Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Boilerplate

I’m Harold Dykstra.  I’m retired, but I go to food bank distributions all over Tracy and talk to people that need someone who will listen to their story.  My time is well spent.  A police lieutenant suggested that I write down the conversations that I had with an angel.  I did not know she was an angel at the time.  The angel, for a little over a year, indwelled a life-sized posable action figure my children bought me, so that I would not be perceived as travelling alone.  And in a way, she was training me for what I do while talking to the needy.  She probed my heart to find out what I believed and how I express love for others.  She changed my life.

In her leaving, she said someone would come.  I had thought that was Jesus, in His second coming, but a new Babs, a little older, the model for the posable action figure arrived.  While I had no desire to start over with romance, Morrie helped her move in, thinking she was the other Babs who had returned.

This Week’s Question

Last week, Babs and I went on a couple of dates. Sadie and Maddie took us to a women’s rugby game where Maddie was hoping to talk her mother into letting her play at Flintheart on the high school team.  But we enjoyed the game and visited with Pink Lady and other friends that were there to support the T.R.U.S.T. coach, recently married Anahera Sutherland.

This week, Babs was nowhere to be found.  Sadie came by at dawn.  They thought I was asleep, but I heard them whisper that they needed the escape to be before I knew what was going on.  I drifted back off to sleep.  The disconcerting part of the hole thing was that her cell phone was turned off.  The same was true for Sadie and Willie.  Finally, my son-in-law, Pastor Gil Whitefield admitted that they had not left Tracy, but I could guarantee the return of Babs not long after dinner time, a little after dark.

Okay, I had work to do.  I called up Mary Jones and went to Lily the Pink.  We ran through a lot of video and I got an idea of how to use some of it in an advertisement.  I was back by midafternoon.  I called Babs’ phone just to get her voice mail each time.  It was obvious that the phone was turned off.  Since she was offline, I decided to take a nap.

I woke up when I heard laughter in the living room.  I went in to see four of the women in my life, laughing, and acting conspiratorially.  The ladies were Babs, Sadie, Willie, and Maddie.

I said, “Welcome home.  Why were your phones off?”

Babs said, “Don’t be upset, Sweetie.  Do you notice anything different?”

Bells were ringing in my ears.  This was a trap.  She looked like she always did, but if I did not see anything different, I was a dead man.  So, sad.  Just eleven days before the wedding, and I am executed for not seeing some change, when her hair was the same, dressed the same, no makeup as usual…  I had an idea.

I smiled, “Your face has a certain glow.  I think you must have gone to some place that does facial treatments.  There is definitely a glow.  From the aroma, maybe aroma therapy massage.  Rubbing down with one essential oil or another.”

Babs smiled, “Should I tell him?”

Sadie moaned, “He probably went to Gil’s office and use the bamboo chutes under the fingernails.  Willie, make sure he is in adequate pain when you get home.”

Willie giggled, “Can we chalk it up to Dad being very observant?  I promised Gil no wedded bliss for a month if he talked.”

I laughed, “All he said was Babs was safe and would be home too late for dinner.  He gave me no hints, and he never said the three of you were part of this conspiracy.  And what is Maddie doing out of school today?”

Babs giggled, “We got permission to steal her away from her classes.  She is high honor roll.  And to answer your question, the four of us had a spa day.”

I growled, “Babs, that cost us a fortune.”

Babs shrugged, “It cost us nothing.  Morrie gave Sadie a prepaid credit card for $1,000, and I think she has some money left on it.  It’s not a gift card, so she can buy groceries with what’s left.”

Sadie laughed, ‘Since there was four of us, we got a group discount.  I’ll have enough for groceries for a month.  Morrie treated me wrong.  He is now giving to the church and pampering me for sticking by his side.  I was really sticking by the children.  I don’t demand the pampering, but Morrie feels that he owes me some pampering.”

I asked, “So, what spa treatments did you have?”

Babs said, “We swam for a while to get the muscles limbered up.  Then we went to the sauna, following by a dip in the hot tub.  Then we had a mud bath.”

I asked, “Were you appropriately dressed?  I have heard that some of these things are clothing optional.”

Babs came over and kissed me.  “Harold, we were appropriately dressed.  We swam wearing our bathing suits.  Maddie had a bikini and the rest of us had one-piece swimsuits.  Then we were appropriately dressed for the sauna – naked as a jaybird.  It was the four of us and our female concierge.  She was dressed.  Swimsuits back on for the hot tub, and them naked for the mud bath.  We then had facials and a foot hot tub.  Then we had a mani-pedi.” She flashed her nails.  “See! Mardi Gras colors!  Then, as you guessed, we ended with a combination aroma massage and the hot stone thing.  I feel so relaxed, you may have to pour me into the bed tonight.”

I asked, “Is someone going to stay here and help you with that?  I do not think an unmarried man should be pouring his fiancée anywhere, much less a bed.”

Maddie asked, “Mom, can I tell Pake what the concierge said about us when we were in the sauna?”

