My Unfolding Story – Page 3

World War II Love Story: A Tribute to My Parents

Today, June 14, 2017, is seventy-one year since my parents got married. The following paragraphs are the words of dedication taken from my book —My Tapestry — Experiencing the Love of the Designer

For My Parents

With Thanks to GodDuring World War II, my parents lived in the Netherlands, which was occupied by Nazi Germany. It was a very difficult time, and hard choices had to be made. Near the end of the war, my parents were engaged and working in the Wieringermeer polder, which was low-lying land reclaimed from the sea. Dikes and pumping engines kept the land dry.

In the beginning of 1945, under German command, Dutch workers dug deep holes at the bottom and at the top of the dikes. Each hole was loaded with unexploded bombs from British and American aircraft. On April 17, 1945, at 12:45 a.m. the explosives were ignited. The seven thousand people who lived in the Wieringermeer and the estimated one to two thousand refugees had to leave the polder. Within forty-eight hours the entire polder was filled with water. The people living there had been warned and there was no loss of life.

On April 22, 1945, my father, then twenty-four years old, wrote in his diary that he and my mother went to look at the polder from part of the dike. He wrote, “It was a sorry sight– water all over with here and there a rooftop and tree showing. If we didn’t know God cares for us, we would be devastated… The Lord is right in all His ways and works.”

After my father died, my brother Len wrote Afterword — the final words about Dad’s life– as an ending to my father’s autobiography, A Life of Grace and Blessings. Len wrote, “In his book, Dad talked about his engagement to Mom years before. He said, ‘We loved each other dearly.’ For sixty-two and a half years their love for each other grew stronger and deeper. It was at the heart of the family, and it blessed everyone they knew.”

My parents’ example of trust in God and their love for each other greatly shaped my life. I thank God for the parents He gave me and for the example they were to me and my children. I dedicate this book to the special memories of my parents.

The Power of Positivity: Let Your Light Shine to Make a Better World

Reading the news this morning was very depressing — as it often is these days. It wasn’t a very good way to start my day. Then, out of some far-away storage place in my mind, I started humming an old Sunday School song: “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine…” That’s when I realized that I can’t control all the “crazy” stuff that is happening in the word. but there is something I can control — “my light”.

“Hide it under a bushel — No! I’m going to let it shine” Each of us has our own abilities and therefore ways of letting our light shine. However the easiest way to let our light shine is through our smile. Smile at everyone, everywhere — purposefully — to spread joy. Small acts of kindness are also very meaningful. They help remind other people that they are noticed and that their needs are recognized, even the little things. Being more intentional in out interactions with others is a great way to let our light shine.

“Don’t let Satan blow it out — I’m going to let it shine”. So many things, like reading the news, can rob us of our joy. Everything seems hopeless and overwhelming and we retreat into a darker place. We can become discouraged when we don’t get back when we give to others, when our efforts don’t seem to be appreciated. Life becomes harder, too, when we don’t take care of ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually. Being more intentional about the things we expose ourselves to, being realistic about our expectations and taking care of ourselves, can help our light keep shining.

“Let it shine ’til Jesus comes–I’m going to let it shine”. Hopefully being more positive in all areas of our lives can become a lifetime habit. It would be a better world for all of us. So much of our lives is about the choices we make. Many years ago, I sang with abandon: “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine”. I had no idea then how difficult it might be to live out those words some days. But if each of us can agree that change starts “with me”, we can make the world a brighter place. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!!

Changing Times: Reflecting on a Lifetime of Memories

This past week I went through all my digital photos and got them organized. It took days to get the job done. As I worked, I had a chance to do a lot of reflecting on change. There were many triggers for these “deep” thoughts. It was interesting to think about how some things have changed in my lifetime. Of course the first thoughts were around photographs themselves. I remember putting a film in a camera and being very careful to get the right shot the first time. Then, once the film was full, taking it to the store and waiting for a few days for the film to be developed. Now, with digital cameras, I took multiple photos, forgot to delete the ones I didn’t like and created a mess when I down loaded them. I had no idea how much work I had created for myself. The duplicates were deleted, the photos I didn’t like were deleted and the remaining photos were moved into labeled files. It’s good to have one area of my life organized.

It was fun to see the photos of Christmases-past: the pretty trees, the excitement of opening gifts and the special meal with turkey and all the trimmings. One big change over recent years is how Christmas greetings are exchanged. When I was a little girl, I grew up on a farm in a rural community. Mom trekked down the driveway in all kinds of weather to get the mail. She wanted to see if there was any news from family in Holland. It was especially exciting at Christmas time when “everyone” sent greeting. There were long letters written on airmail paper. Being excited about the mail became “part of me”, too. Sending and receiving Christmas cards was fun. Now, most Christmas correspondence is done through the computer. Messages are short and sometimes not much information is shared. I hope to be more proactive in how I connect with people, not only at Christmas, but the whole year through.

Doing all this sorting on the computer made me realize how important my computer has become to me. Last week when I had major problems with my “old” computer, I quickly replaced it. I remember back in the early 80’s when we had our first computer, a VIC-20. I don’t remember being able to do much on it except play some games. When my children were in school, they used a computer for projects and for games. It wasn’t until 2001 that I sent my first email. A few years later I joined an on-line community and found it fascinating that I could communicate with people all over the world at the same time. Now, there is so much more I do on the computer — banking, ordering books and various gadgets, reading the news and articles,checking flyers and connecting with just about anyone, anywhere for any reason. I need to get better at limiting the amount of time I spend “wastefully”after I log on.

