Swimming in a Fish Bowl

Weightlessness is always a delightful sensation.  There are only two places on this earth where I have experienced this feeling, in the ocean and in a flight tunnel.  Today I found myself thoroughly enjoying this adventure again in the warm waters off the coast of the Big Island.  There is nothing like wading into the warm bath water of the Pacific.  

As I floated in this part of God's amazing fishbowl, I got to experience an entirely different world.   My body was adorned with extensions. These apparatuses allowed me unnatural abilities to share some moments of this day with creatures that live in a world usually unavailable to me.  .  

As a vast variety of colorful creatures darted around me, I just couldn't help but thank my Father for this opportunity.  The beauty was stunning.  I was mesmerized by everything I saw.  I was unaware that I was slowly being lulled to a place of peace and complacency by the beauty and the rhythmic dance of the waves.  I was completely unaware of any danger.  

Any of you that have swam in an ocean know that there are real dangers at every turn, sharks, currents, sea urchins (these little boogers are beautiful and painful if touched or stepped on), coral, jagged lava, and many other things.  The worst possible thing you could do is be lulled to a place of complacency.  If you allow this to happen, you could literally lose your life.  

As I made my way back to shore and laid myself out on the warm deliciousful sand, it felt good to be back on familiar soil.  I started to doze off as I was conversing with my Father and complimenting Him on the fine job He did when He created the oceans. That is when it dawned on me, I am not only an alien in the underwater world, I am an alien on this entire planet. Just like there are unseen, but extremely real dangers that can take my physical life in the beautiful ocean, there are also daily dangers that can take my eternal life.  I am so easily lulled and sedated into a place of complacency by the things of this world. Things that are enticing and exciting for the moment.  Things that have no lasting value.  Things that have the potential to destroy my soul. Things that help the plank in my eye to become larger. Sometimes my self-deception is just down right deafening to my heart.  My ability to justify my actions (or lack of) and delay my obedience to my Father's requests is damaging to my own heart.  In fact, just this week, a speaker spoke on obedience when God asks for physical things that you own.  I, of course in my own self-deceived way, just thought, "Lord, you can have anything I've got.  There is nothing I would hold onto."  I am sure He was smiling and thinking, "Well, she doesn't know what I am about to ask her to give me."  A day later, as I was drying dishes and conversing with Mr. O, he was telling me about his school in India.  Out of my mouth pops, "Does it have a library?"  (I hate it when my mouth says things without consulting with my brain or my heart.)  Anyway, he looks at me, smirks and simply states, "Yes, but it is empty and locked."  Instantly,  my heart was split open and I heard the Lord whisper, "Give him some of your books."  As most of you know, I have connections with Global Book Club (we collect used children's books and ship to Third World countries, as well as put libraries in for them) and my first thought was, "Well, I can get some books from there and give them to Paul to take."  Instantly, I knew that this was not what the Lord had asked of me.  So.....I tried again, (Man, I am naughty) thinking that I would go purchase some from a used book place and give him those.  That didn't seem to settle in my heart either.  So, my mind raced on.  I thought well, I have a bunch of teacher friends I could ask to donate.  My heart was miserable.  These negotiations were futile.   Finally, I just surrendered and agreed to take some of "my" personal, beautiful picture books out of my studio and give them to Mr. O to take to these precious children and teachers at his school in India.  Once I surrendered in complete obedience, I realized that His ways are not of this earth.  I truly am an alien in a foreign land.  Lord, help this plank-eyed girl not be lulled to sleep in this foreign land.

Until we chat again,

The Plank-Eyed Girl

Gastropods, Thorns and Slime Trails

Have you ever just stopped and watched a gastropod?  Truth be told, I have been fascinated with these unusually strange creatures for a long time.  When I change locations, probably some of the first questions that I am sure will leave my lips will be, "Why did you make these odd creatures? Were these just the products of a bad day of creating?"  Okay, I know that there are far more important questions to ask, but if you knew me, this type of question would not surprise you.  

