Monday, January 24, 2011

Cure For the Common Winter Cold (heart)


A frigid, overcast day.

Both hands clenched on the wheel, I grimly wove my way through the slow traffic, mind focused on all of the impossible tasks that have to happen in the next month. We are beginning the process of moving my mother out of the large, stuff-filled house she has lived in for almost 50 years. 

My father was a Collector.

And a Depression baby. (Don't throw away a scrap of soap... you may need it one day!) 

He was also a genealogy freak. We have file cabinets of papers going back to the last century. I mean century before last. Old patient charts from his medical practice are probably down in the basement, along with the contents of his brother's New York apartment, random archaeology artifacts, playbills from 1968, World War II memorabilia, and my grandmother's grocery lists from 1938. (Well, maybe not quite that bad anymore, because my sister has been working her rear end off.) Thousands of books. Records from the 1960's. (Know anybody who could use some Montevani?) Childhood toys are still in our closets. Sentimental gifts from the 70's. My rock collection. The one trophy I won for horseback riding...

I was giving myself a pep talk on the way to do the first moving errand: Stay focused. You can do this.

It turned into a prayer: "God help us do this. We can't do this without you."

I was slightly sick to my stomach. My heart felt as cold and heavy as the dismal day.

Then this came on the radio:

(Please turn up your sound.)


I mean, can I get an Amen?

Anybody dancing?

By the second refrain, the moon roof of my little sports car was open to the sky, the steering wheel had become an electronic drum set, I was doing my Janis Joplin imitation to the chorus, and the guy in the truck next to me was calling 911. 

And the wind blew where it may...*
and chased the clouds of gloom away

filling the car... and my heart... with unspeakable joy and praise.


Worship.


(*John 3)

10 comments:

Corinne Cunningham said...

Amen :)
Oh the errands... and the craziness that is moving in winter...
But we can do it, with a little help...

Anonymous said...

Amen!!!

I'm dancing!

Thanks for the reminder that worship does cure whatever ails us.

praying for you.

lisa

Beth said...

Amen!

Sure wish I could have been the guy in the truck next to you!

~from my front porch in the mountains~ said...

Oh my gosh! Love this. Thank you from me on a *Winter doldrum day*

What a huge undertaking you are going through! Remember~there are thousnds of collectors out there willing o take the things you do not keep!
Ebay
Etsy
Craigs List
Or even right here. Put a *Sale* page on your nav bar with PayPal.
Just a thought! As a vintage collector myself, my heart zings a little when I read a post like yours!

Blessings to you, Kim! xo, misha

Anonymous said...

My quote today was from Francois de Sales

"Devotion (worship) is the real spiritual sweetness which takes away all bitterness from mortifications, and prevents consolations from disagreeing with the soul; it cures the poor of sadness, and the rich of presumption; it keeps the oppressed from feeling desolate, and the prosperous from insolence; it averts sadness from the lonely, and dissipation from social life; it is as warmth in winter and refreshing dew in summer; it knows how to abound and how to suffer want, how to profit alike by honour and by contempt; it accepts gladness and sadness with an
even mind, and fills men's hearts with a wondrous sweetness."

The world so desperately wants to divert our attention from He who only wants His best for us! I'm so glad He continually breaks through to capture my gaze yet again!!!

Blessings to you add this new task to the many already on your list!

Love, hugs and prayers!
L

Bobbie said...

Oh Kim....how I can relate! David and I have just moved into our new "dream nest" that we had built on a little tidal creek.....downsizing...HA!
My daddy had the old saying "it's like tryin' to put 20 lbs of taters in a 10 lb sack" - I think we might have 30 or more lbs for this one! David is still in the fatigue stage from his last chemo, our other house is still on the market, etc. etc. etc.
so we too are COUNTING ON GOD!
Please give your beautiful mother my best - I am praying for this transition for all of you.
Love,
Bobbie

ellenpaige said...

Amen and amen!

Anonymous said...

AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN.
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING AND COUNT ON GOD!
AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN.

Cheri said...

Funny. My last post was about betting on God. His truly is an upside-down kingdom. Instead of to-do lists and schedules, He often just calls us to sing and dance. And, I really like to sing and dance!

Anonymous said...

Amen! Worship gets our focus off our own plight and onto the grand glory of our King! Amen, amen!