Tag: providence

Wanderers – 3

On By dklinegIn Christmas, StoriesLeave a comment

Note: There are 12 sections to this story that will be posted starting December 26, ending on January 6, the day of Epiphany. “Wanderers” can also be found in my book “My Best Christmas and other stories of the season” at Amazon.com.

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Weather didn’t much affect what Betty Williston did on a Saturday morning. Rain or shine, moon shine that is, at 3 AM she woke up, got ready for the day, tossed her Yankee’s hat on over her gray mop of hair and headed to the diner- her diner. It was Betty’s ever since Harry sold the place to her, his best employee, a few years back after she worked for him for many years.

The place opened at six and she needed to get her locally world-famous, warm and fresh, larger-than-average, sweet, sticky cinnamon rolls ready for her faithful morning customers. Everyday, she baked cinnamon rolls and then took care of the customers while Arnie handled the griddle duties in the back.

Her routine was pretty much set.  She knew the regulars quite well by now.  For instance, there was the Monday crowd, mainly looking for a cup of dark brew that would wake them up and help them start a new week.  Wednesday’s crew included the retired farmers, seed caps, Case IH sweatshirts and John Deere jackets. Fridays brought in the staff from the church down the block, making plans for saving lost souls. Every day was unique, and every group of customers was different.  The folks came mainly from the neighborhood, each with their own stories, and Betty was privileged to be given a glimpse into some.  However, for Betty’s story, there were only a few with whom she felt comfortable to share.  

That Saturday, Betty surveyed her domain.  She brushed her gray locks from her forehead.  She smiled a grateful smile and unlocked the front door.  She turned and rolled her eyes up to the ceiling and beyond and quietly said her morning prayer, “Thankyou.”

She knew things could have, should have been so different. She knew firsthand that life wasn’t always all coffee and sweet rolls. She also knew firsthand that like that rain soaked morning, the sun would poke through again. These were the days she looked for rainbows and often found them.

Wanderers- 2

On By dklinegIn Christmas, StoriesLeave a comment

Note: This spring, 2020, during the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown, I found myself with a lot of at-home time. During that time this story was completed. There are 12 sections to this story that will be posted starting December 26, ending on January 6, the day of Epiphany. “Wanderers” can also be found in my book “My Best Christmas and other stories of the season” at Amazon.com.

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The continuing Saturday morning drizzle provided a dreary, wet greeting as Ruby and her grandfather Thomas welcomed a new day. The day’s sun, low in the sky, shyly hiding behind sheets of low, gray clouds, didn’t add much to the promise that awaited them. However, Thomas would have none of that. He added his own sunshine. “This is the day that the Lord has made.” Thomas croaked out a line from a song he’d learned in Sunday school long ago.

“Grampa?” said Ruby as she tried to focus through the sleepy haze still permeating her twelve year old brain that drippy morning. She resisted her grandpa’s bright outlook and embraced the gloom, milking it for all it was worth.  “Grampa?  Wha-a-a…?”

 “Good morning, Sunshine!!”  With a knock on her bedroom door and a song, Thomas Start, grandfather of Ruby Jensen, made a feeble attempt at morning irony as he greeted his I’d-rather-be-sleeping-in, granddaughter.

Ruby’s parents, Thomas’ daughter Meira and son-in-law Ben, were away for the weekend. Thomas offered to keep Ruby safe, warm, fed and occupied while they were gone.  To that end, that morning Thomas would be fitting Ruby into his early Saturday morning routine of breakfast at the diner. 

“Where are we going so early?  It’s Saturday!” she said.

With a perky grin, Thomas said, “The diner.”  Ruby tried rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “I know, I know… You’re not used to getting up before, what is it, noon on Saturday?” Thomas said.  “These are the best hours of the week. Besides, this is for breakfast, the most important meal of the day.” Thomas grinned at a sleepy Ruby, her red hair flattened by her nighttime battle with her pillow.

It wasn’t long and both of them were ready to face the day after some coaxing, prodding and putting in more effort than Thomas was used to expending.  Ruby grabbed her hat, an ancient Red Sox hat that Thomas had given her once when they were playing ball in the backyard.  Old and faded with a dime sized splotch of red paint on the bill, Ruby crammed her hat over her unruly red hair and Grampa crammed his Cubs hat over what was left of his barely there hair.  In the dark living room they slipped past the sparkling Christmas tree topped with a bright star that gave them all the light they needed to proceed.  

Thomas grabbed the keys to the old pickup from the hook by the back door.  They tossed on their jackets, walked out the door, waded through the puddles and piled into the pickup parked next to the house.  They poked along in the early morning gloom and headed to the diner that was Thomas’ Saturday morning spot for breakfast, coffee, conversation and companionship.

The windshield wipers kept pace with the morning drizzle. The beat of the country Christmas tunes blaring from the truck’s radio didn’t deter a groggy Ruby, face plastered against a steamy window, from trying to grab a few more minutes of sleep. Glancing at Ruby, Thomas’ smile expressed deep gratitude for her and how she came to be in his life. Buried beneath the smile was the knowledge that it wasn’t always that way. Things could have been a lot different. A lot different.

Wanderers – 1

On By dklinegIn Christmas, StoriesLeave a comment

Note: This spring, 2020, during the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown, I found myself with a lot of at-home time. During that time this story was completed. There are 12 sections to this story that will be posted starting December 26, ending on January 6, the day of Epiphany. “Wanderers” can also be found in my book “My Best Christmas and other stories of the season” at Amazon.com.

