The frigid air engulfs the countryside as the rising sun glistens off the generous remains of the weekend snow storm. Registering in the low single digits midst a breezeless morning the cold permeates every unheated nook and cranny. The old furnace throws her flame as it heats the air being circulated before it. As a reluctant host to what is defined as a disease called Parkinson’s, movement is often challenging even on the warmest of days. The last few days have proven themselves to be loaded with added fuel to resistance, but determination to remove the uninvited snow from the walkway, porch and vehicles has found its successful route! According to prognosticators this frigid clime will coexist with ice and snow weighing down the roof and perpetuating a bed of ice along the driveway for another two days. A reprieve with temperatures rising to near sixty degrees is forecast for the coming weekend. As I express my deep gratitude to the One whose eye is on the sparrow, I also pray that we may all be spurred to do our part in helping those in need of warmth and protection from the ravages of weather, violence, rejection, or illness. Gratitude is the bridge that joins our hearts and hands together for the good of others when our hearts embrace the wholeness of the one called LOVE!
A steady rain has been falling gently on the metal roof of the old farm house for hours on end. Just a few days ago we were enjoying the beauty of the sun and warmth aboard the cruise ship docked in Freeport in the Bahamas. A combined Christmas and birthday gift to our granddaughter, this five day get away was designed with her in mind. Gregarious and cordial, she makes friends quickly and seems never to be at a loss for social activities that are interrupted only for designated dinner time and mandatory (if later than usual) bed time. With internet access and a stellar good book to read we sought out relatively quiet places on board where we could relax and engage this sometimes Parkinson’s challenged mind. Vitamins, antibacterial hand lotions and frequent washes did not deter the intimate arrival of an annoying rhinovirus that felt it necessary to remind me of how blessed life is without its visit, whether weather is warm or wintry. Back home just in time for the declaration of a New Year and the consumption of a plethora of tissues, time and tasks seem to be readjusting to this year of a new number. Even an annoying return of middle of the night insomnia has not deterred the expression of gratitude for the warmth and comfort of home and the promise of a new year filled with possibilities.
The frigidly cold air permeated the very fabric covering this unintentional host to Parkinson’s as we departed the church wherein today’s men’s prayer breakfast had been held. The breakfast had been a feast prepared by one of the faithful participants as his Christmas gift to his fellow prayer participants and was high among the list of things named for which we in communal prayer gave thanks this cold and nearly winter day. A buzz in the pocket alerted me to the receipt of a message. My daughter had just reminded me that 29 years ago, we arrived home from India. Suddenly, I became consumed with the grateful memories of the journey from what was then known as Bombay to a strenuous tour through Heathrow in London, finally arriving at JFK’s then Pan Am terminal. The ending of one journey marked the beginning of another that continues even today with a heart filled with gratitude for the loving presence of our daughter who like her older brothers, is a precious gift from God! That day of our arrival first to JFK and then to our nineteenth century row house in Philadelphia, marked the continuation of blessing added to blessing that serves as a living reminder that thankfulness gives fuel to the faith that lights our path along our journey of love!
The chilled dry air of the bedroom was in stark contrast to the warm embrace of the bed covers encompassing this often sleep disturbed host to what is known as Parkinson’s disease. With just three hours of sound sleep accomplished this wandering mind began its tangential journey to places and things far beyond the sphere of reason or command. Pointedly, the attention turned to the Lord whose birth we are to soon celebrate and the command to Love the Lord with all of one’s mind, heart, and soul came to the forefront. Immediately, the sense of having not measured up to that command engulfed this now wide awake participant. An empty feeling emerged as thoughts of poorly executed acts of love toward my God and those He created in His image spread out on the mind’s canvass. Suddenly, as though arms of reassurance opened before me, words as though from a voice deep inside resounded: “this is not about YOU measuring up to loves construction, but rather about ME (God) having first loved you with the kind of love that washes clean all the imperfections that you possess.” The relief and sheer joy that then emerged was enhanced as the notion that we love because we are loved, not so as to gain love’s approval, but because there is no greater “approval” than the love that has wiped away everything that would keep us from it! With a renewed sense of gratitude this otherwise less than perfect participant began his day giving thanks for the perfect love that embraces even when we lose sight of whose love it is!
