My Perla

We drove out to the airport last night to pick up my dear sweet friend Perla, who flew in from Colorado Springs to spend Thanksgiving with us. I believe the plane was blown here as that arctic blast moved into the area. In fact, they landed 15 minutes early, but couldn't unload because there was a plane in their spot.

I haven't spent much time at this airport, so I was unsure where we were to meet the disembarking plane people, so I followed the crowd. I went to the point where they have signs that warn you if you go any farther an alarm would sound, and there I waited.

I found tears were forming and I couldn't put my finger on why. Granted, this was Perla, who had shared in and was huge part of my soup kitchen days. I hadn't seen her in 7 years, yet we usually talk once a year. So maybe I just missed her and was excited to see her again.

Then it hit me, Perla is part of God's success story in me. I had the bull by the horns when I ran Manna and Perla stood right beside me! Do you have someone in your life that made history with you? Then you have a Perla too.

As I look at her now, I see her hearing God as we speak. I admire how she has stood for what God has called her to and I know she is one in a million. 

Perla and I fed the hungry together for about 3 years. We laughed, cried and grew together because that was God's plan. I believe He still has something in mind for us even if I don't know what it is.

This year, I'm thankful for a God who has put people in my life that remind me that I'm not a failure, that I can do ministry, and that God is bigger than all the ones who say differently.

Question One!

Part of my "official training" as a spiritual director had my path cross the path of Rev. Dr. Frederick Schmidt. Dr. Fred has done and continues to do so much for the Kingdom of God. On top of everything else, he is an Episcopal Priest. Dr Fred lost his brother in January to a brain tumor. His brother's name is Dave. 

Dave asked the hard questions about spirituality and the church. While Dr. Fred was one of my professors, he talked about writing a book called The Dave Test. It is now out and his blog is taking some time, in the next 10 weeks, to ask some question to see if it passes The Dave Test. So if I feel like it, I'm going to ask us to think about those questions too.

Taking the Dave Test during the Holidays

Question One: "Can I say life sucks?"

Illness, job loss, divorce, anniversary of the death of a loved one, these are a small showing for things that can and do happen around the holidays. Suffering doesn't take a holiday. These experiences are, by nature, isolating. They cut us off from what and who we have known. I mean think about it, how many people are going through a divorce in your church? Do you know? They usually stop going to church. 

During the holiday's we assume that everyone should be sweep along in the holly jolliness of it all. How many times have you heard someone say "Oh, get over it, it's Christmas!" "Can't you just get in the spirit of the season?" Hang on a minute…let me think about it…."Can I just say life sucks?"

Sometimes I think we forget Jesus was born in the shadow of Herod's raging paranoia! Children, baby boys, were being killed by huge numbers. But God...

Holiday celebrations that pass the Dave test are honest about those realities and people who can say, “life sucks” they are among the best to celebrate with on those holidays. Why? Well, why not? When we acknowledge that life can be hard, we open ourselves up to possibilities of seeing hope. Hope in the people who have suffered before you and lived through it. We might need to celebrate the holidays without ignoring life's realities. We might want to share our story with someone who needs to hear some hope.

So, can I say that life sucks? Well friends, right now it does. But God…..