March 4 – “The Look”

I started my day yesterday at Seaside Christian Academy.  I had great intentions.  The plan was to get some more work done on the sermon for Sunday, finish up studying for the teaching at Life Group last night (Ephesians 5 – wives submit, husbands love- always a fun discussion topic), and move some files up from the old building to the new office.   I hooked up the laptop as soon as I arrived, hoping to get started quickly.  But I couldn't get connected to the internet.  Actually, I could get to the Yahoo opening screen, but when I tried to go anywhere else it just laughed at me.  Didn't make any noise at all, but I knew it was laughing nevertheless.  It did it's little "loading" notification, and even ran through the little process bar graph at the bottom of the screen.  But when it arrived at the "done" message, nothing had been done.  Same screen.    Finally I gave up on the internet and tried to get started on something else.  Something that would only require simple word processing.  That worked fine.  I finished my blog entry, but couldn't send it.  Then as I moved to the sermon file I noticed a flashing icon near the lower right hand corner of the screen.  Curios, I moved the cursor over it and discovered that I had been working on battery power, and that was just about depleted.  No problem, right?  Just plug it in for awhile, right?  I reached for the case, unzipped it and reached in for the power cord.  And it was not there.  Of course not.  I left it plugged in at home when I picked up the laptop.    Undaunted, I turned to the next item on the list, moving files.  When we moved my desk up at the opening of the new building, I left my two file cabinets full of files back down in the old office.  I didn't use them that often.  In fact, I had no idea what was in most of them.  But yesterday I had brought with me four boxes and a dolly to help me make the transfer into the two new file cabinets I had just picked up from a friend in Friendswood.  He transfer went smoothly.  Didn't take long at all, in fact.  The plan is to go through all those files and throw some of the old stuff away.  That'll be completed on another day.  For yesterday, though, I did find one small treasure that fell out during transfer.  It was a ribbon from the elementary school in Denver that Josh went to.  2nd place for something.  Way to go, Josh.   Next I decided to do some reading.  In fact, I read a complete book called Heaven is for Real.  It was about a 4 year-old's experience of visiting heaven while he was dead for a few minutes.  Interesting look from a father's perspective as the youngster reveals over the course of months more and more details of what he experienced while clinically dead for a few minutes during a serious operation.    A text from Chris determined my next move.  Cailyn was over and she was apparently having a melt down.  She was not happy that her Mommy had departed.  Not a problem in and of itself.  Nothing Chris couldn't handle easily on her own.  But there was another wrinkle this time.  Mom was trying to help out, and she was yelling at Cailyn.  Didn't bode well for a relaxing afternoon.    By the time I got home Chris had Cailyn out on a walk.  That way Mom wouldn't have to deal with the crying and Cailyn wouldn't have to deal with the yelling.  Worked out well.  Everybody was happy as a lark when I drove up.  Cailyn did give us one memorable moment, though.  As we finished up lunch she discovered Chris' sewing scissors on the table.  Of course she picked them up, and of course Chris cautioned her and requested transfer of said object into larger hands.  Cailyn understood the directive, and followed instructions without making a scene.  But then Chris got "The Look."  That look that every girl I have ever know has down perfectly by the time they are, well, about two years old.  Cailyn ducked her head just a little bit, never taking her eyes away from Chris' face.  Her brow wrinkled ever so slightly.  Her lips tightened into just the hint of a frown.  And slowly - oh, so slowly – her tiny hand raised from its place in her lap with the index finger extended, yet with a slight crook.  And slowly, slowly the finger began its movement.  Up and down.  Up and down.  Until finally it reached full blown wagging.  Oh, yes.  Cailyn has The Look down.  I'm glad it was Chris receiving the brunt of it.  Watch out for that one, ye future boyfriends.   Isaiah 48:12-13 says, "Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last.  My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together."   Father, thank you for the incredible power in the simple expressions of a tiny girl. It reminds me of the awesomeness of just a wink from you.  Amen.