Recently, I was on an early morning walk to retrieve my morning iced tea at a favorite local establishment and I came upon several of these gastropods.  The first one was chewing (yes, I said "chewing") a type of thorn from a local Hawaiian bush.  I felt my feet come to a screeching halt. Slowly I crouched down and pulled my phone from my back pocket.  Taking careful aim to capture the moment, I poised the phone; selected the camera app and proceeded to take a photo of this. (Sorry it is blurry.)  I have never seen a slug eat.  For that matter, I had never really thought about a slug having a mouth or even being able to chew.  I was captivated by what I was observing.  This thorn was hard, and long, but at the end was a tiny tiny red bud of a flower.  This slug was slowly, methodically, bit by bit, eating the shaft of this bud. I watched for about 15 minutes.  It was extremely slow going.  The gastroropod did not give up.  It also didn't seem bothered by the length of time this was taking.  It just ate it, one micro-nibble at a time.  On my return journey, once again I paused to watch this creature.  It had reached the bud and was consuming the most delicious part.  It had persevered eating the nasty, hard part until it got to the "scrumptious treat" at the end.  Oh man, I was so happy for this little guy.  I was cheering him on. Strange, I know.  However, as I walked away, I realized my Father was using this silly creature to illustrate how He delights in watching me, and you, learn and grow through difficult things.  He truly watches; cheers for; and celebrates when we persevere through trials.  He does this,  knowing that these difficulties are tests that develop our ability to persevere.  This characteristic of perseverance then helps us become mature in our faith.  

During this ice tea journey, I paused to observe a second slug. This one was leaving a rather sticky trail of slime. My first thought was "Ugh! What a nasty thing.  God has some sense of humor.  Glad I am not a slug."  True to His nature, the Lord quietly reminded me, "He is leaving a trail so that he can find his way home.  It is a scent trail."  I literally stood there dumbfounded for a full 60 seconds.  How odd.  Then it hit me, "I am to be like a slug.  I am to leave a trail of my Father's sweet aroma as I journey through this world being His hands and feet; sharing His heart with this wounded world, so that others can follow me and meet the lover of my soul."

I don't know about you, but I am thankful for the gifts and lessons my Father whispers as I bounce through my days.

What things are you learning today from your journey?  I would love to hear about them.

Until we chat again,
The Plank-Eyed Girl

Earth-Pod Girl

24 hours has never seemed like a long time to me, but yesterday it was.  Yesterday, I was cranky, discouraged, and frustrated.  Really not a good combination for anyone.  Honestly, I didn't really have any reason to feel this way.  I was telling myself to snap out of it.  I was explaining to my head that I had the gift of life, shelter, food, clothing, etc., but my heart was just not listening to my head.  I hate that when it happens.  It was just a storm in my heart that seemed to be raging.  I am glad that most of the time I don't deal with this kind of thing.  

I managed to get myself to work.  I even managed to get myself to worship.  (Where I am currently working on the Big Island, we have a fabulous all campus worship time on Monday morning.)  As worship drew to a close, I was completely unaware of the delightful surprise that awaited me in the next few moments.  As worship was nearing the end, I slide my feet into cushy flip-flops and proceeded to saunter back towards the kitchen.  That is when I encountered her again.  Earth-Pod Girl.  I had met her on Saturday.  In fact, we had even sat in a volcanic formed tide pool for over an hour and she spoke of her past; her passions; her heartbreak; and her desire for more of God.  I was enthralled with this amazing girl's story.  She was smart, plucky, fun, and wounded.  You see, we share a passion for using the world's trash in reusable ways to help the poor.  In particular, she wants to use recycled trash to build "earth-pod"  structures for the poor of the world to live in.  As we had parted our ways on Saturday, I wondered if I would have an opportunity to chat with her again.  Little did I know what God had in store.  

