I have always heard: “Be aware of your surroundings!”

It is the first warning in any Self Defense class. It’s also the first lesson for hikers and urban adventurers. I learned it kayaking around the bay at the beach.

Kayak Adventure

We rented a double kayak and set out to see the birds and the beautiful homes backing on the water. We had water, suntan lotion, bug spray, snacks, and life vests. We thought we were set for anything. We forgot to think about tides.

An hour into the adventure we were far from shore when the sky started turning dark. The old “one bushel of thunder” count for the distance of the storm was far too short for comfort. We rowed for the shore. That’s when we realized the water was not deep enough to carry the kayak. We knew we had floated in, but there seemed to be no way to float out!

After several false paths among the rushes, we got out to pull the kayak. The lightning was closer. It was too late to make shore. We finally nestled in the bulrushes. Like baby Moses in the Old Testament, we huddled there throughout the storm.

As the storm approached the birds went wild. I later realized, as the tide went out the birds took the opportunity to feed on fish stranded, as we were, by the falling tide. I have never been so close to birds, which ignored my existence.

Suddenly, it was very quiet. By this time it was raining and there were almost no birds. This was even more worrisome.

Highway Adventure

Several years ago, my family was traveling through Maryland on Interstate 95. It was a winter of heavy snow storms and a wall of snow lined the road. I was driving. I should have noticed my surroundings. When I stopped seeing the big trucks, I should have stopped for safety reasons.  The big trucks travel until danger requires a stop.

We hit black ice and spun around in the road, landing with the rear of the van rammed into a wall of snow. The rear wheels did not even touch the ground.

We spent an anxious hour, before a van stopped to offer assistance. They had a chain and pulled our car from the snow bank. In gratitude, we paid well and continued our journey home. Again, we could have avoided the incident, if we had paid attention to our surroundings.

Wilderness Adventure

Several years ago we were hiking a popular trail in the Shenandoah Mountains. We seemed to pass hikers every ten minutes. I almost bumped into my husband: he had stopped so suddenly. A rattle snake was slowly making it’s way across the trail. My husbands foot was actually in the air to make a step, when he first saw it. Luckily the snake was anxious to cross the trail as quickly as possible.

What are some other instances to heed this old adage? Here are a few:

·         Be alert to other cars and drivers when getting into your car, especially at night.

·         Mark where you park your car with a “marker”, such as the first “r” of Target. It will save time and embarrassment.

·         When purchasing a home, visit it when children are on the street. This tells more about the surrounding neighborhood than a simple drive through.

·         Purchasing or selecting an office space, visit it at different times of day. Does the noon day traffic make exiting impossible?

Even weeds can be a source of inspiration. I use Velcro for everything…straps to keep set covers in place, to close fabric bags and my favorite shoes for children have Velcro.  Velcro’s most helpful and unique characteristic is that it will never let go. It clings.

The idea came to a Swiss engineer in 1941, George de Mestral . He had been walking with his dogs and found their coats and his pants covered with burrs from burdock. As he removed them he was intrigued by the small hooks they used to attach to the fabric. With research and some experiment, Velcro was invented. (Read more at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velcro). That wonderful weed, burdock, was the inspiration for an invention.

There may be times Velcro is not a good principle for life.

On the other hand, there are times when clinging is not good. Sometimes letting go is better. I was driving up a hill near my house. The neighborhood was very quiet and police often watched for speeders so I was well below the 35 miles per hour speed limit.

There was a squirrel sitting in the middle of the road at the top of the hill. I could see he had something in his mouth. It looked huge for he was also using his two front paws to hold it. I figured he would scamper to the side as the front of the car began loom over him.

To my surprise he was still there when I could no longer see him in front of the car. I waited for the dull bump of the wheels rolling over him. It never happened. I looked in the rear view mirror. All I saw was a huge nut bouncing down the hill.

That squirrel had the biggest nut of his life and he was almost willing to give his life to keep it. I have watched people do the same.

Many of us have “nuts” (beliefs, goals, ideas, prejudices, hurts, angers….The list goes on.) we are unwilling to let go. We may not face death by a car, but we miss many blessings, because we refuse insist on clinging to some things.

Here are some questions to think about when “clinging” to something:

·         Will it be of value 5 or 10 years from now?

·         Is there another way or a better way?

·         Am I helping or hurting by clinging to this?

·         Is the cost greater than the value?

·         What will happen if I let go?

My Introduction to a ripper

My grandmother loaned me my first ripper. She lived with two adult sons on a large farm. At a family reunion she mentioned her back problems and the busy  week ahead. It was threshing season and all the local men would be working two or three days at their farm. She would be expected to provide a large noon meal for 20 plus men.

Considering the situation, my mother decided I should stay to help. My cousin had planned to spend the week, so she had clothing. I had only one extra outfit. As the week continued I needed more clothing. My grandmother had some fabric and a pattern, so I started to make an outfit. As always, I was in a hurry and made mistakes.

I was sitting, painstakingly removing a mistake one stitch at a time. She saw me and handed me a ripper, “Try this.”

I started using it and exclaiming, “Oh, this is wonderful. What a wonderful tool!” This continued all afternoon.

That Christmas the other cousins received various gifts, but I received a ripper.

I was using the ripper one day and thought wouldn’t it be wonderful, if we had a ripper for our life, to rip out the wrong choices, bad attitudes, and mistakes in general. I remembered the scripture from Isaiah and realized we do. We have Christ.

 Through Christ all things can be made new. I have seen a marriage healed, even after unfaithfulness. I have seen a drug dealer, renewed, and star of the church choir. These are dramatic, but Christ is working in many smaller, daily ways.

I wondered if I could use a little ripping each day:

One: saying I’m sorry rips out a lot of harsh words. I was sometimes harsh with my children. In talking to the adult children, I have found the times I was wrong and apologized are almost forgotten. The times I was harsh and did not apologize continue to be remembered. An apology is a wonderful ripper.

My husband took our two year old granddaughter, Gail,  for a walk. She started for the road. When she continued after being told to stop, her grandfather reprimanded her. They both returned with glum faces. It was time for Gail’s nap and I didn’t want her going to bed with that attitude. I remembered the power of an apology and suggested she say, “I’m sorry.” to her grandfather. She readily complied and all hurt was removed. She went to bed with smiles and her grandfather got a big hug.

Two:  Saying thank you can remove resentments. I was in a small church. It seemed everyone worked to do as much as possible for other members. It was not a one up manship, which you might expect, but a beautiful attitude of serving. I have talked to other members years later and we all noticed what a special attitude existed in that church. I believe it was the gratitude and appreciation shown to those working in the church. A Thank You can have a great impact in preventing resentments and encouraging others.

Three: A kind word at the right time can have tremendous impact. Prov. 16:24: “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Many find the time for the right word at a passing meeting (checkout clerks, etc.). I work part time as a help person from my home. Some people get impatient and harsh. But, a comment – “you’re a genius” – can keep me going for days.

So I challenge you to “put a ripper in your pocket” as you go about your life this week.

 

This blog is dedicated to the thoughts, hobbies, and witticisms of JB Lucas.  On behalf of JB Lucas I welcome you to this amazing blog.