Sadie said, “Absolutely not!”  After I snickered, she groaned, “I’ll tell him.  All four of us had no clothing on.  Other than the concierge, we were all family.  The concierge knew we were all family, and this was a treat for the bride.  She surmised that Maddie was too young.  She saw that Willie and I had given birth to children and guessed that Maddie was my daughter.  But then she said that Babs did not look young enough to be my daughter, so the rest stumped her.  I was so embarrassed.  But as for the three of us, Babs is a museum specimen.  Venus de Milo with arms.”

Maddie snickered, “I think she has more upper frontals than Venus de Milo.”

Willie purred, “Dad, you are one blessed man.  She is quite lovely.”

Babs groaned, “I was lovely once, before gravity took over.”

Maddie moaned, “Gravity has had more effect on me and I’m younger than you are.”

I smiled, “I can wait another eleven days to find out.  I love whatever I see.  I have already seen past skin deep.  ‘Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.’ (Proverbs 31:30-31).”

Babs said, “Harold, I appreciate having spent the day with two daughters and a granddaughter.  They are each lovely too.  But I felt like Esther, but Esther’s treatment took a year.  ‘Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.’ (Esther 2:13-14). Then Esther asked the eunuch in charge of her beauty treatments what she should ask for rather than asking for what she wanted.  That helped make King Xerxes’ decision.”

Sadie asked, “In just one day, Babs, you look ready to be presented to the King.”

Babs moaned, “I have so many imperfections.”

I smiled, “Babs, on our wedding night, tell me the worst of your imperfections, and I will kiss it and love it.  It will be more lovely than anything I have seen in a long while.”

Babs fanned herself with a brochure from the spa.  “Harold!  Making such a lewd suggestion with three very impressionable ladies present.”  Maddie, Sadie, and Willie were laughing uncontrollably.  Then Babs purred, “But on our wedding night, I’ll take you up on that offer.”

It was only then when I knew what she was talking about.  I thought I was saying something romantic, but …

I changed the subject.  “Are the ladies staying for the Bible Study?”

Willie laughed, “We already had one in the presence of the concierge, in that she could not leave us by ourselves except to go to the bathroom.

Maddie laughed, “Yeah! We talked about beauty.  Babs started with Proverbs 31, what you quoted.  Then she went to Psalm 45:11. ‘Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.’”

Sadie laughed, “But then I mentioned ‘You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.’ (Isaiah 62:3).  But in case Morrie is about to buy me some jewelry, don’t mention ‘Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.’ (1 Peter 3:3-4) I need my bling.”

Babs said, “Harold, I am so glad that I have repented.  That was not the case in ancient Jerusalem. ‘All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at Daughter Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?”’ (Lamentations 2:15).  And you will gain the prize of whatever I have left in me.”

Maddie said, “Which is a lot.  I hope I might have half of that someday.”

Sadie groaned, “Maddie.  Love what you have now.  You are a lovely girl, and you will become a lovely woman, unless the Fly-Half thing on the rugby team breaks your face someday.”

Maddie laughed, “They wear leather helmets, or denim, to protect the hair and ears.  Goggles are optional.  I will be alright.  If I am the number 10 Fly-Half, I will be waiting for the scrum-half to get the ball and lateral it to me.  Then, I would run in the open field.  Of course, if I don’t lateral to another player, I could get tackled. Then, I might end up at the bottom of the ruck.”

Babs asked, “You showed us those things last week.  The rucks can get naughty at times.  But if you want to do that, it will be great exercise.”

Maddie nodded, “Yeah!  Joseline Johnson likes being the goalie on the Lily the Pink water polo team, but rugby exercises the muscles in a completely different way.  And both help each other when it comes to endurance.”

I said, “But back to the subject of beauty.  Ezekiel spoke of the beauty of Jerusalem, but it applies as a warning to anyone who relies on their beauty. ‘“‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his. You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.’ (Ezekiel 16:15-16)”

Maddie laughed, “Pake!  That is way too much, but none of us wants to use our beauty for something like that!”

Babs smiled and I could read her thoughts. ‘If Maddie only knew…’

Willie asked, “What about the beautiful city of Tyre?  ‘Men of Arvad and Helek guarded your walls on every side; men of Gammad were in your towers. They hung their shields around your walls; they brought your beauty to perfection.’ (Ezekiel 27:11). And then in the next chapter, ‘I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor.’ (Ezekiel 28:7).  It all comes back to Proverbs 31 for the woman.  We need to clothe ourselves with honor and character.  But for a bride.  She must look good, and Babs glows.”

Sadie said, “I think we better help Babs upstairs and into bed.  She may be glowing, but she will pass out if she sits in that chair any longer.”

Babs groaned, “But Sadie dear, I have to kiss my fiancé good night.”  With that accomplished, they were all three helping her up the stairs.  She was a little rubber legged.

The three ladies laughed as they came back downstairs and they kissed me goodbye also.

Credits

All these conversations remind me of my conversations with my wife.  We would talk about anything and everything.  And most of the time, it sounded like a discussion in a Sunday school class.

My wife was given a spa treatment by her sisters, not a full-day spa extravaganza.  She talked about it for years, but she looked at the price and thought she could do most of that stuff at home.  I was not good at massage, but she always enjoyed my attempts.  I must have done some good.  She kept asking for more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.