On this morning, as I departed the Ohana Court, Earth-Pod girl planted herself in front of me.  With a silly grin on her face and a floppy straw hat on her head, she said, "I want to encourage you this morning.  Can I pray for you?"  I just looked at her and heard myself say, "Sure."  Sometimes I am amazed at myself and just how detached I am.  Anyway, she started praying.  Well...really she was proclaiming what she was seeing in her heart and what the Lord was whispering to her ears.  She spoke in fragments, pausing as if listening for the next bit of words.  Each fragment she spoke pierced my heart and deflated the discouragement that had implanted itself and taken over.  Her words chased the crankiness out of the chambers where it had lodged and taken root.  Mostly though, her words took the pieces of my frustration and seemed to rearrange them in a way that let me get a glimpse of where the Lord and I are journeying.  

Thank you Earth-Pod girl for helping this Plank-Eyed Girl.

Enjoy the gift of today.  You never know when God will place someone in front of you.

Until we chat again,

Plank-Eyed Girl

Mosquitoes, Flies, and Whispers

It is Friday evening and the excitement inside of me is probably not matching the expression on my face or my body language.  Regardless, I am standing in front of an amazing mode of transportation that I have only dreamed of riding.  It is shiny. It has two fat wheels, which I reason should be easier to ride on than a bicycle. It also has a motor.  Mostly though, it has a super comfortable leather seat.  Suddenly, I realize that the owner is speaking directly to me and not just the Mr.  He is giving me "How To" directions.  My mind wants to focus, but I am both super tired from my week of working in the kitchen and excited to take off on this thing.  Besides, I reason, (here comes the confession) I am a "Hands on" learner so that means you could talk to me until your words are exhausted and I would probably only hear the first sentence of your directions, even though I am smiling, nodding, and giving you eye contact.   Anyway, I hear myself giggling and can feel a silly smile gluing itself to my face. The Mr. has a quizzical look on his face but says nothing to me  (poor man, I am just confusing to him sometimes).  

Fast forward a few minutes, and I find myself sitting on this new mode of transportation. (Okay, secretly, I am wishing I had my red cowboy boots on for this first ride since I know that he will never let me ride in flip flops, which are my second favorite type of shoe, if I have to wear shoes). We get them started and take a few laps around the flag pavilion and then head out onto Ali'i Drive. Wow!  Why have I not rode one of these before?  

As we are scootering along, I find myself laughing and yelling, "Yahoo!" at the top of my lungs.  I can feel the tiredness leaving and the energy surge happening.  It is a warm Friday night with no work for two days and we are on an island in the middle of the Pacific, life doesn't get much sweeter than this!  My mind is aware that I am riding with my mouth wide open, but I don't seem to care because I keep yelling, smiling, and just plain letting my mouth hang open in amazement.  I could really get used to this.  It is in this moment I hear a gentle whisper to my heart and I realize that this is a precisely placed moment, by my Father.  Hum...I will have to ask Him about this whisper tonight when I lay on my bed.

As we approach our beach destination, I attempt to close my lips, but can feel that this is not going to be an easy task. My lips are severely dried out and stuck on top of my teeth in the form of a huge, silly grin. I manage to get them unglued from up at my gum line and drop them over my large teeth. Suddenly, I realize they are resting on many crunchy items which are adhered to my teeth. This is also the instant when it also dawns on me that those things I had been swallowing during the ride, which I thought were nothing, were really yucky mosquitoes, crunchy flies, and a variety of other disgusting tropical live insects!!!!!! Ewwwwwwwwww!!!!!!  What was I thinking??  Sometimes, I am such a child.  I certainly live in the moment without much thought to the future.

I am making a squishy face and trying to pry these  dead creatures off my teeth and out of my mouth.  It is just plain nasty. Suddenly, I start laughing uncontrollably.  What a sight I am.  That is when my Father whispers again, "I love that you take childish delight in me and my creation.  Remember to ride with your mouth closed next time."    

My mind is racing as I sit on the beach.  He said, "Next time".  Hum...I am so literal, that means that this won't be my last ride.  Sweet!  Watching the waves, I go back to His gentle whisper and realize that I His plan is larger than I have any idea.  I am not scared for I know that He holds my life in His hands.  Tom Dunn put it well last week when he stated, "My life was a dream in the heart and imagination of God, long before I was created."  Therefore, I can walk forward with my hand in His and know that where ever I go on this globe, even on a scooter, He has set a path before me and I am not alone.  

