A Stone of Gratitude

A Stone of Gratitude
Carol Condon
carolcondon.blogspot.com


He made a quick call right before his flight took off. He simply asked if I would go by the store and purchase a bag of smooth black stones. He was in a hurry and couldn’t explain but asked to please have them when we picked him up.

As we left the airport we were all looking forward to having lunch together as a family. Mark asked me to bring in the package of stones. I was still confused but did as he requested. Once lunch was ordered he looked across the table at us, reached into the bag, and handed each one of us a black, smooth stone. He began to explain what all he was thankful for. He said that as long as we maintain a heart full of gratitude there would not be room for a complaining and negative spirit. The smooth stone was to represent a reminder to stop and be thankful. He asked us to place the stone into a pocket or wallet that would always be within our reach and that every time we touched it to stop and take a moment to be thankful.

A few months later we came to Illinois to visit with my Mom and Dad. Mark brought two stones with him. As we were sitting together one evening he handed each of my parents a stone as he told them how thankful he was for them. He went on to share with them what he had shared with us months earlier. They took the stones and put them in their pockets. Throughout the visit they would pull them out and “was thankful”.

A couple years later my Dad became quite ill. His health was further complicated when he fell and broke his hip. As hard as he tried to recover he was met with a variety of health issues resulting in the weakening of his body. This strong patriarch that so many drew strength from became confined to his home and the freedom of coming and going was lost to him.

On December 14, 2008, I lost my Dad. How devastating it was to realize that he was truly gone. Months later my Mom came up to Mark and said she had something for him that she knew my Dad would want him to have. She opened her hand and lying in her palm was a smooth, black stone. With tears in her eyes she told us the story that as she went to put away the last outfit that he had worn she felt something in his pocket…it was his little smooth stone; his simple reminder to be thankful.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
I Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

Mist of Confusion

Mist of Confusion
Carol Condon
carolcondon.blogspot.com


The night air was crisp accompanied by a dark sky illuminated with a host of stars glistening like diamonds. As I glanced up I was quickly reminded of how magnificent our Creator really is. In our home everyone was finishing all their daily goals and making preparations for our Sunday morning service that was just a few hours away. The morning broke with a beautiful sunrise. With a yawn and a stretch our family was in full motion.

As the van was loaded with our children and instruments I noticed the tiny blades of grass that were covered with little crystals marking the season’s first frost. It was breathtaking! Backing from the driveway we began our way to our Sunday morning rehearsal.

We were only about a mile into our drive when it seemed like we drove straight into a white blanket. Slowing down to a mere crawl we were trying to make sure we turned into the intersection and not into a field. How could the road we traveled many times a day become so confusing? We continued the rest of our way with extreme caution as all that stretched before us was a misty cloud making us question where we were going.

I began to think of the beauty of the night before. How did that beauty become so engulfed in such a mist of confusion? Then I saw the sun trying to break through the mist. The ground had cooled so much during the night gathering all the warmth of the day before and sending it up in a mist causing darkness and confusion as the sun began to wake the world.

In our journey of life we are often so sure of the road we are traveling. We have our plans and many times we tell the Lord of them instead of asking Him to order our steps. It is when we allow ourselves to become “cool” and He shines His warmth our direction that a mist of confusion arises. We suddenly begin questioning our direction. What seemed so sure and clear the day before can suddenly change into confusion. He has plans for us. Great plans full of hope. Will we allow Him to guide our lives?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

He Listens

He Listens
Carol Condon
carolcondon@aol.com


I noticed his limp when he came in from playing with his friends. As he got ready for bed he told me that his leg was really hurting. His older brothers suffered many nights with leg aches so I wasn’t too alarmed. We said our prayers and he went to bed.

The following morning, Chase came to me with a more pronounced limp and was holding onto his hip with tears in his eyes. He said that he was unable to lift his leg. I called our pediatrician and made the first available appointment.