* * * * * *

Let me make this abundantly clear.  Things don’t just happen.  Fate, chance, luck have no place in our world.  Coincidence? Things just happen?  Oh well, that’s life? Que sera? I don’t buy it.  There’s a reason and a purpose for the events that occur in our lives, no matter how unbelievably coincidental they may sometimes seem.  That’s why I need to tell this story.  

It’s a story about wanderers, Thomas Start, Betty Williston, Harry Spaulding and others.  They all started in different places, at different times and from different circumstances.  They were wanderers, each in their own way, yet somehow came together.  These wanderers, all strangers to each other, were brought together in the fullness of their time, to make a difference and shed light into the lives of each other.

It’s a story of Epiphany. It’s a story of God working behind the scenes as he does in all of our lives for a reason and a purpose that, in the end, reflects his grace.  Indeed, he is the author of our stories and the main character as well.

***

A cold shiver crawled through Ruby as she shed her rain-drenched jacket. The two of them just got back from school and their in-car, oneway discussion continued.  “I hate science!” Who cares about all that astronomy stuff anyway? Mr. King is soooo boring!” Ruby said, rolling her eyes. 

She carved a sour look on her face and with a low, growly voice did her best, worst imitation of her teacher.

 “And so, because, in the nighttime sky, these points of light appeared to move about among the fixed objects, stars e-t-c-e-t-e-r-a…” She drew out the word with her best British accent.  Ruby cleared the imaginary phlegm from her throat in dramatic teacher style.  “These, what we now call planets, were known to the ancients as wanderers.”

Ruby’s mother, Meira, fought the urge to chuckle and hung her coat in the closet. She said, “C’mon, Ruby it can’t be all that bad.”

“Besides, with 100 percent clouds all the time who can even see any of the stuff he talks about?” Ruby said. “And look at this!” Ruby dug through her school binder and extracted her science notes from her language arts folder. “Look at all these vocabulary words! We have to know them by Monday!”

Meira rescued the sheet from Ruby’s angry hands and said, “These don’t look too bad. I’m sure Grampa will love to help you review.” She skimmed the list; planets, supernova, conjunction and a dozen more.

“Why do I have to stay at Grampa’s?” she said. “Why can’t I just stay home while you and Dad are away? I’m old enough! It’s not fair!” Ruby’s foul mood was precipitated by a bad Friday at school, of which she had many, especially with Mr. King the science teacher. Today was no different.

“Ruby, we talked about this. Dad and I have a meeting to attend and we’ll be back sometime Saturday morning. And no, you can’t stay alone overnight.” Ruby rolled her eyes. She was twelve after all, a sixth grader, in middle school, no less. “Besides you like staying at Grampa’s.”

“Why don’t you get your stuff ready. We should be ready to go when your dad comes home. At this Ruby stomped to her room to pack her stuff. Her imagination worked overtime creating weekend scenarios that were not to her liking. Not at all! Little did she know what she imagined and what was true were to be very different.

The Star of Bethlehem

On By dklinegIn Christmas, Other Stuff..., Square InchesLeave a comment

Now I’m not going to get into a whole big astronomical ‘thing’ about the what, when, where and why of the star that led the magi to Jesus. I’ll leave that to others. Whether it was a one-time miraculous stellar event or the result of eons of God’s precise planning that brought planets and stars together, I’m not here to say.

I believe that the creator of all things, in his divine wisdom, wanted to get the attention of ancient scholars, sky gazers from the east.  He wanted to introduce them to the child King of Kings and Lord of Lords. So in the fullness of time this celestial event took place and motivated these magi to travel to find Jesus. And they did.  And they brought him gifts and they worshipped him.  

So why am I bringing this up so many days before Epiphany, January 6, when all of this is usually celebrated? You see, one of the ideas about the ‘star’ is that there was a conjunction of planets and/or a bright star. When they all came together the result was a remarkably bright object in the sky which caught the attention of these night sky observers. Again, why am I bringing this up?

It just so happens that in a few days, December 21, 2020, to be precise, there will be a conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, just before sunset, in the southwest sky. The two bright planets, ‘wanderers’ as they were called back then, will come together and appear as one really bright object.  It should be quite a sight if you are favored with clear skies, an unobstructed view and catch it at the right time. 

Now I’m not suggesting that after seeing this conjunction that you hop on the nearest camel and head to Bethlehem and look for Jesus.  However, it just might be a good time to give some credit to God the creator for the gift of his remarkable world.

Oh, and as for looking for Jesus… he’s not that far away. He’s called Immanuel, God with us, after all. Today’s gift, to be sure!

The First and Last… Really, the Last One… I Think

On By dklinegIn Other Stuff..., Square InchesLeave a comment

Back in September I flippantly reported on seeing the last robin of the year. Chagrined, I’m here to say that since then I’ve seen several more of them that seem to have missed their southbound flight.

So, today, Saturday, November 28, I believe I saw the last one… again… for real. I was at the end of my walk and there perched Mr. Robin red-breast in a berry laden bunch of shrubbery, perhaps eating one last Michigan meal before heading south. It’s almost December! We’ve had snow here already! For Pete sake, it’s time to go! And I’m sure it will soon be winging to warmer climes and worm-filled unfrozen turf. If not, I’ll be sure to let you know.

*****

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26.

Today’s gift!