Where is He taking you today?  Will you embrace the simply splendiferous adventure He has for you?  Take my hand and let's journey together.  

Until we chat again,

The Plank-Eyed Girl

A Symphony of Indelible Words

Words!  

The day started with a familiar whispered voice floating slowly to my one exposed ear, "Do you know what today is?"  As my consciousness raced to catch up with what my ear was hearing, the information suddenly all fell into its proper place and I realized that today I would celebrate my 18,615th trip around the sun!  As I lay all snuggled up on my bed, a smirk slowly crept across my face. WOW!!!!  That I have been given the gift of so many days!  All I could think was, "THIS day is going to be  completely delicousful!"

Quickly dressing, my Mr. placed a card and box in my hands.  I cradled the box for a few moments and pondered the possibilities of what treasure I was about to discover.  True to my childish form, I opened the box first.  Moments later, my neck was adorned with the most beautiful sterling silver and opal Honu necklace.  Truly a gift of love.  However, even better than that were the words that were so carefully penned in the card.  Words of affirmation.  Words of encouragement.  Words of devotion and love.  

My morning and afternoon were continually sprinkled with kind texts; sweet instant messages; and thoughtfully written cards.  All of these words made my heart full.   Little did I know though that the next few hours would totally rock my world. As my shift, in the kitchen ended, we gathered in a circle to chat with the Lord . After our general end of shift prayer, one of my kitchen girlies bellowed out, "It's her birthday!  Let's pray for her!"  In an instant, I found myself being gentled nudged into the center and completely encased with many arms hugging me and a vast variety of beautiful eyes looking eagerly into mine.  Two weeks ago, these kids were completely unknown to me and today, they are precious treasures. It seemed like in that moment, time froze.  When I realized they had transitioned and were talking to our Father on my behalf, I was undone.  The symphony of their words spoken in Portuguese,  Korean, Dutch, Spanish, English, Swedish, German, and a few other languages, swirled and danced over me as they made their way up to my Father's ears.  What a gift! This moment will be FOREVER etched in my heart!  I believe in that moment, I got to hear a bit of what my Father hears all the time as believer's from all over this planet speak with Him.  It is a stunningly beautiful chorus.  It is a chorus rich in the harmony of all languages, woven into a continual song.  From this moment forward, I will hold this chorus in my mind and savor it every day of my life until I change locations.  It is truly an unforgettable splendiferous sound. 

If nothing else had happened today, it would have been one of the best birthdays ever.  However, little did I know, there was another wonderful gift waiting for me when I returned to our residence. My Mr. informed me that the leadership team wanted to gather and celebrate.  To be honest, I was a titch hesitant.  I was tired and sticky from a day in the kitchen. Plus, believe it or not, I don't really like to be the center of attention.  However, not wanting to be rude, I quickly cleaned myself up and we headed over.  Little did I know that I was about to receive another indelible gift.  As I entered, I realized we were all being invited to sit in a circle.  I wasn't sure what to think.  Was this just a social visit? Was there going to be some kind of meeting.  I could feel my uncertainty rising up from deep inside.  I always get a little afraid when this happens and truth be told, I want to withdraw, run away, or cocoon.  Doing a great deal of "self-talk," I managed to sit still and stay put. One of the leaders sat down next to me.  For the next 20ish minutes, each person on this team shared from their heartfelt, sincere, and wonderfully affirming words. Oh yeah, one more thing, they served me utterly scrumptious cheesecake!  (It was my favorite from the Cheesecake Factory.)  As I sauntered back to my room, my heart was dancing and twirling.  