A heavy mist shrouds the chilled morning air as another day of transition moves the autumn season forward. A time of fellowship, remembrance and encouraging gratitude filled the room at the men’s prayer breakfast this morning. The wife of one of the long time attenders prepared the sumptuous meal as a heartfelt gesture of gratitude for and in honor of her now deceased husband and encourager to many. We were all moved by her actions and her words and reminded that even the seemingly small things we engage serve often as big reminders of the acts of love we are called to engage with one another. Sitting now in the quiet and warm recliner while gazing out at the near barren pecan tree, I am momentarily distracted by the old dead branch hanging with mid-summer leaves still clinging as though not wishing to give up the season’s change. The branch was broken and the leaves were left hanging because that is how nature functions when life is interrupted. The tree will continue on its steadfast path, but without a pause to ponder and reflect, I could easily give my attention to the broken and unreleased leaves that could easily overshadow the bulk of the picture of life in my view. As an unwitting possessor of Parkinson’s symptoms, it would be easy to lay claim to the burden of the broken neurotransmitters and lose sight of the blessing that is “the rest of the tree” that is on its journey through the season. The broken limb and the attached and unrelenting leaves does not constitute the whole of the tree, even if attention is given it. As gratitude emerges that the broken part does not fill the canvas as the centerpiece of the painting, joy, hope and thankfulness begin to emerge as the backdrop for today’s rendering. We shall see how the brush strokes leave their mark in the light that is gratitude!
The frosty fields glisten under the bright morning sun as a new day begins. The ravens have not yet emerged for their daily scavenging acts across the field and graveled drive. The chickens have arisen from their roost to begin their foraging agenda and the goats are already licking past the frost to nibble away at the bountiful pasture grass. The signs of a new day and what may appear to some as a new life have begun. The farm is host to many expressions of daily experiences. Digging deeper, one can’t help but be amazed at the plethora of life giving, life sustaining layers that exist in God’s domain. As the temperature emerges from the still cold freeze of the evening into the gentle welcome of the sunlit day this possessor of Parkinson’s embraces thoughts of gratitude for the possibilities that lie ahead. Assumptions of continued mobility and reasonable flexibility undergird the emerging agenda for today. The assumptions support the faith that tasks will be accomplished. Different assumptions would lead in a different direction that would require as much faith to accomplish. Today this grateful occupant chooses the assumption that focuses my faith on the positive outcomes and their attending reinforcements, being thankful for each step along the way!
The faux-fired infrared fireplace is fanning out furiously the warmth desired on this pre-winter morning. Overcast skies seem to enhance the lingering cold that enveloped the farmland overnight. The Thanksgiving holiday has passed and time with family and loved ones gives way to another week of hustle and bustle for the gainfully employed and those eager to engage in overtly productive activities. Having tasted both, this passive possessor of Parkinson’s symptoms cherishes this time of quiet planning for the week’s desired outcomes. Sleep disturbance fueled by spasmodic jerks as I lay in what was an otherwise comfortable bed prevented this resistant participant from securing a full night’s rest. Tired, but otherwise thankful for another opportunity to engage the day intentionally, we reflect upon the things caught in the grip of obsessive thoughts during the pre-dawn mental tussle that when added to the other mix prompted an early rise to the waiting recliner. A book beside the chair that has been both engaging and inspiring was soon the focus of attention. As the bookmark was put in place, reflection upon the content absorbed helped to refocus this distracted and frustrated pre-dawn participant toward the gratitude that so gently re-orders priorities. A peaceful presence had descended and a blanked of thankfulness had engulfed as another hour of sleep came to visit. Now fully awakened and dutifully medicated in the attempt to replenish otherwise endogenous dopamine we are ready to meet the challenges of this new day with the best we can muster which is ever so greatly enhanced in the presence of gratitude for yet another opportunity to participate!
