“Back in My Day…”
I recently came across a fellow blogger who reminded me so much of my grandfather when he was alive that I had to smile. Mr. Geezer’s comical approach to life’s progress was both endearing and thought provoking. As he marveled at today’s youth and the challenges they think they face, I had to chuckle. Don’t we all have similar memories and anecdotes of a time much harder than the next generation? Everyone over the age of 25 can think of at least one instance when life required a bit more elbow grease than the whippersnappers of the new millennium. The absence of progress can be defined in the steps we choose to take to overcome our everyday inconveniences. Mr. Geezer can testify here…
“We didn't have fancy stuff like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it! There weren't any cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!”
So I had to respond. Naturally he would have to assume that in asking the general blogging population what their childhood was like, he would get a wide variety of answers from many different age groups. While it wasn’t my intent to make anyone feel old, I did have to throw my two cents in and see where my money took me…
“I grew up just a fraction of a second before the internet invaded everybody's lives. Pagers were the recommended form of communication and Reagan was in the process of getting dethroned. Nintendo was a dirty word in our house when my mother realized that every time Super Mario Brothers was on my brother's eyes would glaze over and he would forget his own name. It was a dangerous time to live in, my friend. The good news is that I survived the Loma Prieta earthquake, public transportation, New Kids on the Block, and Milli Vanilli…”
While it’s easy to gripe about how much harder it was for us, we need to keep in mind that our future is about to collide with our past. Everything that we take for granted now will be obsolete and worthless as the world gets ready for a kind of progress they will neither be prepared for nor equipped to handle.
“It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Revelation 13:7-8
“He shall enter peaceably, even into the riches places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds…”
Daniel 11:24
“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened…”
Matthew 24:22
While we bemoan the luxuries of our younger counterparts we need to keep in mind that life is not going to get easier for any of us. We are headed toward disaster in the form of a good looking foreign guy who is both alluring and evil. He will appear as the great savior, having the answer to all our economic and social problems. That is when we will mourn for a simpler time.
Until then, it would be wise for all of us to enjoy the time we’ve been given while we’re here and make the most of it. Some of us will not see the atrocities that are coming and even now are praying that our loved ones will be spared from them as well. While we’re here we need to thank God for the life we have today and use every moment to its fullest. Share the love of Jesus with everyone you can and praise Him for every breath you take. Don’t dwell on past mistakes and failures but use every mistake as an opportunity to grow and go forward. Use the gifts you’ve been given and change the world, one good deed at a time.
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I have a confession to make. For the last couple of days I've been very lethargic. Exhausted. Sleepyheaded dragging lagging rag doll. Don't you hate it when there are plenty of things you should be doing but you really don't have the strength or the desire to do any of them? It's horrible! I kinda feel like a hypocrite. While I'm telling everyone I know to "live while you're alive" and "seize the moment" I'm laying in a funk so thick my deoderant is wearing off. Gross! I have doubted my abilities as a wife, mother, and writer. What good could possibly come from anything I've been doing lately and does anyone notice? The answer is, a whole lot and yes, very much.
I love how God works. In two completely separate, unqiue ways this week I was validated, encouraged, and challenged to keep doing what I'm doing. In the first instance, I got to share my testimony with a total stranger through my own writing. In the second, I was contacted to be a contributor to another Christian website. Score! No, my efforts are not in vain. Yes, I am valued and needed in God's kingdom. Yes, people do notice. I am endlessly in awe of how God speaks to me. Every single time I start to doubt myself or my abilities, God comes through reminding me that I am valued, treasured, and needed in His kingdom. I stand amazed.
Aside from all this, today is the first day of fall! Hockey season is literally right around the corner. The leaves are getting ready to change into their more colorful wardrobe and the weather (God willing) will begin to cool down. I get to take out my sweaters, slippers, and hot tea without a shred of guilt. Oh bliss! The best part- I get to do it all while I sit at my keyboard.
Today I am reminded that while funk is temporary and waking up is hard to do, a bit of encouragement goes a long way. I am needed and wanted in God's kingdom. That is enough to get excited about in a big way. How about you? Are you stuck in a funk? Feeling unimportant or unworthy? Be encouraged! God thinks you're awesome and he gave you the job you do best to prove it. So wake up and get to work!
Happy Fall!
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For those who have been following me for some time, I apologize for the reduncance of this post. I seem to be on a theme lately of self examination and "making it count". I'm not sure why except that for some reason, I just feel that time is of the essence. Take that as you will.
September 13, 2010
For the rest of the world, the ninth anniversary of the September 11th attacks is over. The living victims were honored and the fallen paid tribute. The day of remembering and mourning is behind us and life has resumed as usual. For some reason, I am having a harder time falling back into routine. Over the weekend I watched countless videos of footage of the tragedy, reliving the horror as if it had only just happened moments ago. I cried anew as I watched my east coast brothers and sisters succumb to their new reality. Nothing would ever, ever be the same. On this day nine years ago New York City was in the throes of the aftermath. Stricken by shock and grief, only the strongest of hearts could begin the gruesome and gut-wrenching task of cleaning up. For the rest of us, the weight of what we had just witnessed was finally sinking in.
