Beware of Photographer

10/24/10…Sometimes it pays to notice what someone with an impish nature is doing. In this photograph is my wife. We are enjoying a nice walk around the lake at Hungry Mother Park. Unbeknownst to her I have walked by this sign hundreds of times on hikes. Every time I passed by this sign I always thought how funny it would be to take a picture of someone like my friend David without them knowing it. And then the opportunity presents itself, not with my friend David, but my wife. She never sees the sign. I make a casual remark to walk by the lake and enjoy a moment. Then I say, well let me take your picture. In her naiveté she gets excited. I say well why don’t you wail your arms or something. Still she has no idea of the sign and where I am positioning myself. So she wails. I snap the photo.

Later I laugh, a lot.

Pain and Faith

10/17/10…Father, I called and heard her pain. The tears were still fresh, this much I could sense over the phone. What do you offer someone who is reeling from hurt? I could offer nothing, and really did not offer many words other than letting her know Melody and I hurt for her.

When I first met her, she was in the cold streets of Jackson. Her reputation preceded her through the circles of the street ministry. Each Wednesday night I saw her around the Opportunity Center with the trunk of her car wide open, ready to serve hot meals to the homeless and down and out. As I sought to comfort others, I would notice her and her daughters out of the corner of my eye. Bridgett always had a smile on her face and there was radiance in her demeanor, much like Guitar-man. Bridgett got it. Her joy in Christ overtook her life. Her husband however, did not quite get it. This troubled Bridgett but in no way did it quench her joy to be a beacon of light to those who had little hope. She just kept her eyes above.

As I began serving in the street ministry, soon there was a tinge of pride knowing I was serving You. As my service continued, I began to learn more about my sister in Christ. And Father, you always have a way of humbling me. Where I was serving once on Wednesdays, I found out Bridgett was literally in the streets every day and night. She had no hobby because her hobby was You. In the summer months, she would drive around and ensure those who had a need were provided water and an encouraging word. In the winter months, she would ensure a hot meal was provided to those not in shelters. The amazing thing to me is not only would she serve those in view, she would find the areas of the city covered by forest and debris, and trek into these encampments. She went where most men would not go. She would go where You would go Father.

And I was humbled to know this and I was humbled to know how far I still had to go.

I learned Bridgett had a degree in business from Jackson State University, but she did not readily offer this information. Instead of seeking work in the world, her work was in the kingdom. An opportunity arose after years in the street for her to oversee a homeless transition shelter for women and children. I might add for no pay. Her husband earned a meager salary delivering uniforms around the area. At one point, I even learn her family had no place to live and were evicted from their home. And yet Father, their eviction did not seem to weigh on her joy in serving. She rested in You, placed all trust in You and gave You her entire life. She loved You with all her heart, soul and mind. She expected nothing in return.

As I got to know her, it became clear that her husband’s soul troubled her greatly. He would attend church with her, but beyond this would not actively participate with Bridgett in serving others. Father, I am not sure, but it sounds like he had not yet surrendered to You. Bridgett was at a loss regarding what to do. Clearly she loved him and wanted to see him come to you Father. We had some conversations regarding her husband but all I could do was offer a listening ear. I will say her husband provided for the family the best he could while Bridgett served others. In this way Father, You blessed Bridgett with a husband who stayed with her and provided for her three daughters.

And now her husband is dead.

What do I say to someone who faithfully has given You all her life and asked for nothing in return? What is the reason for allowing this? I know leaning on my own understanding is fruitless, but Kerry is gone. What do I say? As my lament subsides, I realize I say nothing. Starting late last year, I have been in a valley, almost despondent beyond repair. And yet my valley pales in comparison to hers. And how either one of us responds in this valley is now the true reflection of our faith.

Allison Moorer

8/11/10…Goodbye, so long, fair-weather.

Flicking Ants

8/10/10…Has anyone ever experienced a nightmare move? This is ours; a chronicle of our trip as newlyweds from Clinton, Mississippi en route to Marion, Virginia.

