Wildflower Writes

Photo by  Javad Esmaeili  on  Unsplash   I opened an email from the local community theater, promoting auditions for a two-person show. I’ve been connected to this theater for nearly 30 years, and last year I was cast as a lead for the first time ever. Unfortunately, like so many important events, the show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’ve been wanting to get on the stage ever since. Even as a child, I loved stories and playing pretend. Acting is a way to become a different person, with different experiences, values, and perspectives. There’s also the fun of getting into a character’s head, to understand their motivation or true feelings, and then creatively communicating those traits through facial expression, voice inflection, and body language. Mathematically, the chance of being cast in a two-person show is not very good, especially since I’m not the most talented or experienced choice. I find joy in the audition process, reading as a character ...

  Photo by Dennis Buchner on Unsplash Yesterday, I took a walk through the park and was amazed at the beauty of ice and snow-covered trees. It was like a picture postcard, white frosted branches against a gray sky, alongside a fast-moving river, with a few Canadian geese to keep me company. This morning as I lay snuggled in bed and heard the microwave let out a death beep and saw everything go dark, the snow and ice seemed less romantic. A glance out the window confirmed that my building and at least a few surrounding blocks were out of power. Yet, when I rode down a tree-lined street past a wooded property on my way to church, I couldn’t help but feel the same sense of wonder and admiration at the scenery. It was breathtaking. The same storm that caused downed power lines and fallen trees and icy roads created beauty unmatched by anything humanly designed or created. The inconvenience and hardship of no electricity didn’t diminish the goodness that I recognized the day befo...

Photo by  Derek Story  on  Unsplash Living in an area crisscrossed by railroad tracks, I hear train horns day and night. The long, mournful wail makes me smile, reminding me that there are people and things on their way to the far reaches of the continent, and they happen to be passing close by. Even though I’m settled in my cozy home or office, the trains are forever moving. Someone is traveling to a new destination for a fresh start, or to spend time with loved ones. Someone’s special order is on its way to surprise and delight, and it has to go through my city to get there. I’ve been on the other side, too. I’ve traveled by train, watching small towns zip by the windows, following rivers and seeing mountains approach in the distance. I’ve drifted off to the steady click-clack, click-clack of the wheels on the tracks. I’ve experienced the anticipation of the journey and arriving at my destination. Kay Warren writes in the book, Choose Joy , that “life is much more l...

  Photo by  Jay Wennington  on  Unsplash My sister believes that when it comes to chips and salsa, there is a gold standard. Other restaurants may have a more authentic Mexican menu or faster service, but when she has her heart set on perfectly crispy, salty tortilla chips, there is only one right choice. If you’ve ever had a fine dining experience, where there is more silverware than you know what to do with and you feel guilty for wiping your mouth on napkins someone has to launder… you’ve encountered food prepared in a way that not only satisfies hunger but engages the senses. Plates are presented as works of art, creations composed of the finest ingredients. Once you’ve had a dining experience like that, it’s harder to be satisfied with fast food cheeseburgers. Our senses and sensibilities have been elevated- we want something beyond the everyday and mundane. We have deep longings for lofty things- real relationship, passionate purpose, deep understanding, person...

  When I was a child, our extended family would sometimes go on long walks. I always ran ahead, but then had to stop at every intersection. “Straight? Are we going straight? Is this where we turn?” The poor adults would have to interrupt their conversation to respond. It never occurred to me to run off my own way- I always assumed the adults had a plan. It also never occurred to me to walk side-by-side with those who were determining the direction we would go, rather than run back and forth repeatedly to find out. Sometimes we run ahead of God. “Is this the path I should take? Should I change direction?” He patiently guides us, in His time, in the ways we should go. Wouldn’t we expend a lot loss energy and worry less, if we just walked side-by-side with Him, enjoying the journey, and letting Him lead the way?  

  “Are you trying to teach me something, God?” This is what was going through my head as I walked to my car in the Meijer lot, with a quart of power steering fluid and a bottled Frappuccino. It was half an hour past the time I’d planned to be at work. One of my elderly car’s current issues is a leak that requires fresh power steering fluid every few days. I realized the night before that I’d need to get some first thing in the morning before taking my son to school. Except… we left the house late. I got to the gas station and realized I’d left my wallet at home, so I had to learn to use Apple Pay. I have it down to a science- pop the hood, remove the cap, insert the funnel, pour the fluid, replace the cap, close the hood. Except… when I pulled out of the parking space, I still had to force the steering wheel, and it’s usually an instant fix. I looked out into the lot and saw a puddle where my car had been. Apparently, I forgot to ensure the funnel was placed correctly. So $...

  Whenever asked, “what superpower would you most want?” (we are largely a Marvel household) I’ve always thought I’d like to read minds. It’s probably the curious wannabe psychologist within me that wants to know what makes people tick. Some people would choose to fly. I don’t know whether it’s the freedom of movement, the faster mobility, or the ability to see things from a higher perspective, but there’s something about the idea of soaring through the clouds that is attractive. In The Different Drum , M. Scott Peck said that the reason dragons are so common in ancient myths is that they represent the two sides of people- the physical that must crawl on the earth, and the spirit that can fly. When we forget we have the capability of the spirit, we trudge through the mud, unable to “[transcend}… our narrow-mindedness and sinful proclivities.”   Even if we can’t physically fly, we can reach new heights when we think about our lives beyond our bodies and our stuff and thin...