As I think back and remember where I was and what I was doing I am struck by the fact that the events of that fateful day are just as surreal today as the moment they happened. This many years later I still cannot wrap my mind around the constant haunting truth. My America has been maimed. I suppose the reason why I am still grappling with this tragedy on a day as insignificant as today is because I have questions.
I have seen pictures of the people standing in the windows of the World Trade Center in the moments before its collapse. I have witnessed the desperation of a few tormented souls who refused to die at the hands of a crumbling, burning building. For those, their only way out of the nightmare was a quick and painless jump. Just as I did nine years ago, I grieve for all that was lost and cannot be reclaimed. I ache for mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers. I cry for my homeland and still wrestle with my mind. How does one make sense of the sheer madness of it all? How does one come to grips with an unimaginable reality?
When the terrorists plunged their hate into the side of my America, were they truly convinced that they were in the will of God? Were they acting out of obedience to religion or God or some other unseen force? Were they at all concerned about their eternal future and what perhaps awaited them on the other side? Were they counting their sacrifice as worthy of the price they would ultimately pay? When they plunged their hate into the side of my America, did they have any regrets about what they were about to do? What were they thinking?
When the people stood in the windows looking out at the city below them, were they hoping and waiting for a miracle to save them? Did they know that their final moments on earth would be spent in a time bomb made of steel and concrete and hopes and dreams? Did they have time to say goodbye to loved ones before they took their final step into eternity? What were they thinking as they looked down at the city below?
Today on such an insignificant day, I am drawn repeatedly back into my own thoughts on this tragedy. When I am called to say goodbye to the world, how will I be remembered? Is the time I am spending now going to count for anything after I am gone? When all is said and done, what will be the quality of the content between the first date on my tombstone and the last? Will the passing of my life be celebrated or will my life be celebrated because of its passing? Am I giving? Am I loving? Am I sharing, helping, reaching, and forgiving? Am I truly living while I am alive? These are the questions I continually ask myself. I can only hope that in discovering the answers, I make the most out of my journey here before it slips away for all of eternity.
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So a few months back I sent a fan letter email to an author regarding a book of hers that I’d read. I never expected to hear back from this person because let’s face it- there are a ton of crazy weirdos out there with some sort of an agenda. (Just to clarify, I’m not one of them but you never can tell.) Anyway, back to the letter. In my email I went on to tell this author how much her book impressed me and left a lasting impression on my heart. This book was so entertaining and thought provoking. It was so brilliantly written that I just had to share my thoughts with its creator because that’s what I do. When someone impresses me to such a degree that I am changed somehow, I feel it is my responsibility to remind them of their sheer awesomeness and encourage them to continue doing whatever it is that makes them so great. Here’s the cool part. I got a reply! Before I share her side of the conversation I’d like to get permission first. This could take a while so in the meantime, please enjoy the email that started it all.
Dear Miss Chamberlin,
On Thursday morning I went to the library and picked up Tuscan Holiday. It is now 11am on Saturday and I have to tell you- that was the best read I've had in ages! Where have you been all my life? I've especially enjoyed your vivid detail of the Italian countryside and added yet another destination to my growing wish list of places to visit. The answer lady has become my new hero. I was up all night sharing her wealth of advice with my husband who has decided she's pretty much a female version of Simon Cowell. I'm going to miss that crazy psychopath. Coincidentally, at this very moment I'm having a lull in my own whacked out relationship with the demon who gave birth to me. The mother/daughter dynamic continues to fascinate me, especially now that I am raising my own future ungreatful drama queen. I suppose I should be thankful for surgical menopause. She's only seven and I'm already seeing faint traces of her mother.When she gets her period only one of us will have to be bound and gagged. The other, I assume will either move out or just kill herself. By the way, were those mom quotes from actual books? Good stuff!
I have seen myself mirrored in the struggles both women have faced on this journey. (Does that make sense?) From young Marina, forced to make difficult choices and finally choose to live her own life to Elizabeth who eventually chose to leave her past where it belongs and move forward with gusto, I have been there. In this book I had a rare glimpse of how it could be one day with my own child. I've also recognized the truth for what it is in yet another one of a million different ways. Dysfunction is more often than not a choice rather than unplanned circumstance. We choose how people treat us and we choose how to respond to that treatment. The result could be liberating or debilitating, depending on our level of maturity.
To sum up, I have become an addict of your work. I think you are absolutely brilliant and can't wait to get my hands on another of your books. I may have to pace myself though. At this rate, the housework will be ignored, the fridge empty, and my appearance- well I think you get it. Well done, Miss Chamberlin. You had me at the graduation party.
Sincerely,
Sherry Castelluccio
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