Month: October 2024

The Form of Our Fears

I remember as a child how my mother would ask me to run down to the basement to get something for her.  Maybe it was food she needed out of the freezer or a jar of beans she had canned.  I dreaded those basement trips because of the fear that would often grip me.  There were too many hiding places down there and my imagination would go wild.  I especially disliked going back up the stairs as I imagined someone following me from behind or a hand reaching out and grabbing my ankle.  I ran up those stairs as fast as I could, breathing in huge relief as I entered the door to our kitchen where I found warmth and safety.  

The early nation of Israel faced a great fear as they fought their enemies in the land God had promised them.  The last group that is mentioned in Joshua 11 are the Anakim. These were the giants who had terrorized the spies 40 years earlier.  Ten of the twelve spies had said nope to the idea of entering the land, saying that those horrible giants made them look like grasshoppers.  

Now all those years later, here was Israel facing their giants again.  Joshua 11:21-22 succinctly states that in the last battle for the land, the Anakim were cut off and there were no Anakim left.  God gave Israel the final victory over this enemy that they greatly feared.  God would have won that battle forty years earlier, but Israel chose to live in fear and unbelief instead.

We all have those giants in our lives…things or situations that we fear.  The state of our nation and the world today can easily cause us to fear for our future.  But usually, our fears are much more personal.  Reality can barrel into our happy lives and knock us off our feet with no warning.  

As a follower of Christ, though, we have Him behind us.  We don’t need to run up the stairs in fear.  

I love what Dale Davis said in his commentary on the book of Joshua.

“God’s power is adequate to meet our most dreadful fears.  Our situation is both different from and similar to Israel’s.  The form of our fears is different; the adequacy of our God is the same.”

Scripture tells us that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  We serve the same God of endless power today that Israel knew way back in the day.  

Same God.  Same power.  Same love and plan for each of our lives.

God is more than able to defeat your giants, no matter how scary they are.  

I don’t want to keep running up the stairs in fear of what might attack me.  With God by my side, I can take each step calmly and in full faith that He is with me to fight for me.  

This old hymn expresses it well:

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

What have I to dread,
What have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace
With my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.


Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

A Big Small Kindness

We were on our way to our daughter and son-in-law’s house one recent evening.  Andrea is struggling with pregnancy nausea.  I asked her if there was something that sounded good to her that we could pick up for supper.  She thought a Burger King Whopper like she had successfully eaten a couple days earlier would work.  

Aaron was going with us and was super excited at Andrea’s choice because a whopper always sounds great to him.  Including him in the supper plans was Aaron’s idea of a perfect plan!  

We went inside to pick up Andrea and Kyle’s order and to place our own.  Aaron was beyond excited, rubbing his hands together and rapidly placing his order before the attendant even had time to ask if he could help us.  

Now, in this moment I can gauge the mindset of workers in restaurants or stores as they encounter an exuberant Aaron.  Some are wary and curious about Aaron, unsure of how to interact with such unusual behavior from an almost 40-year-old balding grown man.  Others are calm and very friendly, with understanding exuding from their demeanor.

This young man behind the counter was the latter.  He was completely relaxed with Aaron, smiling and engaging him in friendly banter.  Aaron recognizes this attitude as well, though he could never sit down and explain it to us.  He just knew that this person was being nice to him, and he reacted with even more talking as he bent over and rubbed his hands together rapidly.  Someday I would not be too surprised to see smoke rising from his hands!

Then Aaron saw the paper Burger King crowns laying on the counter.

“Mom, can I get a crown for Ryker?” he loudly asked.

I said yes as I glanced at the worker.  

“Of course you can,” the young man happily said.  

“Can I have one, too?” Aaron asked.

“You bet!” our new friend replied.

Aaron placed the crown on his head.  Of course, it was too small.

“Here,” the young man said, “let me adjust that for you.”

He reached over the counter, took the crown, made it bigger and then placed it back on Aaron’s head.  

By this time, Aaron was doing his little happy hop, and I thought the kind worker might just join him.

Here was this guy with skull tattoos all up and down his arms, showing love to our Aaron, and I wanted to hug him, skulls and all.

He filled Andrea’s order for a slushy drink.  Aaron’s big eyes lit on that, and he wanted one as well.  I agreed, so our happy worker filled a cup for Aaron.

