Ah Lord God!

On sunny blue-skied days, I always enjoyed my 25-minute commute to Covington, KY. The view was breathtaking! That drive time provided ample focus for self-reflection and prayer. I watched the scenery unfold like a movie before my eyes. The curves and hills gave me abundant opportunities to play peek-a-boo with God. He had a surprise for me around every bend.
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Help Is On The Way

Last night an ambulance barreled down our quiet cul-de-sac at two in the morning. Bright lights whirling around, illuminating bits and pieces of the neighborhood. When the hues of orange and yellow lit up the faces of family, I detected concern. They witnessed their loved one wheeled out on a gurney, strapped in and curled up on her side. What could the problem be? Maybe she was severely dehydrated from a bout with a stomach virus or perhaps she had a fall down the stairs. All I was left to do was pray, so pray I did.
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The Spring of Hope

Tomorrow is my Mother-in-Love’s birthday. Lula Mae Willis always joked about being born on Ground Hog’s Day. My husband was also due on that date, but stubbornly waited until February 8th to arrive. This way, his mom got a day all to herself.

Mom Willis was one of my role models. I’ll never attain to her skills as a homemaker and penny pincher. But she gave me her heart for helping tween and teen girls. She attentively listened to them—not just hearing them, but enjoying their company, and always had two or three “adopted” well after her own girls had left home. She sang hymns with gusto and listened intently to sermons. She was uncomfortable in the water, especially before moving to a home that had its own pool, and it was a real act of faith when she was baptized by immersion. She always said as long as her feet could touch the bottom and her hair didn’t get wet, she could deal with being in the water-obviously baptism broke those two rules! She had a giving heart and loved seeing and meeting needs, often sensing someone was hurting when no one else noticed.
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Family Resemblances

By Kathy Carlton Willis

In walked a woman opening the door for another woman with an oxygen tank. Behind her was a wheelchair filled by a matronly figure using the oxygen, being pushed by yet another woman. They huddled in one of the waiting area sections, and talked about an upcoming wedding. I searched one face, and then another, and another until I circled the group with my gazes. A mother and three daughters. Probably together for unpleasant reasons (the mother’s health), yet they were making the best of it by talking about an upcoming celebration.

Then I allowed my eyes to visit the filled waiting room, picking out family units. Daughters resembling mothers. I detected at least five families with similar facial features. An elderly woman came out of the doctor’s office, her petite frame stooped over. A taller version of the woman followed behind, surely a daughter.

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Winter Wonderland

By Kathy Carlton Willis

“The following school districts are closed today, due to snow: Bowling Green, Clarksville, Louisiana…” Anytime snow fell, we huddled around Dad’s radio to listen to KPCR’s school closing listings. I grew up in Louisiana, Missouri, and it took quite a few inches to have a snow day. We loved having these free days off. No homework. No cares in the world. Just glorious snow calling our names.

First we bundled up in our winter clothes to enjoy the imaginary land of Eskimos and Snow Angels. When ice crystals hardened our gloves into crunchy wool, we stomped inside for a warm-up. With hot chocolate in our systems, we wanted to go back into the cold white snowy paradise. Before Mom allowed us to go outdoors again, we had to strip out of our cold, wet garments, and into dry warm ones. Often we covered our cold digits with socks to shield them from the frigid temperatures, while our first generation of winter garments stayed inside without us, draped near the gas heater to dry out.

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