Sep
18
2014
Life According To A Bench
Posted in Daily Living 4 Comments
As unbelievable as it is, it happened.
A mini reunion.
High school friends getting together.
Not that unusual unless you think of the amount of time that has passed.
The love-hate relationship with social media became a real blessing in this case.
Girlfriends reconnecting.
The realization that we live fairly close to each other.
Then the invitation.
The mini reunion was in my home.
Seven friends one by one rang the doorbell.
We were immediately transported to that special time in our lives.
The years just seemed to melt away.
And the years were many.
Thirty-seven years to be exact.
College, life, marriage, and children separated us for a time.
A few had kept in touch but the rest of us were delighted in the reconnection.
I was Reggie to them.
A nickname that I somehow acquired and one that stuck.
My husband and my married life identified me as Gina all those years ago.
Whether Regina, Reggie, or Gina, it does not matter.
These friends cannot call me anything else.
And that is just fine.
It is a special name reserved just for them.
It would be out of place anywhere else.
After we talked and got our food, we sat at my long kitchen table.
Eight of us sat comfortably on two chairs and two long benches on either side.
We went around the table and caught up on length of marriage and number of children.
We talked about life after college and the things we were called to do.
It was as if we never missed a beat.
That’s what good friends are.
A bond so strong, it lasts.
Distance may hinder but it never breaks those connections.
Anyone who has been at my house knows about the benches.
There is a method one must use to sit at the kitchen table that my husband made.
The benches were wonderful for our growing family.
The children could easily get up and pour some more milk.
There was never room on the table for the gallon of milk.
Getting up was a necessity.
It didn’t matter when the seats were filled.
It does matter when there are just a few on the bench.
Think of a seesaw.
Someone sits on one end of the see saw and the other end goes up in the air.
Adults have to warn the other people on the bench that they are getting up.
You don’t want to be the unknowing person on the other end.
We had many laughs about the benches last night.
It has become a point of laughter in my home.
I bought chairs years ago and no one liked them.
They were bulky and awkward.
Everyone wanted the benches back again.
I had to agree.
There is something so homey, so welcoming about sitting around a table with benches.
Reminiscent of the Waltons, I guess, which was always a favorite show of mine.
So we laughed and we warned.
Only twice did the bench go up when someone got up.
Laughter erupted.
More fodder for the bench stories.
I thought about the bench as I was cleaning up when everyone went home.
Isn’t that what friendship is all about?
Isn’t it about being there, balancing, and sharing the load with another?
Isn’t it about warning of potential danger and hoping the other person heeds the warning?
Is is not about size, or height, or length of legs.
It is about balance and thinking about how your actions affect someone else.
I never realized that the thing we have laughed about through the years was so profound.
The thing I was teased about over and over again is really a metaphor for kingdom living.
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. (Matthew 27:32)
This was known as Roman impressment.
It was a law that required citizens to carry the burden of military personnel for one mile.
At any time, someone could be commandeered to carry anything the soldiers wanted.
In this case, it was Simon; in this case it was Jesus’ cross.
Being forced to carry the burden for another.
Typical of Jesus, He turned things on their head to make them suitable for the Kingdom.
The Kingdom that had broken through in Him.
…The Kingdom of God that has come upon you. (Matthew 12:28)
Kingdom living is vastly different.
Just when His hearers thought they knew the parable Jesus told, He flipped it.
He made it about grace.
He made it about mercy.
If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. (Matthew 5:41)
Go the extra mile.
Now we know where that came from.
Go over and above.
Carry the burden of another cheerfully and without complaining.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
Pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up.
Not possible in my house.
Not possible on my kitchen benches.
What an example of kingdom living.
Thank you, Lord for the reminder.
Beautifully put! The night seemed as if we’d never said good-bye. It is nice to know that in the future it won’t be “good-bye”, it will be “see you later!” Thank you for that! Joanne
Joanne, how true! The sign of true friends.
See you later, friend!
Reggie!!! Thank you for working us into your blog – it was a great night! 🙂 We love you!!!! God bless. Barb
Barb, how could I not write you all into the devotion for today?
Special friends. Special evening…with many more to follow. You are all loved very much.
Reggie