A tension
She squirmed. Too much attention. Too much love in their voices.
The blur of lit candles. Dinnertime ritual turned upside down. Oh, that poor kid, coming unwound! She buried her face and cried while the family sang, “Happy Birthday to you!”
And all those expectant eyes—did she need to sing back, in return? All by herself? Panicked, she ran from the room.
“Come back to the table,” her mother coaxed. “Take my hand, we’ll do this together.”
I can still feel my mother’s slim hand tugging gently on mine, still feel the heat in my face. I wanted the ceiling to open, hoover me safely up to my room on the second floor.
For the next few years, the more candles Mom lit for me, the longer and harder I blushed. No big brother or big sister modeled a healthy response.
It can be awkward at any age to be celebrated.
May I have your attention
Monday (two years ago if you’re reading this now), I logged in to Facebook to announce the release of Where the Sky Opens, my first book. Your response staggered me.
I grinned. Then blushed. Worried that by noon I’d be too big for my britches, with an impossibly big head by dinnertime.
Am I the only one who wants attention, then half-revels, half-panics when it arrives?
For every cheer and exclamation point, every heart icon and loving comment, thank you, friends!
And thank you, God. Please, Maker of the cosmos, restore my sense of proportion. And humor. Help me walk this unfolding path in ways that delight and honor You. It’s feeling a little heady . . .
Corrie ten Boom, on attention
Corrie ten Boom, WWII death camp survivor, once said, “When people come up and give me a compliment—‘Corrie, that was a good talk,’ or ‘Corrie, you were so brave’—I gather each remark as if it were a flower. At the end of each day I lift up the bouquet of flowers I have gathered throughout the day and say, ‘Here you are, Lord, it is all Yours.’”
At the end of another singular day I am (still) gathering word blooms. Relishing each distinct, lingering fragrance: a nosegay of kindness and generosity.
God just might be saying: “Let me put these in water. They’ll keep better here.”
In this noisy-get-noticed-now! world that craves hype and celebrity, I remember that, in Christ, you and I are urged to “shine like stars in the universe as [we] hold out the word of life . . . (Phil. 2:15b NIV).”
Listen. Is that God speaking?
Take my hand, we’ll do this together.
What words of life are you called to hold out to another?
For those interested in buying Where the Sky Opens, click here: http://amzn.to/1Ri7NFM
Or buy direct from the publisher here, for a 20% discount: http://wipfandstock.com/where-the-sky-opens.html
Or visit Auntie’s Bookstore in Spokane.
And if anyone is inclined to leave a Reader Review on Amazon, I’ll be over-the-moon grateful!
Momma YOU are amazing! And I’m so very proud of you and that people celebrate your God given talents and who you are! Well deserved.
Kristin, your love and support mean the world to me. Thank you!!! xoxoxo
Congratulations, Laurie! I have added your book to my list of books to purchase. (I have to pace myself–it’s easy to get carried away!) You’re an insightful writer, and even your prose is poetic, which I greatly enjoy. No doubt many more people will now discover the beautiful and wise reflections of Laurie Klein!
Nancy, thank you so much. I hope you’ll enjoy it. I appreciate your encouraging words!
With all of the egos bursting and chest thumping in our society, it is a pleasure to see someone – a person who is well deserving of praise and attention, see it for what it is, and give it away. Humility is the most admirable human condition. Thanks.
John, I hope I can always respond in this healthy way. If you see me puffing up, hold me accountable, friend, will you? You see so clearly.
Looking forward to receiving my copy, Laurie. Then perhaps a review.
Jody, thanks for ordering a copy! I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Congratulations, Laurie! My book is in the way, and I can’t wait to read it.
Thank you so much for celebrating with me, friend and fellow writer, and for ordering a copy. I’m delighted!
Laurie, I’m delighted you have your moment to shine with your new book release! And I look forward to receiving my copy soon. It’s hard being in the spotlight, isn’t it? You’re not alone in desiring attention sometimes, then finding it overwhelming. I experienced something similar when I had some good news to share a couple of months ago. And I love the idea of receiving graciously then offering it up to the Lord as a fragrant bouquet. He is the one who fires and inspires us and to Him be the glory! The more we listen, the better we will get at hearing and discerning which “words of life” are ours to hold out to another and when to share them. Blessing to you. 🙂 x
Joy, my new friend and sister-poet, your understanding words warm and strengthen me. So so true about the discernment piece—the when and how and to whom. Too often eagerness overtakes me! May we both increase in wisdom and willingness, yes? You have blessed me today! Thank you.