“Put your card away,” he said as I took out my debit card.  

He wouldn’t hear of me paying for Aaron’s drink.  

I looked into the eyes of our skull tattooed, rather rough looking worker, and saw kindness.

“You have a very kind heart,” I told him.  “Thank you so much.”

“Well, I try,” he replied.

Kindness certainly comes in all shapes, sizes and forms, doesn’t it? 

Aaron pretty much makes an impression everywhere he goes.  But so do those who reach out to him with love and acceptance.  Those people touch our lives more than they know.  

I am so grateful for the love these kind ones share with us as they interact with Aaron.  It’s a love that grows both in our hearts and with others.  

I have experienced great love shown to Aaron from some of the most surprising people.  Some of our Meals on Wheels clients, for instance, live in very difficult circumstances yet they show Aaron a sweet love that is beautiful to see every week.  

Our skull tattooed Burger King worker is not one who would necessarily be the person I would have picked to be such a blessing to us on that day, but he certainly was.  

It’s a huge reminder to me to not assume a person will behave in a certain way based on their looks.  

Sometimes those who may seem like the least according to the world’s standards end up being the ones who really do the most in the ways that count the most.

There’s no such thing as a small kindness in God’s eyes.  He sees each one as big.

And I’m so thankful for those big, small kindnesses in our life with Aaron!

Uncle “Awa” Update

Once again, it is way past time for a family update.  Lack of time and often no lack of tiredness sure make it hard to write like I want.  Or like I used to long ago.  Anyway, here I am at last.

Can you tell from my title what sweet news we have about Uncle Aaron?  This past Saturday evening at supper, Ryker started pointing to Aaron and saying, “Awa.”  He did it over and over and was so happy at our reaction.  Aaron was his typical unemotional self, but Ryker didn’t care.  He kept pointing at Uncle Aaron and saying “Awa.”  And he didn’t want Aaron to leave the table.  

We could tell, though, that Aaron was pleased and later he told me that it made him happy.  He told his staff at his day group, too…a sure sign that it makes him feel special.  It was such a sweet and heartwarming moment to see Ryker saying Aaron’s name in his own precious little way.  

Aaron still likes to share with Ryker, and is playing more with him, too.  It’s mostly playing in small ways but it’s a good start and shows that Aaron is getting more comfortable with his little nephew.

Aaron claps quite often, and often those claps are ear splitting.  I’m sure he could win a clapping contest, hands down!  (Sorry.  That was corny.) Ryker watches Aaron closely and has now started copying Aaron when he claps.  First comes Aaron’s super loud claps, followed by Ryker’s little baby claps.  And then come lots of smiles from all of us.

One day Aaron let out his deep “Ho Ho Ho” laugh and Ryker suddenly copied it perfectly.  It was hilarious!

Last week we went over to Andrea and Kyle’s, stopping on the way to pick up some burgers.  Aaron saw the BK crowns on the counter and asked the worker if he could have one for Ryker.  This young man happily said yes and then offered one to Aaron.  It was another sweet gesture from Aaron to Ryker.  

Aaron still has his moments of uncertainty and jealousy, evident in the statement we hear the most when Ryker is here:  “You don’t say that to me.”  

Or:  “You don’t bounce with me.”  

And here’s one, said after I commented that Ryker is adorable:  “Do you think I’m adorable?”

We always assure Aaron of our love and call to his attention the ways that we show him that love in an adult way.  There are times we are still walking on eggs with him when Ryker is here.  Aaron does love our full attention and to share with anyone else, not just Ryker, often goes against his grain, especially if that sharing interferes with Aaron’s sacred schedule.

But all in all, we see huge improvement and it’s truly a cause for praise to the Lord as well as being sure to praise Aaron for ways that he is being nice to Ryker.

And we have one more bit of great news.  Andrea gave us this picture a couple weeks ago.

Ryker will be a big brother next May!!

We are thrilled and so very thankful!

Aaron is not quite as thrilled, but he isn’t totally against the idea, either.  He has told people that he doesn’t want Andrea to have another baby but then he tells others about the coming baby in an excited way.

Typical Aaron, up and down, depending on the moment.

Typical me and Gary, depending on the Lord for patience and wisdom, which we do not always show.  

But remembering to be thankful for every victory and every bit of good news.

Uncle Awa.  

That’s some very sweet news right there, times two!