Doing The Rarest Thing In The World

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”― Oscar Wilde

It’s not every day you’ll find me quoting Oscar Wilde, but in this instance, his words make perfect sense.

I’ve blogged before about my approach to life and how growing up in a large family, where perhaps death and tragedy seem more common, has a lot to do with my sense of urgency toward life. I over commit, have trouble telling people no, and loathe wasting time. To merely exist is unacceptable. Is this necessarily a bad thing?

I have six siblings, so my parents’ home overflows when we’re all there at the same time with our children and grandchildren. My dad has fourteen siblings, so an extended Hodges family reunion has well over a hundred people, though empty spots exist from each generation. My aunts and uncles are well into their 70s and 80s (one just turned 90), yet many passed away young, and the trend has remained into my generation.

Cemetery on my return visit in 2011

My earliest childhood memory is trudging through a cemetery in the late 1960s, my little legs straining to keep up with the adults and older children, as infant twins were buried in tiny coffins. I hadn’t even started school, and the enormity and finality of death were thrust upon me. Life is so different now where parents go to extremes to shield their children from the natural process of dying. We’re doing our kids a disservice.

But I digress.

My point is that as I’ve watched the young and old alike pass from this world to the next, I’ve often heard the phrase “life is short.” And it is. Just in the past decade the number we’ve lost in my family is in the double digits, most relatively young, some my age or younger. We treasure our reunions and don’t take a single one for granted. We understand when we hug each other good-bye, it may be for the last time.

My dad and his siblings
(George in background)

My cousin George, a pillar of the Hodges family, and his wife Sabrina have hosted the reunion for years on their sprawling property graced by a beautiful wood home with a porch that wraps around the entire house. It’s a serene environment that bustles with activity for the day and then winds down to a quiet evening for the handful staying overnight. My husband, kids, and I have been in that handful relaxing on the porch, watching the sun set, and eating peanut butter pie. One year, we enjoyed a thunderstorm after sunset. We reveled in the thunderclaps and rain since we were in a severe drought back home in South Carolina.

George talking with Josh
(Sabrina in red shirt in background)

George once spent more than an hour at the end of this long day talking with my son Josh about being a police officer. A couple years later, Josh shared that he’d chosen to become a firefighter instead. George and Sabrina listened with rapt attention and asked questions about his training and future. I’ve encountered very few people who listen like that, especially to kids. They have a passion for kids, evidenced by the fact that George was a school resource officer for years until he retired last year, and Sabrina is a school principal.

Playing a water game in the hot
July weather in Florida

Hodges are headstrong and often set in our ways but passionate about our beliefs and how we treat others. As apparent is the urgency with which we live. So after New Year’s, the family starts anticipating the reunion on Fourth of July weekend in Hilliard, Florida. The family is so extensive and spread out around the country that this year we even have a FB page to make sure no one gets left out. 

The reunion was part of my exchange with George on my birthday almost two weeks ago on Facebook. 

A little more than twelve hours later, George began suffering strokes and was airlifted to a hospital in Jacksonville in critical condition. I was dumbfounded when I heard. This was unfathomable. I couldn’t believe it, yet at the same time, I could. Life is fragile. We fool ourselves on a daily basis by thinking otherwise.

Yet, we know who holds each day in His hand. Nothing dumbfounds God or catches Him by surprise. We simply have to make the most of each day in service to Him, and trust Him for the future.

No one holds the golden ticket to immortality on this earth. Our only hope for living forever into eternity is through the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Each week I ask if you have a prayer request you’d like to share. This week, I’d like you to pray for George and Sabrina, his elderly mother, siblings, and children. Pray specifically for George’s recovery and wisdom for his medical team as they make decisions for his future.

How may I pray for you? Please leave a comment or e-mail me confidential requests.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

God bless you all,

Laura ✞

©Laura Hodges Poole

Facing Mortality

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” 2 Kings 20:1

In the middle of the night, I felt Josh’s hand on my shoulder about the same time he said, “Mom.” Even grown children wake Mom when they’re sick.

I learned thirty years ago, when I first became a mother, to rise when summoned. It’s what moms do, right? J

How many times have you been awakened by a 3:00 a.m. phone call, knowing it can’t be good news? Dread fills you even before you become fully conscious. A big deal always ensues during Presidential elections as to what each candidate would do when they receive that infamous 3:00 a.m. phone call of impending disaster.

But what happens when God summons us home? As Christians, we joyfully look forward to that day.

Right?

Yes, but…if we’re honest, as mere humans, sometimes we fear death—or perhaps the moments preceding it.

I read a book a few years ago, "The Last Lecture," by Randy Pausch. It’s not uncommon for professors to give a speech framed by their impending hypothetical death. However, Pausch, a computer science professor, had recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when he was scheduled to speak. He didn’t have to imagine what his final lecture would be because he gave it. Later published, it’s a beautiful book, full of humor and inspiration that he left as a testament for his small children about how to live.

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." --Randy Pausch

So what would our response be if God actually told us how our days were numbered? I’ve heard some terminally ill people characterize it as a gift. Each day takes on more meaning, tastes sweeter, and time is no longer wasted on the trivial. Let’s take a look at Hezekiah’s response.

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 2 Kings 20:2-3

That sounds more like what my response might be. J I’d like to think I’d be noble, but in all honesty, I can’t swear on a stack of Bibles I would.

Don’t ever be afraid to go to the throne of God boldly, even weeping bitterly, over a seemingly insurmountable problem. God can handle our human frailties. After all, He made us. He always reaches out and touches us with His comfort and mercy. And sometimes He honors the request for healing and longevity. Other times, He takes people to heaven to heal them. 

So, how did life turn out for Hezekiah?

Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’” Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered. 2 Kings 20:4-7

Your needs might be serious, maybe even like Hezekiah or Pausch faced. Or they might seem minor, like Josh’s illness, yet they’re dragging you down. No matter the problem, God cares. I care. If you’d like prayer, please leave a comment or e-mail me confidential requests. Would you take a moment while you’re here to lift up those folks on the prayer list at the top of the blog? Several are battling cancer or facing family crises.

I recently joined a blog with 25 other writers called Stitches Thru Time (Whether it's a conversation with a friend, a word that is penned, or a craft that is made, everything we do leaves a stitch in the fabric of time. Join us as we investigate the stitches of the past and present...). I’ll be posting there once a month. Click here to read my devotion posted on Monday and then take a few moments to look through the other posts. You’ll enjoy devotions, craft lessons, historical posts, giveaways, author interviews, and more. There’s a little bit of something for everyone. I’ll be posting there once a month. Thanks! J

God bless,

Laura ✞

©Laura Hodges Poole