I spent most of my day yesterday at my desk
again. It wasn’t all computer work,
though. I actually used some of the cut
and paste skills I allegedly learned at seminary when I got a master’s degree
in education instead of theology. I had
to generate two calendars for Seaside.
One was to hand out to people so they can have something to put up on
their refrigerator door. The other one
was the big calendar we hang at the coffee station at the church for folks to
see when they come on Sundays. Great
fun, of course. Typing all the letters
to describe events, making a copy of them, cutting them out, and pasting them
in just the right spot on the calendar page.
Then googling appropriate pictures, saving them to the computer,
adjusting their size so they will fit the document, printing them out, cutting
them to fit around letters, and pasting them down as well. Then making twenty or thirty copies to hand
out. The process is basically the same
for the wall calendar … only bigger. I
was cutting and pasting right up until people started arriving for life group. Maybe someone else will volunteer for this
job next month.
Cailyn was here again yesterday. Her Dad was working an extra job and her Mom
had a big nursing school test. She made
it possible for me to have a break from my desk when it came time to “read
books.” That’s grandparent code for “We
hope you fall asleep for a nap but we’re not going to mention the ‘N’ word and
besides DadDad will probably fall asleep anyway.” After we read third book and I could hardly
keep my eyes open, Cailyn began telling me about her impending wedding. Calm down, Nathan. She didn’t have an exact date yet. Or a groom.
Just the wedding. I have always
suspected that the whole “I know just what my wedding day will be like” thing
comes imbedded in a girl’s genes. This
conversation was further proof of that.
She described her dress: white, of course, with trappings of (I hope I captured
them all. I was taking notes on the
edges of the crossword puzzle book that sits on my bedside table): pink,
diamonds, and “sixes” (I asked twice about that one. Still don’t know what they are, but she
repeated it very slowly when she realized I was writing it down – like I was
some kind of dullard. And in matters
such as this … she was right). She also
said about the dress, “Oh, DadDad. Write
that it will be skinny.” Skinny
dress. Got it. She noted that she will also wear a tiara
with a bride stuck to it (Finally, something I understood. We have pieced together from earlier
conversations that a “bride” is her word for the veil). That settled, she next struggled with, “Now,
let’s see, DadDad, what else will I be wearing.
I know there will be shoes. New
shoes. And they will be white for my
dress. Write that: New white wedding
shoes.” Foolishly, I wondered if she would wear
gloves, too. “That’s right, DadDad. Gloves.
Cinderella wears gloves at the ball.”
Well, there you go. Can’t let
Cinderella have the upper hand, now, can we?
With the outfit complete, I asked if she would have a dance at the
wedding. She assured me there would be
dancing, so I hesitantly continued, “And who will you dance with?” Guess who was at the top of her list? This old man, right here. Of course we may be rolling around in my
wheel chair by then. She did add that
she would save one dance for “who I can find to be my husband … like Prince
Charming.” Ah, young Prince Charming,
whoever you may be, may God prepare you now for a lifetime of joy with this
lovely young maiden. And you better
treat her right, because her Daddy knows a guy …
Jeremiah once warned in 2:32: “Does a maiden forget her jewelry, a bride
her wedding ornaments? Yet my people
have forgotten me, days without number.”
Father, I do pray for Cailyn’s future
husband, and for the wives of our grandsons, whoever they may be. Prepare them for each other even now. Amen.
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