What does love look like?

On May 29, 1999, Angie, Robert, Philip and I took Aunt Rena to visit Uncle Erwin in the hospital. He had fallen and broken his arm earlier in May. He then developed pneumonia and seemed to have had a stroke. The CAT scan did not show any evidence of a stroke, but his speech was slurred, his movements were uncoordinated and he had trouble swallowing. He was four days short of his 87th birthday.

Angie had taken Aunt Rena to visit him on May 28th, and said he was responsive to them. However he was unresponsive on the 29th. I don't think he knew we were there. He was awake, but his eyes had the vacant stare of old man when the mind is gone. I hadn't seen that stare since just before my maternal grandfather died.

Aunt Rena leaned over him, gently cupped his face in her left hand and turned his face to her. She stared deeply into those vacant eyes and talked. She spoke as if we were not in the room, telling him about the friends from Gladstone that had come to visit her and the rest of the day's events. It was one of the most beautiful and complete pictures of true love I have ever witnessed. I want to love Angie that completely and that long.

What pictures of true love have you seen?

Small, world-wide church

Last Wednesday I was driving to a trade show for a national account. As I was passing through Waco, my cell phone rings. It displays an unfamiliar area code and number, but I answer it anyway. A preacher in Conneticut quickly introduces himself and asks if we are still accepting resumes for our new minister position of membership and discipleship at the church of Christ on McDermott Road. (I am chairing that search committee, so the church secretary must have given him my cell phone number.) I tell him we are, so send us his information to the account we set up for that purpose.

He then asks me if I have any relatives in Topeka. "Yes, my son is a youth minister at the Central Church of Christ in Topeka," I explain. It seems he had just finished talking with Robert about the open pulpit minister position they have in Topeka.

We start to close our conversation, when I ask him again to tell me his name so I can watch for his packet. He tells me, "Des Terry; Des is short for Dessain." I ask him, "Is this the Dessain Terry from San Antonio?"

[There is a short pause here]

With a sudden note of recognition, he replies, "Is this the Larry Klutts from San
Antonio?" During my three short years in full-time ministry, Dessain Terry was the pulpit minister at a small congregation just a couple of miles away. We worked together on the World Vision for Christ workshops, shared meals, ideas and dreams. I still remember and use one of his concepts in teaching, which is to use certain key words that automatically grab people's attention and raise their awareness level.

It seems Dessain has been preaching for a small congregation there for ten years. This last year they finally grew numerically and spiritually to the point they appointed elders and deacons. With their growth, and Dessain's mother's and mother-in-law's advancing age, now seems to be a good time to get back closer to them.

The subject line of Dessain's email to me was "The church is too small." Multitudes do need to be saved, but I like the way God keeps us connected.

Is compassion and logic mutually exclusive?

"The older I get, the more I realize that arguing on the basis of facts and logic only gets you labeled as someone who is out of step with the times, if not lacking in compassion."
- Thomas Sowell, columnist and author

What do you think? Is compassion and logic mutually exclusive?

Blessing and curse

I am grateful for the material blessings God has granted us. Angie and I have a nice home (even if it is in Plano now), good health, able to keep the house in Oklahoma while Phil finishes college, and much more. Amazing when I think about how we are able to do that without Angie having to work to provide more income. Sure, we could have more material stuff if she were to work, and she has when times required it. But I enjoy the blessings, and watching the blessings, of her being a full-time disciple of Christ.

She is able to be actively involved in the lives of our grown children, be a comfort to friends in distress, encourage others in good times, visit her Mom and my parents in Oklahoma, and so much else. For example, this week she was able to drive to Oklahoma to sit with a friend at the hospital while the friend's Dad underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor; spend the night with another friend; visit two of our children; and take her Mom to visit friends & family in Missouri. Before she gets back to Plano, she will visit our children in Kansas, my niece and new baby great niece in Oklahoma, my parents, and who knows how many others.

While she is away, I arrange my schedule to suit just me. I eat what I want to fix (or buy) and when I want. I learn what Paul talks about when he says the unmarried man's mind isn't divided thinking about how to please his wife.

But I also learn how the house isn't a home when she is away. It's a building to store things; a place to eat and sleep. A lonely place to eat and sleep.

Its a blessing to know how she is blessing the lives of others through using her God-given abilities. But its a curse to be here instead of with her. Blessing and curse.

First Post

So I have started a blog. I have enjoyed reading blogs written by my children and friends. At my youngest's challenge, I will experiment with my own blog. Already, I realize it is much easier to read a blog than write one. We will just have to see what the future holds.