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On our way to Louisiana, we stopped to see the Gulf of Mexico at Dauphin Island, Alabama. I was “missing the beach.” I occasionally find myself in a state of longing for sand, waves, shells, and the breeze off the ocean. Years ago, my Hawaiian friend, standing on the coast after a year of being landlocked, described it best to me.  “I can breath again,” she said.

We drove the length of the island admiring the brightly painted houses on sticks. Large piles of blown sand and puddles of ocean water covered the two lane road. Dale maneuvered the van slowly forward until we arrived at the end and the undeveloped beach. The parking lot was under a significant amount of sand, so the coke machine in the distance looked a bit out of place. If a hurricane came through there, I don’t know how any of those houses would withstand it. Such beauty, but so perilously lived.

The beach was fabulous. Undeveloped white sand, lots of shells to find, and calm waves. Gabe and Zeke were soon soaked through. I had them roll up their pants at the start, but they figured when near the water, it’s best to jump in.

We had the red bucket with us, and it was soon so heavy from shell collecting, it had to be left behind while we explored further. There were a few other families and their dogs on the beach and one guy fishing.

When we had finished looking on the other side of the island, Dale and the kids raced back. As usual, Josiah heard “race back” and missed “to the bucket.” Josiah raced directly to the opposite beach. Everyone else raced to the bucket. Dale finally beat Josiah in a race. He is certain he can beat him again. He just needs Josiah to run the wrong way.

Josiah is enduring his first full week of high school exams and has learned the following:

1. “I didn’t think it would be on the test” is a fatal assumption.

2. When you are informed on the bus going to school that you are studying the incorrect review sheet, pull out the correct review sheet and cram as much information into your brain as possible.

3. There is a point in the middle of the week when your brain overloads and you can no longer think clearly. This usually takes place the night before your most difficult exam.

4. You know you and your classmates have experienced equality of  misery when everyone starts complaining upon leaving the exam room. Unfortunately, this is not the last time you will say, “That was the hardest test I’ve ever taken.”

5. After the exam, don’t look back in your notes to see if you got it wrong. It’ll just make your head hurt.

6. Your second wind appears suddenly just prior to the last exam.

7. A backpack is amazingly light when you go home for Christmas break.

All who live with an absent minded professor understand the utter shock you feel when they display a complete lack of common sense.

This morning, I had no water bottle or juice box for Josiah’s lunch. I had thrown out the refillable bottles in a fit of “plastics are killing us.” Years ago I had gone through a “teflon is killing us” fit and threw out all my pans. Dale never knows what I may toss out when overcome by a sudden fear of toxicity.

Not wanting Josiah to die of thirst, I rashly decided to give him a can of soda. I gave him the following instructions:

1. Do not swing your lunchpail around.

2. Tap the top of the can before you open it.

3. Open the can away from yourself.

In a lack of foresight, I forgot the following instruction:

4. Do not place half finished can of soda back in lunch bag, in locker, on top of borrowed book.

There are times in life when you are unable to pay someone back. People show kindness towards you and you are never able to repay them. During Christmas time, I often think of Russ Hawkinson.  He was not our Grandfather by blood, but our Grandfather by action. He always helped my family when I was growing up and money was tight.

My mom would receive a Christmas card and tucked inside was some money to buy gifts for five kids or to pay for a ham. It was given out of love and there was no pay back expected. He had the means to give and he gave. Kindness…often we think it so rare.

A few months ago, I got a flat tire. I am embarrassed to admit that I have never changed a flat tire. I found the manual, opened up the back of the van, and discovered I could not even turn the jack loose from it’s holder. I called my husband who was just leaving work and would not be home for an hour or more. He let me know he couldn’t help me. His only advice was, “Look helpless.”

A car pulled into the parking lot to drop off a well dressed man in a very nice suit. His car was parked just down from mine. I walked over and asked him if he could just help me figure out how to get the jack out of it’s holder and then I would attempt the next step. He looked at me, the manual, the van and told his buddy who had dropped him off, “You go ahead, I’m going to help her.”

He changed the flat tire and I stood there and watched his very expensive shirt get ruined. When he was finished, I told him the story of my husband’s bit of advice to “Look helpless.” He told me, “Tell him it worked.” Dale, of course, thinks this vindication of his great advice. For some reason, I don’t view it the same way.

I asked the man who helped me if there was anything I could do to help him or anything I could give him for his trouble. He said “No. Pay it forward.” I had seen that movie years ago and understand the power of that action from a Christian viewpoint. We are called to help others as if Christ himself were in need of help. It is all a part of the principle of “Love thy Neighbor.”

