When was the last time, Dear Reader, you were all hyped-up for an event or exchange . . . and then it didn’t happen? All that energy, and maybe planning, for it to fall apart at the seams before you know what’s happening.
When I think about things falling apart, and sometimes the embarassment it entails, I think of this scene from “Bringing Up Baby” with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
Yes, I’m a little warped, and really, who’s wearing classy panties like Hepburn’s these days? (Need a chuckle, watch the classic slapstick clip.)
Okay, back on track: hyped-up. I was feeling sorry for myself because a school book launch for Jubilee and the Stinky Fish wasn’t coming together like I thought it would. Then God dropped two reality checks in my world.
Our daughter, Mary, was hyped-up to go on her much-needed annual work retreat at a resort in Cabo San Lucas after Easter. A week before the trip, seemingly out of the blue, her family had an outbreak of Covid, and the fourth family member fell off a neighbor’s trampoline, with a cast-worthy sprain. Wow! Imagine being quarantined instead of poolside >:
Sadly, another event tore at my heart the same week and really put life into perspective. A dear young friend, Mendi, in Cameroon and her husband, lost a child unexpectedly. They are modest Christ-followers who minister near and far to the people in their community, going where needed to offer Christ’s message of hope.
Does Hepburn’s torn dress escapade seem irreverent, unfeeling? It’s really not, it’s a reminder.
Research about the “torn dress” said it was created to be torn. And don’t you think with someone of Hepburn’s calibre there was at least one more than capable seamstress nearby to help if needed?
Dear Reader, Mendi and Mary are incredibly faithful, resilient women. They inspire me! And, in some ways harder than others, they have learned that we are created to be “torn.” They’ve also learned the Holy Spirit is close by to help when needed.
What woman walks in your world and inspires you, Dear Reader? I’d love to hear your shared story at avwalters55@gmail.com.
Blessings!