Our UHaul reservation was canceled. The other UHaul place messed up our order and we had no furniture pads. The gas tank was only ¼ full knowing we had a 7 hour ride ahead of us. The UHaul transport insurance on your car was null and void, please do not ask why. Our movers were running late by an hour. It meant we would not leave Jackson until 2 hours later than we desired. The weather, let’s not talk about the Mississippi weather; hot and humid with a forecast of hot and humid. Sweat dripped off me and the heat drained you. On a brighter note, we ourselves were running late due to our love for one another just the day before. In a frenzy, we packed as fast as we could. Finally, our movers were done and we were done. Already the beginnings of our exhaustion were setting in.

Down the highway we went. After hours on the road we spot a sign to stop for gas. Driving a 26 foot truck with an auto transport is no easy task because if we get stuck, there is no way out. The most stressful part is stopping somewhere for gas where we know we can pull in and out easy. The billboard said a stop for Love’s, a perfect place to fit a 26 foot truck and transport. We pull off the highway and make the turn. Then we see the place is still under construction and there is nowhere to turn this massive vehicle around. We may be struck. Making a quick decision, we pull into a bank parking lot to the right of the road. We soon realize there may not be a way out. The truck clearance to get through the ATM area and around the bank to the road is too low. However, there is about a foot clearance in the roofline to maneuver the truck around. Slowly I inch around the overhang with you directing me. We barely make it and with a sigh of relief we exit.

Our gas tank is almost on empty so we have to stop before we get back on the highway. There is another gas station and we decide to stop. After $99 worth of gas, I pull the UHaul around and we go grab a quick 15 minute bite to eat. 1 hour later, we exit. We never knew it took that long to make a hamburger. We pay, exit the restaurant, and head over to the UHaul. I open the cab door and discover an ant infestation; there are literally thousands of ants crawling all around the door frame. I mean they are everywhere, thousands and thousands of these little nuisances. There is nothing we can do other than try and swipe them off with my Clemson hat, which by the way, does absolutely no good because there are so many of them. We have never seen anything like this. With no other option, we decide to bear it and climb back in the UHaul cab. As we depart, ants crawl on us and we flick them off one by one with our fingers. Nothing like driving 70 mph down the highway while trying to swiping ants off our bodies; looking back it is a sort of funny mental picture to imagine. No so much then. We still have 3-4 hours of drive time.

Dusk begins settling in. The Alabama roads are bumpy making us feel like we are in an unbalanced washing machine. Making our way towards Gadsen, all of a sudden a sign tells us “Trucks longer than 12 feet must exit”. It requires a split decision even though we have no idea what the sign means. We exit and make the turn where the detour signs show us go. Slowly we make our way down the 2 lane road until we approach an intersection with 2 detour signs telling us to go in different directions. We have no idea which way to go. Stuck, we turn on the emergency signal lights and sit trying to make a decision. Not knowing what to do we pull into a convenience store and ask for help. After some tentative advice, we take a sigh and head back to the interstate. As we make our way back onto the interstate, we notice there is construction and the lanes do indeed narrow. However, we are able to make our way through the entrance zone so we have no idea why the sign was there in the first place telling us to exit. Anyways, the construction zone is indeed narrow with the concrete barriers barely inches away from our trailer hitch. I slow down to 45 mph, grip the steering wheel tight and begin checking my mirrors constantly. Somehow after 12 miles, we make it through.

Now, night has settled in and still we have almost 2 hours to our destination. A rain storm suddenly hits and we struggle to see the white lines on the highway as rain pelts our windshield on the lonely stretch of highway. Making it through Chattanooga, you are exhausted and fall asleep as midnight approaches. Finally after another 30 minutes of driving we make it to our hotel for the night. Now we have to find a way to turn our massive vehicle around a dead end road where the hotel sits. We figure that out. Last of all, we had to figure out a way to park our massive 26 foot UHaul with the car transport so we can exit out the next morning. We figure that out. What a day. We flick a few more remaining ants off us.

At the end of the night, I lay in bed, and wrap my arms around you…