Dear TSJ Friends,
Have you had trouble getting traction for your goals and dreams since our pandemic started?
Have you noticed that just when you start to feel positive or hopeful again something unwanted happens and you loose your footing causing hope and happiness to slip out from under your feet? Sometimes falling flat on your face (figuratively speaking)?
Do you find yourself clinging to what used to work but feel frustrated that it no longer does?
Has anything challenged you so much that you have been forced to let go of what you thought you knew and shelve your plans and dreams at least for awhile?
Do encouraging words sound hollow even though you want to hear or read encouraging news? Are you more distracted than usual?
→If you are nodding yes to any of these questions, count me in too.←
Since it has been many long weeks since I have written, Solomon (remember him?) decided to take matters in his own hands. When I came into the office he was sitting at the computer.
He insists that just because we have to isolate from COVID and wear masks we do not have to mask our true feelings and withdraw into our own world of thoughts and fears. We need each other more than ever.
And my months of sciatic pain on top of what we all are facing this year have brought me back home to the basics of my “why” for starting TSJ Wednesday Wisdom (WW) letters. I still deeply believe that at various stops on our shared life journeys each of us can use words of comfort, courage and confidence to keep going! Even if we hear them over and over. The heart yearns for those three Cs.
Still, I fell prey to the inner demon that says there are already enough voices clamoring for our attention. It felt like anything I write would lack the richness of flavor our hearts’ taste buds crave.
I told myself people are weary and wary of lots of words telling us how to think, act and feel.
Yet my own inner wisdom whispered- words are instruments of soul.
So muse Solomon reminded me that while we are often overwhelmed, we humans gravitate toward stories and like little children we like tend to learn best from hearing them over and over. After all, at heart we are all still children. God’s children. Way down deep in our hearts.
With that, Solomon sat down and said, “Why not get started writing again by telling your people about Hendrix and His Slippery Socks?”
HENDRIX AND HIS SLIPPERY SOCKS.
One sunny morning about six weeks ago our 13 month old grandson Hendrix came over with his daddy to see grammy and grampy. It was a cool morning so daddy had dressed Hendrix in soft warm sweat pants and cute little socks.
Rays of sun splashed across the living room above his head, making him look angelic as he played with colored building bricks that I had dumped out on the floor. He was at the stage of putting things back into containers and concentrated hard on picking them all up. One by one he put them in the red box. Except for a red one that fit perfectly in his little hand.
After that he decided to explore. His daddy went out the front door to get something from his car. Hendrix crawled down the hall after him. He whimpered when the door closed and daddy was out of sight. Grampy picked him up and soothed him, but he wanted to explore. Gently placing him back down, Grampy and I stood adoringly by to watch over him. Hendrix crawled toward a door stop that – when touched – springs back and forth. It is very noisy (and often irritating). It scared Hendrix.
His daddy is out of sight and he now he is scared. Not a good combo.
Thankfully, this did not deter him for long. He sought other distractions. He turned and crept back toward the kitchen area of the great room. He had trouble crawling without falling on the hard wood floors. His soft sweats and socks and the brick prevented him from getting a good grip. Crawling was a lot of work – though a bit amusing and touching to watch. He never gave up.
All the while, he continued to clench that little red brick in his left fist. It clicked on the hardwood floors as he crawled along.
Since he was beginning to learn to stand up by holding onto things, he propelled himself forward toward the kitchen cabinets.
Soon he tried to stand up holding them while reaching for the cabinet handles. But his balance was tenuous and his socks were so slippery his feet slo-o-owly slid out from under him as his hands sli-i-id down the cabinet door. He cried out – more mad than hurt about that.
Grampy picked him up, and while he was flinging his little legs back and forth in the air, I took off his socks.
Now he was happy. He could keep his footing and get a grip on the doors and door handles as he walked along the cupboards.
Still all of this time, he held tightly onto that little red plastic brick.
Very shortly his father came back. At first Hendrix’s back was to his daddy. Daddy could see Hendrix but Hendrix could not see daddy. We all felt some sweet soulful understanding of this scene. We adults were quietly and consistently offering him some comfort, endorsing his natural courage to keep on, and oh, the confidence he showed as we clapped for all of his successes.
Suddenly he looked up and saw father. Oh if you only could have seen that little face. Light. Joy. Happiness. Safety. Hope and pure love radiated from him as he snuggled into his daddy’s shoulder. This is where his true confidence kicked in. Confidence goes with faith and trust. We confide in those whom we trust.
Hendrix dropped the brick. He let go.
Now with both hands free he walked along the cabinets strong and brave with good traction on those tiny little bare feet. Soon he was hungry and ready for new adventures
And Coach Grammy’s heart was soft as mush.
I realized I too hold onto shining objects or promises or outdated information, I too slip on slippery slopes of losing faith and listening to negative echos all around and within me and I too depend on distractions for my comfort rather than allowing the Shepherd (played by “grampy” for Hendrix)) to care for me until I can see the Father who always sees me.
With love and appreciation for the TSJ community. Thank you as always for being faithful and encouraging and inspiring to us. May you find strength for these days.
We welcome your emails and your stories.
Margie and Solomon