Last month, the endless needs of my “neighbors” sought to overwhelm me. I was asked again to bless someone I did not know and I struggled with the selfish thought of “I cannot do one more thing, God. I am overwhelmed.” I did it out of obedience, but not initially with a giving heart. Later, when I came face to face with the need, I was ashamed at my selfishness.

Immediately after I agreed to meet that need, God blessed us in a totally unexpected way. “I can’t out give you, God.” I thought. “I think I have given so much, and compared to what You have given me, it is so very little.”

A week ago, the endless needs of my “neighbors” sought again to overwhelm me. I was asked again to bless someone I did not know.  Again I thought, “I will do this, but I cannot do one more thing, God. I am overwhelmed.”

The next day, I read a teaching which revealed to me my wrong focus. Truly, I cannot meet the overwhelming needs of everyone that surrounds me, but I can meet the need of the one that God directs me to. I must ask God every time, “Do You want me to meet this need God? If so, help me to do it.”

This morning, I dropped Josiah off at the bus and while returning home I found myself a few cars behind someone driving with a flat tire. The person directly behind him passed on the right, the Marine in front of me hurried off to work, the policeman driving by in the other direction did not stop.

Finally, the car pulled off into a parking lot and I followed. An elderly man got out of the car and I walked over to see how I could help. I did not know him. He simply asked me for a ride home. He lives approximately 5 blocks from me.

After I dropped him off, I thanked God for that flat tire months ago, for without having experienced that sinking feeling I experienced with a flat tire, I may not have pulled over to help. I told the man about my flat tire and how I was told to pay it forward. He told me he always stops to help people and his wife tells him he is crazy to do it.

I know I must be wise when I offer to help someone, but I knew God was asking me, once again, one more thing.

“Remember your free cheese…Provide food for people who are hungry.”

“Remember your Christmas gift…Provide gifts for a child with nothing.”

“Remember your flat tire…Provide a ride for an elderly man.”

Love your neighbor – Show Kindness – Pay it forward. It is what we are called to do.

Josiah had his high school Christmas concert this week: choir, band, orchestra. It was really good. A neighboring school (I use neighboring here very loosely) permitted FCS to use their auditorium. The school is located in the midst of the farm fields and as I was driving in the pouring rain through the darkness, I began to doubt I would find it. It is located on roads that change names and directions periodically just for fun.

I arrived, dropped Josiah off, and waited for Dale and the other kids to find us via GPS. When they arrived, they could not recall their route. It’s just one of those locations you end up at grateful that you are there, without knowing how you got there.

There were several students playing prelude piano pieces, which sadly no one was listening to because I suspect people thought the students were practicing. There was one girl playing what looked to be a very difficult piece that unfortunately no one heard.

The crowd quieted after the welcome and I had great sympathy for the moms who were attempting to keep babies and toddlers quiet. It’s a bit easier with a five year old, although the kid loves to chat. However, I remember quite clearly those days of “Please…just be quiet for five minutes, so I can hear your sister sing.”

I am not an artistic person, so I always greatly enjoy watching the choir director, orchestra leader, and band director when they are full on. Their conducting is filled with such emotion, it is almost like a dance in itself. The band director was in tails and the choir and orchestra director were in formals gowns. I get great enjoyment out of watching them work.

The choir sounded fabulous and I was shocked. I had heard them perform at an earlier event in the gym and they were good, but it is amazing what good acoustics can accomplish. They all sang clear and strong and all the parts could be heard.

Josiah accompanied them on I Need a Silent Night. (Christian radio stations play this song) After listening to Josiah talk about the struggles of pulling this piece together, I was amazed to hear how terrific it came out when they performed it.

Josiah also played the David Lanz version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman for an interlude between the band and choir. It was the first time he had performed on a grand piano. Wow! I have heard him play the song many times. What a difference a grand piano makes. He sounded like a recording.

When the programs were printed, Josiah’s name was accidentally left off. Because of this, after Josiah finished the Lanz piece, the band director introduced him. The crowd applauded and one of Josiah’s friends in the band gave him a thumbs up. In return, Josiah gave his friend a thumbs up. The crowd thought Josiah was giving them a thumbs up for the applause and they laughed.

I liked the band’s Deck the Halls with Chips and Salsa, but my favorite piece of the night was the Orchestra version of  Carol of the Bells. It must be great fun to play that on violin.

The night ended with choir, band, and orchestra combined on the Hallelujah Chorus. They kept it together and sounded quite good. I’ve been thinking, with Josiah on piano, Abby on flute, and Gabe on trumpet, maybe I can find a little violin somewhere and get Zeke started.