The glow in the eastern sky illuminated the trees and the pond in the distance as morning dawned upon the hillside in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. As I gazed upward I could see the still bright quarter moon and a few surrounding stars glistening in the crisp and clear morning. Just a few days ago I witnessed the same phenomenon, but from a different position. We were somewhere in the mid-Atlantic ocean cruising toward Port Everglades fresh from the Straits of Gibraltar. The glow in the eastern sky was bright above the water showing in the horizon and the then remnant of a giant full moon shone brightly above. The warmth of the Atlantic surrounded as we embraced the breeze from the fast moving ship that morning. Today’s embrace was quite a bit colder as the arctic front had recently brought with it a cooler presence that reminds us of nature’s change. Two different views, but the same sun rising and the same moon gazing down remind me that life’s basic and sustaining gifts remain the same, but out perspective on them often changes. Life is a gift that is often viewed through filters of experience that have rendered various degrees of value being assigned to it. The filters are our own; the value we assign; the gift is still the gift. As an unwitting host to this disease called Parkinson’s it is easy to wear the diseased filter that assigns a self-asserted value to this gift called life. I am humbled when reminded that the gift is free and from the One who is both the alpha and omega and that the real joy of the gift is living in gratitude. For by doing so, we are afforded the view that sees the greatest value to be found – LOVE.
The sky is overcast, but bright from the sun’s glow above the clouds. The ship is now some seventeen hundred miles from the west coast of Africa since our departure from Tenerife last weekend. Just three more days and we are scheduled to arrive at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. This time upon the sea has been blessed with opportunities to reflect and renew in ways so unexpected when we departed the familiar space of the farm house just eleven days ago. As I stopped to reflect upon what I had been reading while relaxing in the magnificence of the ships library on the precipice of the deck that encompasses eleven or more stories, I couldn’t help but envision analogies to the content of the book at hand. Nabeel Qureshi, in his book “No God but One Allah or Jesus” was telling the story of God’s love so deep for his creation that he took upon himself the blight that separates us in our brokenness from full communion with our creator. That reading gave me pause to remember and reflect that I am made whole in the eyes of my creator who loves me with a love that never ends. As an unexpected host to Parkinson’s I have to replenish the depleted dopamine in my system by routinely consuming my medication that brings me back closer to restoration. Likewise, I am reminded today that I must thoughtfully and spiritually ingest the eternal truth of God’s everlasting love that takes me closer to living the “restored life” made possible through God himself. Gratitude builds the foundation upon which this thankful soul is renewed in the knowledge that it is He and not me who makes all things whole!
The winds were steadily blowing from the west as we sailed through the Straights of Gibraltar into the North Atlantic. A stop tomorrow in the Canary Islands will be the kick off of our seven day journey across the ocean to our Florida destination. Sleep disturbance has become the norm as a general 3:00 a.m. awakening starts a time of reflection not warranted but nonetheless present. Maintaining a steady presence while unwillingly hosting bothersome PD symptoms, this sometimes shaky but thankful participant engages every opportunity interacting with and meeting new people. We have met delightful people from South Africa, various regions of Canada, Estonia, and even a few from the US (the majority of fellow travelers). Resort hosts, investment brokers, a radio personality, an anesthesiologist, a radiologist, a general medicine practitioner, and multiples of retired and semi-retired people have each given meal time and social interactions a richness as so many have shared from their hearts about what is meaningful to each life. Children, grandchildren, spouses, parents and just plain FAMILY have taken center stage even in the grand theater as much as the luncheon and dinner conversation. Gratitude has lifted this heart and mind above the otherwise stewing cauldron of political extremism, reactionary fear, or blind ignorance to a place of thankfully expressing the Maker’s love through seized opportunities. This hour and these minutes are what is now before each of us. We have the opportunity to make each count for good!
Recent Comments