sometimes blogging is as easy as ABC. An idea pops into your head, you sit at the computer, and the words just flow out of you like a prolific fountain.

But at other times, chalk it up to writer’s block or just being plain old unmotivated, nothing’s coming forth.  As easy as one, two, three though, there’s an entire world of bloggers to turn to for encouragement.

That why I enjoy my little blogging community.  I’ve made some amazing friends and they never cease to inspire and also encourage me with their comments and appreciative thoughts.  When one of them remarks how awesome a post is or that it is beautifully written, it just makes my heart glad enough to do a little happy dance.

One of those sweet writer/friends is Dianna at These Days of Mine.  Recently, she received a well-deserved  honor,  the ABC (Awesome Blog Content) Award.  She graciously presented this accolade to my blog as well and I couldn’t be more grateful for this lovely tribute.

It’s easy to accept a complimentary tribute…easy as ABC.  The acceptance requirement, listing 26 things about yourself in alphabetical order, proved to be a little more difficult,  but after a few …er… many days of mulling this over, I finally thought of descriptive phrases from A to Z to describe little ol’ me.

I am:

A – an American alto but I sing our national anthem in soprano.

B – a blogger trying to balance posts that bring stories to life via words against photos that bring words to life.  Hopefully, that didn’t boggle your mind!

C – a cat owner of one chubby calico named Callie.

D – a dabbler who finds delight in photography and details, not drama.

E –  efficient and effective, an empty nester wishing for more energy.

F – a person of faith, fond of family, friends, and fellowship.

G – genuine and genial and gossip makes me groan.

H – headstrong but helpful and hopeful.

I – an ice cube fanatic as well as an ice water and iced tea drinker.

J – a former journalist who jots down joy.

K – keen on keepsakes but not knick-knacks.

L – a logical list maker and lover of life.

M – the mother of three marrying kids.

N – a nice but not noisy neighbor.

O – an ocean observer who oooos over office products.

P  – a Pennsylvanian with ancestors who were peers of William Penn.

Q –interested in quilts, quotes, quaint places, and quirky people.

R – a reader, a rememberer, and a rejoicer.

S – saved by the grace of a sovereign Savior.

T –  someone who treasures tranquility and travel.

U – an undeniably grateful uterine cancer survivor.

V – a vertically challenged (short) person who values vacations and the scent of vanilla.

W – warm and welcoming with a bit of a wacky side.

X – eXtra fond of my family and Xmas.

Y – the youngest of three sisters who loves the color yellow.

Z – someone who zooms and zips when she should stick to the speed zone, but only zapped once by the policeman’s radar gun.  Zounds! That was an expensive lesson.

And now for the easy as one, two, three part of the award.  I must name 10 other worthy bloggers for the ABC Award tribute. My favorite 10 are:

“ABC..

ABC, it’s easy,

Easy as 1, 2, 3

It’s like counting up to three

Or simple as Do, re, mi

Sing a simple melody,

That’s how easy [blogging] love can be!”

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Spectacular Sunday: He is risen!

Posted by Mama's Empty Nest in Christian living, Easter, resurrection and tagged with , , ,

I captured this photo a couple of years ago at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh one day when my husband and I visited there in need of a winter’s day respite.

Something about this sight intrigued me enough to warrant taking a picture.   In comparison to some of the other photos I snapped of exquisite plants and flowers that day, this one doesn’t seem that extraordinary.

But yet, each time I view these snapshots, I am drawn to this picture over and over again.   Finally, this week as I prayerfully considered Holy Week and what it means to believers in Jesus Christ like me, I realized why this photo attracts me with such intensity.

It reminds me of the picture in my mind of how I think the tomb appeared on that Resurrection morning.  The stone was gone.  The tomb was open.  And it was empty.  Our Savior defeated death and He arose!

 “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’  Then they remembered his words.” ~ Luke 24: 1-8

The tomb is empty.  My Savior paid the ultimate price for my sin and the sins of this world.   He arose from the grave victorious!  And so shall we.  Hallelujah!  He is risen, indeed!!

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Easter beauty

Posted by Mama's Empty Nest in Easter, orchids, photography and tagged with , ,

As I await the joyous sunrise of Resurrection Sunday, I remember when I was  a young girl anxious to celebrate Easter.  My mother and I always wore an Easter corsage to church, often a delicate orchid.

I took these photos of beautiful flowers at an orchid show a couple of years ago.  Each time I view these pictures, they remind me of Easter.

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?  Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!” ~ Jesus Christ in Luke 12: 25-28

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com

Good Friday’s ultimate sacrifice

Posted by Mama's Empty Nest in Christian living, Easter, Good Friday, sacrifice and tagged with , ,

Luke 23:44-56

The Death of Jesus:

“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.

The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, ‘Surely this was a righteous man.’ When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.  But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

The Burial of Jesus:

Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man,  who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.  Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.”

Do this in remembrance

Posted by Mama's Empty Nest in Christian living, holy week, remembering, words and tagged with , , ,

Every year during this very special week I find myself a little speechless.

Holy Week, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter,  always leaves me at a loss for words.

To remember that my Savior entered Jerusalem triumphantly to the cheers of a crowd shouting, “Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”  yet just a few days later, Jesus hung on a cross dying to jeers of the crowd simply astonishes me beyond words.

After observing the Passover meal with His disciples and trying to prepare them for what He knew was to come, Jesus established what believers in Christ call the Last Supper.  Then He prayed to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus was betrayed, arrested, deserted and denied, tried and condemned to be crucified until death, beaten, scourged, and mocked.

To consider that He bore the sins of the entire world on His shoulders willingly, knowing the pain and agony He would bear and to realize He loved me (and you) enough to offer Himself as the sacrificial Lamb takes both my breath and my words away.

Last Saturday evening, the day before Palm Sunday, my husband and I worshiped the Risen Lamb with 14,000 other believers at a Casting Crowns concert in our nearby city.  What an incredible night.

What an amazing way to usher in this Holy Week, listening to and singing along with one of my favorite Christian performing groups.  Surrounded by a packed arena full of fellow Christians.  Again it rendered me speechless.

My own words seem so inadequate to express what my Savior did for us.  Often when words fail me, pictures and music suffice.  So as this Easter weekend unfolds, I’ll post music that is meaningful to me and captures the waves of emotion I feel.

And all because of this:

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” ~ John 3:16

Copyright ©2012 mamasemptynest.wordpress.com