tuesday’s child: ribbons & bows

As seniors in High School our very last writing assignment for Mrs. Cantrell’s AP English class was to write a “Prediction Paper”.  In this narrative, each student had the opportunity to tell the story of where we thought each and every one of our classmates would be in life – May 2012.     A dangerous assignment – to say the least.   We could write what we really thought about each other.  Would this be the ultimate payback for years of teen anguish or would we play nice?     We all sat with bated breath waiting to hear what pursuits our classmates would assign us.

An airplane bound for Los Angeles was the opening setting of my paper.  I was a world renowned Pediatrician on my way to speak at a medical convention.  (Obviously, most all of us wrote that we were at the top of our high paying fields).  My story continued to tell about my fellow students who happened to be on the plane,  a few appearing on the in-flight movie, and one was the author of the book I was reading.  For the most part, I was kind to my cohorts who all lived wildly successful lives graduating from the college they planned to attend –  with the major they hoped to pursue…except for the poor fellow who I made the stewardess on the plane.   Yes,  stewardess.  It wasn’t intentionally against him.  I did want the shock value.    He didn’t find it funny.   (I’ve spent years regretting it.   I’m sorry Lee wherever you are. )

Lee’s payback was a prediction paper based on the 1980′s television hit M.A.S.H. He made me…not Hot Lips Houlihan…but Colonel Potter!!  I deserved it.  I haven’t forgotten it either.  Thankfully, my closest friends played along  with my daydreams and wrote my bit part as the pediatrician, living in a big white southern house.  My friend Jessica predicted  I would marry a certain curly haired boy.   (Smart girl! – no wonder she went to Northwestern)   One of the last readings came from this beloved hippie/ granola/ goth type of the studious preppy class. (Think Ally Sheedy in the Breakfast Club).  She stood  at the front of the room to read.  There it was. Her prediction of me.  I was more furious than being called Colonel Potter.    Erin had made me ….an interior designer.   My character was Sugarbaker-esque!    I even had a motto  - “everything looks better with a bow”.   The class laughed.    I didn’t.   I had yet to appreciate the “me”,  they all could see.

Years later,  I can finally admit I love ribbons more than science….and everything DOES look better with a bow.  Especially life lessons.    I like it when God wraps my  lessons like the satin strands across a tiffany blue box.  a simple bow.  There you go.  That’s what I needed to learn.   Thanks, God.

However –  Most of the time life is more complicated.  ”This lesson” crosses “that lesson”.  The shears come out to prune this ribbon  and then make that ribbon curl tighter.   In the midst, it appears as a big colorful mess with loose ends everywhere.  However, from a grander perspective –  God is creating a festive -curly ribbon- bow.

Lots of things have been going “this way” and “that way” for me the last couple of years.    I’ve been pruned here.  Wound tighter there.  Loose ends everywhere.   I confess I wondered  to God, “Why are you doing this to me?”  versus ” how are you going to use this for YOU?”  more times than I should have.     My time in Woman on a Mission has helped me to focus on the latter question.   I have developed my personal mission statement.

“ I  am uniquely gifted and empowered by God to creatively inspire women to live beautiful, gracious, strong lives in Christ”

Originally,  I thought this blog would be part of fulfilling that mission.   It may be.   However now,  I feel the need to set it aside for the next month or two.  My energies and efforts will be focused elsewhere.

Yesterday, God took one of those curly strands of ribbons in my life that looked like a loose end and made a big ol loop de loop.   It was a meeting for which I’d been waiting to have for sixteen months!   SIXTEEN MONTHS!!!!  Now,  I finally see the bow He is so beautifully creating.    I will be part of the team devising a roadmap of programs designed to help women of all ages connect in  mentoring relationships.   If you are the praying kind, pray for me  and my teammates on this big audacious journey.   In the tangled ribbons of life,  this project is far more than the big pretty bow for which I’ve prayed.  It is a gift.

Grace to you, my friends.