As the doctor examined Chase he looked over his head with a worried expression and said we were going to be making a trip to Children’s. He did not want to alarm Chase, but he was trying to inform me of the need to hurry. He told me that he was calling Children’s and they would be ready for us. He suspected a rare problem in Chase’s hip that if correct he would need surgery in the next 24 hours or it could possibly affect the growth in that leg.

My mind was in a panic but I didn’t want Chase to know. I told him that the doctors were going to take pictures of the inside of his leg. As soon as we arrived we were ushered back to x-ray. There was an issue getting the proper personnel to read the report so they sent us home with a promise to call as soon as they knew something.

When we got home I got Chase settled on the couch. He let out a whimper and told me that he could barely move his leg at all. I felt something rise within me. I walked over and laid hands on Chase’s leg and said with much faith, “You are a worshiper, Chase, and in John 9:31 we are told that if any man be a worshipper and doeth His will, him He heareth.” He and I began to pray.

Just minutes later Chase got up to use the restroom. I heard a loud noise followed by yelling and feet stomping. I went running to see what happened. I found Chase jumping up and down shouting, “He did it, Mom! He did it, Mom! I felt something and all the pain is gone. Look at me now!” He took off running down our hallway shouting, “He did it!”

“…….but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”
John 9: 31

Benched

Benched
Carol Condon
carolcondon.blogspot.com


He could not seem to get back to sleep. Excitement was churning inside of him, as he knew he was mere hours away from gathering with his buddies on the field for the weekly Saturday morning ballgame. His glove was on the nightstand with the ball tucked inside waiting for his hand to join them. He lay ever so quietly dreaming of rounding third base heading home as he waited for the call to breakfast signifying the beginning of this sure to be exciting day.

The car was barely to a stop when he opened the door and ran to the field. He was all dressed in his clean uniform secretly wishing to have it smeared in dirt. He and his fellow players were just minutes away from the beginning of what was predicted as a sure win for their team. However, just before the first pitch of the day, the coach called his name followed by a simple glance to the bench. This eager little ball player walked to the bench with as much dignity as he could muster climbed up and took a seat.

The bench was not a complete surprise as he had spent a portion of each Saturday morning sitting there dreaming of the day that he would be holding the bat for the first pitch of the game instead of sitting on the sidelines watching the ball cross the plate.

How many times have we spent restless nights because of the excitement burning within us as we sense the nearness of reality meeting our dream? The vision has been documented, dreams have been dreamed, plans have been executed and ambition has been fueled. We are just eagerly awaiting the nod from our Coach. However, so many times His nod is in the form of a simple glance to the bench. We now have a choice to make. Do we walk over and take a seat with dignity keeping the dream alive by seeking His wisdom and direction or do we stomp over in anger as we have once again had “our plans” put on hold? Take the time on the bench to wait on Him and his nod. We are predicted to win!

Psalm 27:14
Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

The Remedy

The Remedy
Carol Condon
carolcondon5@aol.com


I heard the soft whimpering and was quickly awakened from my sleep. I immediately went in search of which of my children’s bedroom it was coming from. As I suspected, it was another leg ache. I grabbed the Children’s Tylenol and ran downstairs. I found him rolling from side to side, crying out in his sleep. Bryce had so many leg aches in his early childhood, but I knew that once I came in with a prayer, a dose of painkiller along with gently massaging the affected leg he would soon be back to a peaceful sleep.

In my kitchen I have a couple shelves dedicated to my “remedies”. There are “over the counter cures” for sore throats, night time and day time coughs, sun burns, fever blisters, aches and pains, allergies, cuts and burns, indigestion, poison ivy and the list goes on.

As we grow older, there are other remedies that we migrate to. After a stressful day we head to the local Starbucks for our much needed boost of the day or plan a day of shopping therapy to balance out the stress we have been living under. However, all these remedies have a short shelf life.

My children have grown out of the leg ache era and have now entered into a time of different “growing pains”. There is not an over the counter remedy for these pains. Sadly, we have all grown accustomed to seeking out an easy cure for what seems to be bothering us. We grab a glass of water, take the proper dosage and expect to be feeling better in the time the directions tell us that we will.

