Sep
7
2021
The Description
Posted in Discipleship 4 Comments
Two months of rest.
Two months of putting my writing on the back burner.
Two months of not recording the Whispers I hear.
It has been a refreshing time, yet I have missed it.
My husband retired.
His surprise party was a success.
My daughter’s belly is growing as she and her husband wait for their third child, due in January.
Wedding planning is revving up for our youngest daughter’s wedding in April.
Time away is good.
Time to step back is needed.
Yet, being disciplined with something that requires intentional attention is necessary.
I may be a bit rusty as I record them, but the Whispering never stopped.
He wears high white socks and sneakers.
Years ago that might have been a fashion faux pas, but young people bring back styles long gone.
He has long, wavy hair.
He has a way of flicking his hair back with a tilt of his head and a wave of his hand.
He gets the carts in the parking lot of the market I go to each week.
He is busy and hard working.
I can almost count the number of steps before the head will tilt and the hand will wave.
It is a habit that makes me smile.
I wondered how many of my own idiosyncrasies could be documented.
Far too many, I’m sure.
I would try to make eye contact with him as I walked into the store but he never engaged.
I wondered about this young man with the high socks and the long wavy hair.
On one of my usual shopping days, this young man happened to bag my groceries.
He worked quickly as I stood there feeling a bit lazy.
I was buying some cartons of broth and stock to make soup.
I was buying quite a few in order to re-stock my pantry.
I know how those cartons are usually bagged.
They are usually bagged in an upright position.
Standing up, there can only be three cartons in a bag, without ripping the plastic.
This young man laid the cartons on their side.
He placed them in such a way that he was able to double the usual number.
Like a puzzle, he laid them this way and that inside the bag.
They fit perfectly.
The bag was sturdy; the cartons were not going to move.
I watched him do this configuration without thinking.
Even flicking his hair seemed to have been forgotten.
He worked quickly bagging my items efficiently.
He fit more things into less bags without making them too heavy.
Do you like math? I asked him.
What? he asked, looking confused and waving some hair away while tilting his head.
I bet you’re good at math, I said, looking him in the eye that was free of any wisps of hair.
I don’t know, he said, yet I could see he was intrigued.
No one could bag those groceries the way you did without being spatially oriented.
He seemed interested as he heard something that no one ever told him before.
I watched him put the groceries in an unusual way into those small plastic bags.
I felt like I was watching someone solve a Tetra puzzle.
You’re a math whiz! I said excitedly.
He laughed.
Nobody ever said that to me before, he admitted.
Well, trust me, you are! No one could have figured that out so quickly!
He was smiling ear to ear when I left.
Years ago, I had decided that I would have one thing to say about each of my children.
I thought it was important for them to realize that I recognized one special thing about them.
One was an athlete, one was a violin player, one was a drummer, and one was an artist.
It was my oldest son (who is a lawyer now) who questioned my choice of words.
He was very good at math, so I called him my math whiz when I introduced him.
I remember the day my son wanted to ask me something.
Mom, can you not call me your math whiz any more?
OK, but what would you like me to call you?
Your soccer star! He said quite sure of himself.
If this was important to him, I would modify my introduction.
The next time he was introduced to someone, I said the words that were important to him.
After two such introductions, he quietly said, Mom, you can call me your math whiz again!
I realized that being in middle school at the time, a math whiz was not as cool as a soccer star.
However, the soccer star reference soon lost its luster.
Math whiz was deemed appropriate and finally accepted.
My children were more than just that one sentence description and they knew it.
We all are!
It is nice to know that our uniqueness is recognized.
This young man at the market seemed to think so.
From his reaction, no one ever told him he was a math whiz before.
I’m glad I did!
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)
Jesus gave Simon the name of Peter, which means, rock.
Peter was not a rock when he received that name.
He would become a rock.
He would grow into the name that Jesus gave him.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could see ourselves the way God sees us?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we grew into our names?
We are so much more than a one sentence description.
Lord Jesus, help us to see ourselves and each other the way You see us.
I see the young man at the market.
He still wears high white socks and sneakers.
He still flicks his hair back with a tilt of his head and a wave of his hand.
There’s the math whiz! I say excitedly when I see him.
He seems to expect me to say it.
He seems to enjoy a name that is all his own.
He walks away smiling ear to ear.
So do I!
Welcome back Gina!! I’ve missed your whispers, too, but knew they would eventually return. Thanks for this great reminder – so needed and uplifting, even for us adults! Amazing how a word of encouragement or positive comment makes us beam! God made you an amazing creative writer for his purposes – I can just see your beaming face now!
Carolyn
Oh, Carolyn, thank you for those sweet words.
The two months off was planned but it is good to be back.
Yes, I am beaming!
Gina
I remember years ago when I was growing up my parents were part of the Delaware Co. Choral Society. They told me that their leader, Dr. Dengler, who was a music teacher at Upper Darby High School, mentioned that every child needs to be good at something, and recognized for it, even if it’s shooting marbles. I’ve always remembered that and your story reminded me of it. So true that every child needs positive recognition. You are a wonderful Mom ,among other
talents.
Sue, thank you for telling me that this practice of pointing out something unique for each child was done many years ago. Dr. D was a wise music teacher. Thank you, too, for your kind words.I look forward to getting back to Bible study with you very soon.
Gina