One thing that has changed a lot is how I view a 60 year old person. When I was a child , 60 seemed ancient. Sixty-year-old people were the grandpas and grandmas. Their hair was grey or missing, they walked more slowly and they smiled a lot. Through the years, 60 has seemed younger and younger. Now grey and missing hair is not important. I usually saw those older people at a Sunday service so maybe that was why those people walked more slowly because they still lived very productive lives on their farms and in their kitchens. “Retirement” wasn’t a word in their vocabulary. Now I have to work hard to get the amount of exercise I need to maintain my health. As I get older, I realize more and more that those smiling faces were faces of contentment. Those older people had learned many life lessons about God’s goodness and God’s faithfulness. Their trust was in Him.

So, as I move forward, I hope to be more organized, stay more connected with people, use my time more effectively and be active enough to maintain a healthy body. But most importantly, I want to take greater delight in how God has led me to this place of awareness of His goodness and faithfulness as I trust Him more and more. I want to be remembered as 60+ year old who smiles a lot.

The Joy of the Lord

During the past years of my life, God has richly blessed me through His Word, but also through the wise words of others. One evening in 1998,shortly after the end of my marriage, I read a quote that greatly blessed me. “Happiness is elusive and can be wiped out in a minute, but joy from the Lord is like a deep river down in your heart that just keeps flowing.” (Barbara Johnson)(1). I was overwhelmed when I realized that even though in many ways I felt like my world was falling apart, I was still experiencing the joy of the Lord — that joy was my strength.

It was a number of year later when I read the words of another woman who described that “joy” so well. Mary Southerland says it better than I can, so I will use her words:”Joy is not the result of outward circumstances. Joy is an inside job, a deeply rooted confidence that God is in control. Every trial or loss, every defeat or victory measured against this confidence can be counted as joy.”(2)

Today it is 2017 and my mind went back ten years to 2007. In my journal, I decided that my theme for 2007 would be “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” I had just gone through another difficult time. While I was still living in Ontario, my children both moved from Ontario to Alberta. Then my father had a stroke and my parents moved to a long term care facility in a town a two hour drive away. And I decided to sell my home. Yet, that confidence remained. I am writing these words to remind myself.

I can decided to take God at His word when He says in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Life has many ups and downs. Sometimes it’s hard to see how God is weaving the threads of my tapestry into anythings that makes sense. Fears overwhelm and worry keeps me from sleeping. When I face the storm, I can only see the storm, but when I turn to my loving Father, He shelters me in His arms. He reminds me that He is in control and I can feel that river of joy flow.

Yes, I can choose joy.

(1) Barbara Johnson, The Joy Journal, Kindle edition, [Nashville, Tennessee:Thomas Nelson Inc.(1996)

(2)Mary Southerland, “Choose Joy”, Girlfriends in God, January 26, 2016, http://girlfriendsingod.com/choose-joy/

About Me: Embracing God’s Tapestry of Life

There are threads that remind me that God was preparing me for the tough times before they even happened; threads filled with pain that still bring tears to my eyes; threads that bring back memories that make me smile and bring joy to my day. In the Weaver’s design, there are no mistakes. The Weaver loves me and I trust Him more and more.

I am a single-again mother of two; a son and a daughter. I was a registered nurse for many years, a career that I (mostly) enjoyed. I enjoy walks in nature, connecting with people and doing my best to be a light in the world God has places me in.

God is still teaching me lessons that help me “function better” in His world. I appreciate His tenderness and care as He reveals new truths to me.

Sharing my writing more widely is one of the surprising patterns of my life. First I wrote a book and now I am starting a blog. Only God knows what this part of my tapestry will look like — an adventure with Him.

I thank God for blessing me and for joy in the journey.

God, the Designer

The threads of the tapestry of my life start long before I was born and go on into eternity. Through brilliant colour and dark hues, knots and zigzag lines, God is creating a picture that only He could design. In the Weaver’s design, there are no mistakes. There are threads that remind me that God was preparing me for the tough times before they even happened; threads filled with pain that still bring tears to my eyes; threads that bring back memories that make me smile and bring joy to my day. Parts of the tapestry seem complete and parts are still being woven into surprising patterns. The Weaver loves me and I trust Him more and more.

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Why I wrote a book

My Tapestry – Experiencing the Love of the Designer

My father wrote an autobiography about the first seventy years of his life. It was a wonderful gift to his children and grandchildren. I thought about writing my life story “someday” for a long time. More than two years before the day, I noticed a 60^th Birthday card. The message was “In 60 years you can touch a lot of lives, you can share a lot of wisdom and you can bring a lot of joy — if you’re someone as special as you that is.” I knew then that it was time to start writing my story. I would use my 60^th birthday as the ending point.

For most of my life, I saved articles, report cards, greeting cards etc. They filled two medium sized storage crates. That first summer, I started my going though the items I had saved. It was fun and interesting until I got to the journals I had written during the nine years from the end of my marriage onward. I decided that I would start by writing the story of those years. I realized that part of me had become “stuck” in the past, waiting for the day when I would start writing.

Initially, I thought that my story would be for family like Dad’s had been — and maybe some friends, too. But as I was writing, I realized that others might benefit from reading parts of my story, too. I am a single-again mother of two adult children, a nurse and a recovering codependent. Many people’s lives have been affected directly or indirectly by one or more of those situations. My challenge was to include enough stories that I wanted to share with my family and still not bore others who might read my story. I hope I’ve accomplished some of that.

As I was writing, God helped me see wonders in the threads from my past that could only be by His design. He truly does know the end from the beginning. These are my experiences and I’ve related them honestly to the best of my ability. For various reasons, I’ve made attempts to protect the identity of some people.