PAPA : #1

The beach is heaven as we celebrate... 37!!

 

     Today I intentionally steal a few moments to capture thoughts about the man I love. We married on a hot and sweaty August evening. Despite incredibly low Freon levels in the church's air conditioner, our hotel reservations mysteriously vanishing, and no extended honeymoon... we still believe that Friday the 13th is magical. Our union was on that superstitious day, yet the love endures as respect for my "soul mate" continues to grow.

 

     He is "...the butter to my bread and the breath to my life" (Julie & Julia)... He adds fullness and dimension to this invisibly-blogging homebody. For the last 37 years we have birthed and raised together two treasured children: a responsible son who keeps us grounded, centered, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d, and a caring daughter who beautifies our lives. We love our ever-expanding family (we recently welcomed grandchild #2).

 

     My husband works hard, loves Taco Bueno, and has a special fondness for kayaking and walking on the beach listening to endless crashes of waves. Yada... and yada, yada... other anniversary soliloquies are best communicated... with DRAMATIC FLAIR!  



Intriguing "Harry" flies with me to exotic places



Heroic "Spidy" saves this occasional damsel in distress

 

Whimsical "Goofy" lightens the tension 



Our magic kingdom needs no mice, thank you

        A hesitant confession is overdue. During our 37 committed years together... there has been Another in my life (it is not Harry, Spidy, Goofy OR Mickey). My husband is #2, and the Other possesses position #1 for my allegiance. My love and respect for #1 grows as He accompanies us to exotic places (most recently to Florida), He saves me during sticky situations, and He was actually the Finder of OUR Magic Kingdom as well as our castle (my husband thinks he found it). My #1 is PAPA God.


       Patient study, and practice, and blogging of the book The PAPA Prayer has subtly, colorfully-enhanced my ordinary world, like a vivid Avatar jungle scene. During sporadic "missions" I experience figurative flight, resembling daring Jake Sully's Great red Leonopteryx ride in Avatar.

     PAPA God is alive and active, most acutely on my recent extended "missions" trip to Chicago. It included two quick aunt-stopovers plus a sweet, lengthy stay at my daughter's to welcome our newest grandchild. My daughter's delivery couldn't have been smoother, and Grandchild #1's potential asthma crisis (during Momma's hospital stay) was gracefully averted. His episodes are rare, but expensive ER visits are normally required. This time, with many pray-ers, plus skilled and timely (literal) breath-taking intervention, we were spared simultaneous patients in opposite ends of the hospital.
 

     Yet, on the other hand. Life has its enduring difficulties. July visits with endearing aunts have sensitized me to serious ailments and looming, aging, care decisions. Their vulnerable physical frailties are fresh on my mind, so I somewhat shudder and identify with this less palatable portion of Larry Crabb's book: "...I am developing a comforting sense that the best is yet to come, even if I end up alone [emphasis mine] in a nursing home with attendants taking care of me..." (p. 12).

     The PAPA Prayer is anything but a rigid formula or recipe for answered prayer and success. It is a recipe starter, or a beginning base, to flavor a relational prayer life with God. A savory tickling of taste buds for PAPA has been the intention of my August blogs. In September, I will butter the bread.