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 had a spa day.

This week, Babs was lounging in a comfy chair in the living room.  She had an ottoman to keep her feet propped.  I thought she was asleep when I entered the room.

She opened her eyes and said, “Join me, Harold.  I plan on doing nothing today.  We have no food bank distributions.  It’s not a night for feeding the homeless.  Tim called and said they had all the shelves stocked at our church’s food bank.  And I went through all the details for the wedding last night with Pink.  She called me last night after vespers to tell me everything was planned or already setup.  We may have a few decorations in disarray.  They were going to be partying all weekend, having a walking Mardi Gras parade through the Crystal Mountain for the children and the adults.  But we have the Crystal Mountain for the wedding rehearsal.  Then pink buses will take us to the Niblick’s kitchen for the rehearsal dinner.  There is absolutely nothing left to plan.  God says, ‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’ (Isaiah 41:10).”

I went to the recliner next to her chair, and I cranked it back to match her repose.  I sighed, “I thought you were going to be a bridezilla.  You were fretting over all the details.”

Babs chuckled, “Not really, Harold.  I would ask about this or that and Pink would say that it was taken care of.  I had input in color schemes, cake size and design, all little stuff.  I think Pink has trusted contractors.  She said she knows a couple of places that have greenhouses full of flowers with refrigerators to force flowers that would not normally bloom this time of year.  But I think one of those greenhouse operations is in Doyle County and owned by Pink Lady.  It exclusively made water lilies for her cider, but with so many water lilies growing in the troughs over your head in the Crystal Mountain and more growing in Florida, they may have repurposed the Doyle County greenhouses for flowers, at least some of them.  That way, she keeps the profits from her wedding destination in house.  Makes good business sense.  So, here I sit like a bird in the wilderness.”

I had to ask, “Where did you learn that old song?”

Babs scrunched her nose, “That’s an old song?  I heard it from a production assistant back at my old job.  We’d have everything ready and the guy in the scene wasn’t there.  So, the production assistant would say that a few times and then say ‘waiting for the idiot to show.’  I had no idea it was a song.”

I smiled, “An old scouting song.  There were countless verses.  Here we sit like a bug on a cedar log, like a bee in a honey pot, and my favorite was the fly in the marmalade.”

Babs scrunched her nose again, “Eew, Harold!  That’s disgusting!  Who wants a fly in the marmalade?”

I laughed, “No one does, Babs.  But on scouting outings, anything could happen.  But the point of the song is to be on time.  No one wants to be a fly suck in the marmalade or a bee stuck in a honey pot.  The person that does not come on time has wasted everyone else’s time, except for learning a new song while they waited.”

Babs smiled, “Harold, you never cease to amaze me.  ‘Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy.’ (Psalm 99:3).  You are not up to God’s standard, but you are the next best thing for me.”

I sighed, “But Babs, this inactivity can become contagious.  James said, ‘If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.’ (James 4:17).  And Solomon wrote in Proverbs, ‘How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?’ (Proverbs 6:9) and ‘Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?’ (Proverbs 24:11-12).”

Babs cackled, “Harold, it is one day.  Tomorrow, we are at our own church with the distribution.  I will be working circles around you.  Of course, you just sit there and talk to people.  That is very important, but you need someone flying like a whirling dervish getting cans and boxes of food into shopping bags and boxes.”

I said, “I would love to see you whirl like a dervish, but those are men doing that.  I will stick to what God put on my heart, talking to people.  That is hard work.  You have no idea what they are going to talk about.  You need to be ready.”

Babs reached over and patted my hand, “Oh, you poor dear.  Let’s pray about that. …  See, I have the lingo down and I didn’t even break into a sweat.”

I moaned, “It’s more than that, and you know it.”

Babs laughed, “But your laundry list of sluggard warnings did not include ‘We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.’ (2 Thessalonians 3:11-12).  Come on, Harold.  Tomorrow we are busy at the church.  Sunday is the worship service, and then Gil and Willie are coming over with the children for a late lunch.  Then, Monday night is the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.  Four days, Harold!  Four days!  And it came to me when I woke up. ”The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever’ (Psalm 23).  Harold, if we do not have this, God does.  Let us rest beside the quiet waters, and don’t give the lecture that sheep are afraid of rushing water.”

I sighed, “Okay, I won’t, but I memorized the KJV version in my youth.  The NIV says the same thing in modern language, but to my ears, it’s just weird.  Psalm 23 and John 3:16, I prefer those in the KJV.”

Babs groaned, “Here we go again.  Another lecture.”

I said, “I thought my explaining of things in the Bible was what attracted you to me.”

Babs shrugged, “Sure, but now you are lecturing about two different translations of the Bible that say the same thing.  Okay, we do not say ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ like they did in the old days, but I agree that the KJV seems more poetic.  And if you memorized the verses one way, any other way would seem off.  But get over it, Harold.  Sit back.  Relax.  All the wedding plans are in place and being done without our interference.  Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ (Matthew 11:28-30).”

Willie and the children burst into the room.  “What are you two doing resting?  You do realize that the wedding is just four days away?”

Babs turned to me, “Harold, meet my future stepdaughter and her darling children.  She is going to be my matron of honor-zilla.  See, I have nothing to worry about.  Willie will worry for me.  If she persists, explain it to her.”

Willie huffed.  It seemed smoke was coming out of her ears.

I smiled, “Jesus said, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“’I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
“’As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other’ (John 15:1-17).  Now, Wilhelmina, the children can go downstairs and play with Sugar.  It’s a warm day today.  They can go in the backyard and run her around on the leash.  As for you, there is the wedding planner on the kitchen table.  I doubt if you will find a block not checked and rechecked, except for those things that have to wait until Monday and the wedding day on Tuesday.  And while you are doing that, Babs and I will be in here loving one another.”

Willie said, “From the looks of things, you will be sleeping.”

I sighed, “Willie, we will be loving all introverts in the entire world.  Introverts love being left alone.  And that is what we will give them right now.”

Babs snickered, “Harold, I love you.”

Willie then suggested, “Should you not be practicing your vows?”

I sighed, “Wilhelmina, we have them on little cards. If we get flustered, we can read it.”

Without opening her eyes, Babs added, “Besides, Willie, we have the vows mesmerized.”

Willie did as told, and we soon heard the children laughing in the backyard.  It was not long before I heard rhythmic breathing coming from the comfy chair next to me.

I closed my eyes and praised God for sending me such a wonderful woman.  Babs was full of energy and love.  And she was eager to learn more about God.  That was one thing we did every day.

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.

The use of mesmerize instead of memorize is part of an old Justin Wilson joke.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.