Braiding

 

A friend planned a morning for my girls, 

Shocked at the stop as my world whirls,

A friend with a "saloon" I called next, 

Come at 8:30 I saw the text, 

 Now here I sit for hours on end, 

Beautiful women working their hands, 

They worship, share posts, sing, laugh, 

A cross-section of society on familiar path. 

Their work is meaningful, intense time, 

Women relaxing, guilt free, it's not a crime. 

We're pampered, loved, renewed, 

Leave shining and tired, hair knotted or sewd.

They're doing for me what I cannot do, 

They're giving me a pause, a new look too. 

Now strangers will stop me, delighting in my braids, 

I'll make new friends, reveling in the difference it made, 

To identify with my hosts in this enriching tradition, 

Of weaving, being, beautifying in our daily mission.  

 

Missed the Train!

I hate missing the train!

 Today I missed the train. I had planned a day in Chicago with a dear friend I met 10 years ago, also a new bride living her first year of marriage in Nigeria. My anticipation of a sweet fellowship long missed made me tingly with excitement!  My husband stayed up late one night to get me the train ticket that left this morning right from Holland, MI at 6:49am and my mother got me there with time to spare. 

Why did I miss the train?  I was buying water from a vending machine.  The stupidity of it all, the pathetic scene I made running alongside the barely moving train begging the conductor to "please, please let me hop on" (Afterall, that's what they do in all the movies) makes me flush...and I don't get embarrassed easily. 

As annoying and disappointing situations do, it made me think.  I pack my life full of "one more thing while I wait."  Wait for what? The waiting IS the thing that I'm doing!  Am I missing the train for a little sip of water?  Am I forfeiting the way to get me to a life of refreshment, community, and ultimate joy because I can't stand to wait? 

I recently went to tea with my sister-in-law, another opportunity not to be missed as this will be the last outing we had before she gets married.  The night before we planned our 6:30am get away.  Ironically, it followed a discussion with the family about how hard it was for us to get time early in the morning to be with Jesus. 

A picture of a time I didn't miss the train to Chicago...because I drove.

In the morning, I shook my head as I realized that I can get up when I want to! Apparently, the getting up and making time for Jesus isn't the problem.  Jesus will love me if I get up early to be with him or not, but do I love him enough to do it anyway? 

"Don't be hard on yourself," I can hear people saying. But there's a time we have to ask ourselves if we are missing the train...the big, transporting, restful experience of walking with Jesus while we stand outside a vending machine waiting for a sip of...what? While we pack one more thing into our already stuffed journeying lives. 

Lesson learned.