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 was praying for healing.  There were a lot of people on the church prayer list.

This week Babs was making very obvious statements.  Her phone had an alarm set for early morning.  We had a food bank distribution to go to.

Babs turned off the alarm and said, “Harold, it’s dark.”

I said, “Yes dear, that is usually the case when it is nighttime.”

Babs said, “But Harold, I tried the light switch, and nothing happened.”

I sighed, “Yes dear, that’s usually the case when there is a power outage.”

Babs gasped.  “Harold, are you just going to take this sitting down?”

I sighed, “No Babs, you are unable to see right now, but I am not taking this sitting down.  I am prone.  I am taking this lying down.”

Babs said, “Harold, you are an engineer.  Do something!”

I shrugged, “Babs, I already have.  I awoke an hour ago.  I called in the outage.  There was a three-hour estimate.  I would give them twice that.  Maybe we’ll have power by lunch time.  The outage does not stretch as far as the food bank, so we will need to get ready and go.”

Babs groaned, “But Harold, how can I put my face on when I cannot see my face?”

I flipped on a flashlight.  I said, “’And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.’ (Genesis 1:3-5).”

Babs giggled, “Harold, I have no idea what is worse.  Your matter-of-fact engineering way of addressing our present disaster.  Or you quoting Scripture in the dark.”

I said, “Babs.  Trust in God.  He will provide. ’ Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.’ (Psalm 119:105).  There is a gallon jug of water in the bathroom.  I have a towel propped next to the jug.  Lay the flashlight so that it shines into the jug of water.  The light will be dim, but the entire room should light up.  The water diffuses the light and sends it out in all directions.  You have a natural beauty about you, Babs.  You rarely put on a lot of makeup.  You should have plenty of light to do your morning ablutions.  ’In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’ (John 1:4-5).”

Babs groaned, “But Harold, you do not realize how much work it takes to have this ‘natural beauty’ you are talking about.  And where does it say that Jesus is the light?”

I shrugged, “That is later in the Gospel of John. ‘When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”’ (John 8:12).  And don’t worry about me. ‘Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.’ (Micah 7:8).”

Babs took the flashlight.  She rummaged through her drawers and the armoire, and she went to the bathroom.  When she returned, she shined the light in my direction.  She said, “Harold, you’re dressed.  Did you get dressed in the dark or ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Psalm 27:1)?  See, I took my phone to the bathroom and looked that one up.”

I asked, “Can it be both of your ideas?  Or is there a third option?  Could I have already been dressed, and my lovely bride did not notice when I handed her the flashlight?  Has the spark left our marriage already?”

Babs asked, “But Harold, it’s dark.  How could I see that you were dressed in the dark?”

I said, “More stating of the obvious.  You could have touched me, Babs.  You know?  That thing that married couples do?  Touch?  ‘When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’”’ (Mark 5:27-31).  She touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.  You didn’t even touch me to know that I was wearing a garment.”

Babs crawled into bed, and we snuggled.  “Harold, you know what early morning snuggling leads to…”

I sighed, “Yep.  It leads to the phone ringing.  Hello, Morrie, how are you?”  I had it on speaker.

Morrie said, “The power is out!”

I groaned, “Is this national “Speak the Obvious” Day?  Did I miss the memo?”

Morrie said, “But you have a food bank distribution this morning.”

Babs snickered, “Good morning, Morrie.  Your Dad and I are awake.  We are just snoogling and canoodling a little bit.”

Sadie said (probably they had the phone on speaker), “But canoodling leads to not having clothes on.  You have a food bank distribution across town.”

I moaned, “More stating the obvious!  We might not be as beautiful as we normally are, but we can manage.”

Babs smiled, “Speak for yourself, Harold! For someone who got dressed in near total darkness, I look ravishing.  But I have my hair in a ponytail.  I hope they don’t mind. ‘but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.’ (1 Corinthians 11:15).  But I don’t think Paul ever had to brush his long hair in the dark.”

I smiled, “You had light.  You used my water jug hack.”

Morrie laughed, “I keep a gallon jug of water in the bathroom just for that emergency.  That and a water outage when you really have to go to the bathroom.”

Babs frowned, “Yuck!  Morrie that was a disgusting thought, but with that, I am wide awake.”

We signed off with Sadie and Morrie.  We got our things that we always take with us to food banks, and we were off.

As we went down the street, Babs groaned, “Harold, what was that about my natural beauty?  I just don’t feel it right now.”

I smiled, “I love the way you look with or without makeup.  You are the most beautiful woman I know, but if you want God’s Word, how about… ’ For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.’ (Psalm 139:13-15).  And another one… ’He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:11).”

Babs laughed, “Thank you, Harold.  I needed that.”

The food bank distribution went very well.  The others in the crew complimented Babs on her ponytail.  They talked about how practical it was as the days were getting warmer.  Babs just smiled and nodded.  None of the people on that side of town had been affected by the power outage and we never brought it up.

And it was a little after lunch when we drove down our driveway and into the garage.  As we walked up the steps and into the house, in the middle of the day, every light was on.  No, I take that back.  The light over the stove was not on.

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.

In February 1994, we had been without power for three weeks during an ice storm.  We just had to get out.  We drove to Florence, Alabama to have a nice dinner and we saw a movie.  When we returned, the power had been restored – and every light in the house was on.

These days during power outages, I flip the lights back off, usually, but I will leave a fan with the switch on so that the noise will let me know the power is back on.  Without a CPAP running, I do not sleep well.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.