Good morning Nancy:
I want to thank you for sending out the message about leaving the perfume at home on Sundays. I also thank all the women who abstained yesterday. I was able to move from the very end of the aisle (where I usually sit, to reduce the allergic reaction), to the middle of the room, sitting among the other women. It really was wonderful for me, and I couldn't stop smiling. I was simply grateful.
Thank you!
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Our sons were wrestlers from the youngest age possible through high school. I sat through hours, and I mean hours, of wrestling matches. I stayed from beginning to end. If the team traveled?...then I traveled. If a son was in the lower weights, wrestling early on, I'd stay to the end to support the other team members. If a son was in the heavier weights, wrestling later, I'd watch all the earlier matches to show support for the team. Waiting forever for that brief moment of my boy on the mat, in what appeared to be a contest to tear an arm off or perhaps get lucky and snap off a head. I shrieked the loudest in the crowd but not with enthusiasm for the sport but sheer terror. I went because I was the Mom. Terry as the Dad went because he too had wrestled and loved it!!In the many hours of sitting and waiting, I often thought of how interesting it is that each activity a person chooses to spend their time participating in, has a protocol, dress codes, routine expectations of the member and... each who chooses to spend their time that way, embraces it.
I went to one professional wrestling match. I was totally out of my element and inappropriately conservatively dressed, to fit in amongst shoulder length super-teased platinum hair on the men, revealing tank tops, stilettos, studded necklaces, chains, tattoos, super tight jeans... loud screaming voices, people peacock-strutting and on and on. I was a duck out of water. They were happily enjoying themselves with anticipation of what was about to happen. At the end, we got up to escape/leave and realized halfway down the bleachers that the main attraction had not yet wrestled. We left anyhow.
I've been to horse shows with people in dresses right with the horses. I watch TV Wimbledon to see the hats and dresses that are expected garb. I've seen dancers at classes with every hair slicked back into the requisite bun, black leotard, pink shoes. Everything that uses our time, that is a group endeavor, has it's expectations of the club members. People get into it knowing that and accepting that.
This year at the televised Westminster Dog Show I watched women, running around in dresses, showing their super expensive dogs. No one seems to find it strange, except me, that they run in dresses. It is a given. Accepted and understood, as much as a Country Club membership, that requires suit and tie and shoes. The list is endless of these available things to spend our time on with their individual codes of conduct. People embrace, willingly, the guidelines of their time-spenders.
Reminds me of the time our youngest son was taking swimming lessons and had arrived at the progression point of diving day! Experienced swimmers swaggered around in their suits and head gear and paraphernalia for the sport. I sat there, my vision riveted to the board, as my skinny little guy walked to the end of the board, bounced and stopped. He repeated that conduct enough times that people were staring at him. Some pointing at him. Some kids chuckling. I felt so bad. The instructor stopped hollering instructions and went out on the board to encourage him. Somehow or other he sort of jumped but it was more a falling off feat as he managed somehow to end up on the underside of the board, clinging for dear life. Terror stricken. Some were now really laughing at him- dangling with his krypton fingers gripping the board. I got teary-eyed. The instructor went out and pried his fingers loose in order to get him off the board. I witnessed a screaming body drop to the pool seemingly a million miles below him. I still think of my boy spewing water everywhere!!! Not a good day for first diving lesson. He was a child that sobbed bucket loads of tears when he cried so it was a wet ride home. Lots of work left on that feat. Yes. He did master it.
At some point in our Church membership we decide to jump off the diving board into the deep end of the pool. We decide to immerse ourselves in the Gospel, beyond that initial dip, in the waters of baptism. We decide to be religious. To embrace and live our religion. There is so much in that decision of finger loosening our death grip on past living. It appears we are staring at pages of multiple choices for a newness of life. We can take baby steps and really make it easier on ourselves, as some decisions only need to be made once, to get us off center....such as weekly church attendance and accepting a calling and willingness to render service. much easier than dangling! reminds me of that scripture about being lukewarm.
Revelation 3:15,16
vs 16..So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
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