"Wow! Check out those new scratches!" says Kristen.
Kristen.
My very observant 21 year old daughter.
My favorite middle child.
My very observant 21 year old daughter.
My favorite middle child.
My midnight greeter.
It was after midnight. I didn't expect anyone to be up when I returned home from an amazingly fun and amazingly challenging week of kayaking in NW Michigan with 7 of my Happy Yakker friends.
As I began to unhitch my kayak trailer, the garage door opens and I hear this wide awake voice say. "Hi Mom, I'm glad you are home." Kristen came out to welcome me back and help me unload the car (without me asking).
The trailer carries the kayak on its side so as we pulled the trailer into the garage, Kristen had a great view of the bottom of my kayak. She says, "Wow! Check out those new scratches! I can't wait to hear those stories."
Yes. There were some new scratches on my yak. The scratches were definitely there. And ...so were the stories to go with each one.
Most of the scuffed scratches were from having way too much fun talking with my Yakker friends and not seeing how shallow the water was getting as my kayak dragged across the rocks.
The bigger scrapes were lessons in steering away from and not steering over big rocks in the river.
The deep cuts were from the fast and tricky current that took me through rocky rapids and over sunken logs.
The big gouges were the result of being pinned on a fallen tree and being to stubborn to fall out and too scared to get sucked under the tree with the current.
Yes. I have some new scratches. Don't we all. Life can scuff us up just when we are enjoying it. It can scrape us just enough to teach us a lesson. It can cut deep sometimes when we least expect it. And life will gouge us good with challenges out of our control.
Often we shake it off and go on. Either we don't have time to talk about our hurts in life or we think no one wants to hear about it.
What a treat it was for me to hear those simple words from Kristen. She greeted me and my scratches. She noticed, acknowledged and wanted to hear more. Over the next few days I enjoyed telling the funny and challenging stories behind each scratch.
We could be in for a treat of a story if we would only take the opportunity to notice and acknowledge the scratches of life. Who's will we notice?
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he had done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:1, 3
Psalm 40:1, 3
5 comments:
Sweet, true and thought provoking. Would love to hear more about your new scratches so true
Great reminder for us to notice what's going on in the lives of others. Thanks Johanna!
I like how you see things. A positive twist on life!
I was privileged to get a few scratches and bruises in that encounter. I felt helpless to help; yet was able to pray, give encouragement and stay with you till you made it through safely.
Thanks KP. Sometimes no one but God can help. All we can do is pray. I was grateful to have you nearby but not in it with me! next time I will let go sooner. It was much easier to just get wet and let the kayak go under without me. I sure can spend lots of time,energy and emotion trying to do it my way.We both have the scratches to prove that one! I will never forget that scratch...The day we DID get wet in the Pere Marquette!
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