Evaluating the subtle things

I spent a delightful hour tonight watching The Princess Diaries with a sweet little old woman at work. She suffers from severe age-related dementia, and she's my favorite person to watch movies with, because her mind has detoriated to the point where everything is a new and exciting experience.
As the movie wound to a close, we came to the final scene, where Princess Mia and her boyfriend embrace and share a passionate kiss. A very long kiss. In fact, long enough and passionate enough to qualify as two kisses, I think.

The little lady's eyes grew wider and wider as she watched. Her face began to register an expression of shock, followed by righteous indignation and horror. How dare two teenagers behave so in public?!

Her head turned slowly in my direction, and two wide blue eyes fixed me in a long, reproachful gaze.

"Are you going to do that, or have you done it already?!" she asked me solemnly, her eyes full of sober rebuke.

"Oh, I don't do that," I assured her, smiling awkwardly to choke down the laughter stuck in my throat. "Never have, and don't believe I ever will."

"Oh good." Her sigh was warm, heartfelt, and oh, so sincere.

Her innocence was amusing, but thought-provoking. In her child-like state of mind, she had recognized and responded to the fact that both members of this teenage duo were failing to guard the gifts of physical and emotional purity that God had given them. The horror which she expressed is precisely what each of us should feel on some level when we see others around us squandering gifts that God intended to be shared only within the context of a covenant marriage relationship, but it's something that I see so frequently that it barely even registers. Obviously I needed the refresher.

Proverbs 4:23 advises to "keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." This past week has showed me anew how important it is to apply this verse when evaluating the cultural norms of 21st century America. There are too many things which tend to slip past my worldview radar undetected!

As I turned to the little old lady to express my gratitude to her for her timely (albeit unintentional) reminder, I was struck once again by how cute she is...more shriveled than the average prune, and perhaps a bit excessively meek in relating to others, but a delightful person all in all. I love the way her blue eyes crinkle into happy little slits when she smiles. All you can see is the twinkle.

"Thanks for your help," I told her. "You're so sweet."
"Yes, I know," she beamed, giving me an adorable smile. "Everyone tells me so."

Not quite the answer I was expecting, but hey, honesty is a virtue...

Life lessons from a toad

Tonight was one of those rainy evenings when the smell of drowning earthworms and the taste of clean, moist air inspire introspection and speculation...

As I drove home from Starbucks in the dusky wetness, with rain splooshing noisily on the windshield, I was listening to the silence, rehashing parts of conversation that Kirsten and I had had at Starbucks that evening, and basking in the warm glow of friendship when my musings were interrupted by the lonely journey of a solitary toad.

He looked decidedly waterlogged and deeply pathetic as he hopped miserably across the pavement in front of my headlights, water droplets dripping from his warty nose as he bounced listlessly along.

I thought, as I watched him, of how often in this past year I've allowed myself to become disillusioned and discouraged by the seemingly overwhelming reality of hopping through the rain, failing to remember that the sun will come again another day, and that as I face the frightening reality of a relatively unknown future, I do so from beneath the protective feathers of a gracious and loving heavenly Father.

He disappeared into the ditch, and I drove on with new food for thought, smiling to myself. It was right about then that I saw the second toad.

There were several hops...perfectly executed, in a clumsy sort of way...and then...a dull klunk.

What a sad day in Toadville! Another unassuming amphibian has gone to meet his Maker. But the sun will rise to shine another day...and may his children's children sincerely take to heart his premortem admonition concerning the dangers of playing in the street.

I drove on, the shameless perpetrator of a hit-and-run accident, and while I'm embarrassed to admit this, my smile had broadened just a wee bit...

Thank God for the lessons to be learned from the insignificant things of life! And please, for the sake of your safety, don't play in the street.