As I have pondered the many indelible moments of this day, I realize that they are all woven together with a delicate thread.  This thread is an essential element of our existence.  As humans, we have an innate need to communicate with each other and therefore we use words to do this.  Words can be either verbal or non-verbal, but nevertheless, words are essential to our ability to function on this planet. Words are what bring me both joy and sorrow.  They have the ability to inflate my soul or to deflate my heart.  Words are a precious commodity that I have been given the ability to use. At the moment, I have the opportunity to use my words to share my thoughts and heart with you. Thank you for listening with your ears and hearing with your heart.  May my words bring life to your dry soul.  May you know just how precious your words are to those you come in contact with today.  May you also know that the one who made you has words of life that will inflate your soul and bring hope.  Why not open the Word and let it pour life into you.

Until we exchange "words" again,

The Plank-Eyed Girl 

Elbows, Nudges, and God's Sense of Humor

I was 15 and he was 16  the day he gently whispered, "Nice Elbows" as he slid past me on the grand staircase of King's Garden High School. I glanced backwards to see who would make such an odd comment. To my surprise, the eyes that met mine were the most liquid blue, kind, mischievous and twinkling eyes I had ever encountered.

That "ONE" silly, offhanded comment settled into my consciousness and etched itself onto the walls of my mind 36 years ago.  Over the years, it often 
has brought a smirk to my face.  It has also made 
me ultra aware of my elbows.

I have never really looked at my elbows until today.  They are pretty amazing inventions.  They allow my arms to bend.  If I didn't have elbows, my arms would be these two foot long, stiff, useless rods dangling by the side of my body.  
Itching myself would be out of the question; 
hugging would be awkward; and shaving my legs would simply be impossible. As I pause to ponder these realizations for a moment, a huge grin is slowly appearing on my face.  Suddenly I hear myself outright giggling.  Sometimes I have to wonder if other people's brains work this way, or if some of my wiring got crossed.  Either way, it 
doesn't matter because I do enjoy these moments.

All these thought about elbows have made me appreciate a new special friend. Well, she is only an acquaintance at the moment, but I have a sneaky feeling we are going to turn out to be good friends. Recently, she spoke to a group that I was a part of. She introduced herself as an "elbow" in the body of Christ.  This self-assigned nickname brought an endless smirk to my face, especially considering my recent "elbow" thoughts.  She explained to the audience that this name is due to the fact that God often uses her to give others a "nudge" by sharing truth.

Just like our physical elbows are essential, I have come to believe and even appreciate the members of my spiritual family that are "elbows".  Truth be told, they usually make me mad to start with.  I just hate to be nudged and poked.  In the end though, if it wasn't for the "elbows" in my life, I probably would be useless, and stiff.  

God has an amazing sense of humor to make elbows.  I believe "elbows" bring an endless smile to my Father's face.  Next time you are having a dull day, just look at your elbows in the mirror and know that God takes great pleasure in "elbows".

Until we chat again,
The Plank-Eyed Girl

Melodic Gifts

It is four am, a gentle breeze slowly drifts into our room.  The moon is providing a soft delicate glow.  There are many melodic sounds filtering through our slotted, open windows.  There is a vast variety of soprano birds worshipping.  The rustling of the palms is producing an octave lower ryhthm.  The boisterous crashing of waves from the Pacific, as they encounter land for the first time in hundreds of miles, bring the never ending melodic cacophony To a crescendo.  All these happy melodic sounds are slowly stirring me 
to consciousness.  

It is the gift of a new day. My body is still vertical on the bed.  The warmth of the sun is making its way into this cubicle that I am residing in, this gift of shelter.  This new day is inviting me to arise and unwrap the many indelible moments it will bring me.  

As I grope along in the dark, I find my clothing and struggle to place it on my sticky body.  Finally dressed, I tiptoe down the stairs and silently close the door.  I am out and breathing the fresh 
morning air.  A new day opens its arms to me and I pause to celebrate this gift.  Stretching my arms open, I reach toward the sky and whisper, "Thank you Father for the possibilities, opportunities, and melodic gifts that this day will bring."

Isn't is simply wonderful to know that "He's got this!"

Have a splendiferous day!

The Plank-Eyed Girl