Mark and I have been faced with so many decisions in our lifetime together. There were many times when it would have been so much easier to head to the local pharmacy. However, we have the best Pharmacist. He has given us so many remedies for everything we could possible encounter in this journey of life. One of His remedies is to follow peace. He is not the author of confusion (I Corinthians 14:33) and even in turmoil He offers peace beyond understanding (Philippians 4:7). We would all feel so much better if we would take His prescription and expect to feel better just as His directions say we would!

Hebrews 12:14 (KJV)
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

The Step Ladder

The Step Ladder
Carol Condon
carolcondon5@aol.com

Dust seemed to settle everywhere. Wasn’t it just yesterday that I had cleaned? Apparently not, because when I visited the calendar I could see that it had been days ago. From the windows to the baseboards there was ample dust to go around. Even the blades of the ceiling fan had been affected and seemed to say, “Have mercy on me!” Denial would not work. A thorough day of cleaning was a must.

As music began to swirl around me I hummed along as I cleaned surface after surface. There was plenty to do that was just within my reach, but if I were to finish I would have to reach beyond what was directly in front of me. So, I worked my way toward the windows.

I raised the blinds to make them more accessible to me. I aimed the spray of Windex reaching to the top and following through to the bottom of each windowsill. Grabbing the paper towels I reached toward the top of the first window when I realized that the upper portion was just out of my reach. It was easy to see that I needed some assistance. I made a visit to our garage and brought in the stepladder. From the rungs of the ladder I reached forward and the dust of yesterday was wiped away.

How often do we find similar challenges in this journey of life? Our lives become so busy and complicated as we fit as much as possible or is it impossible in it. Day after day we have good intentions but soon it is time to bid one day goodbye as we welcome the gift of a new day. In doing so we become overwhelmed with the dust of life.

In order to wipe away the dust of our yesterdays we have to reach forward and many times it is just beyond our reach. That is when we have to go after the “stepladder” for some assistance. It is impossible for us to strain beyond our present circumstances without His assistance.

Philippians 3:13 NIV
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

The Menu

The Menu
Carol Condon
carolcondon5@aol.com


For some reason every time we walked in we were escorted to the back and seated at the secluded table along the wall away from everyone. At first we thought we were getting preferential treatment; however, we soon realized that when they saw the six of us walking in they didn’t want to take a risk and seat us among the many guests already dining in case we were too much of a distraction.

The first thing needing to be settled was who gets to sit where. That was a job all in itself. Once that was finalized we all became engrossed in reading the menu. The entrées were listed along with the sides that could be chosen to accompany the main dish. Mentally we made our selections according to each one of our preferences. As our waiter listened patiently to each one of us he recorded our choices.

Mark didn’t just want a side salad. He wanted a side salad without tomatoes and cucumbers. Jared wanted to make sure his side salad had cheese added. Chase requested that his grilled chicken sandwich was plain and without mayonnaise. Miquel wanted to substitute rice in place of the refried beans and Bryce and I added our own touches to the meals that we ordered. I was sighing in relief that I didn’t have to make all these substitutions in my own kitchen. As long as the chef followed the order correctly we would soon be enjoying our meal that we directed according to our own personal tastes.

How often to we come to the Lord holding our menu and stating our personalized order. We enter the prayer closet all ready for Him to record our preferences. We would like a new home, but not just any home in any neighborhood. Our budget needs assistance, Lord, but we need it to be like this, and we go on to explain just how we would like it done. The lonely single is now ready to place an order. “Lord, I have done most of my single wish list and now I am ready for marriage. I prefer someone in the 6 figures, tall, never forgets to put the lid on the toothpaste…..” We then begin looking for “our order.” Do we actually miss what He has for us because we only have our eyes searching for what we want? Let’s set the menu aside and allow him to order our steps.

Psalm 37:23 KJV
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.