This past weekend Dave and I went to his 20th high school reunion. No, we are not old! And twenty isn't that long ago-anymore. It was a great time. Dave had a blast with his old schoolmates. He went to a private christian high school in LA.The most amazing thing to me is that most of them are still walking with the Lord! His graduating class was about 100. Out of those 100, two have died. One was divorced but remarried his wife three years later. I think there were only three single. The rest happily married-or so they say. Some of these people had gone all the way through school together. Some of their old teachers were now teaching the children of graduates.
This caused me to think back on my school carreer. To remember those people who shapped my thinking and being. One of the most influential people in my life (aside from my parents) was not a teacher-even though I spent more time in the classroom than out of it. It was a lady from my dad's church.
Anut Marvel is a blessed creature! She has the rare gift of making even the most mundane and trival thing so deeply moving and profound. To a hard heart, Aunt Marvel is a silly sappy woman. And for many years I was that hard heart. I rolled my eyes as she held my dad's arm with tears in her eyes, her little wadded-up kleenex in her hand, telling him what a beautiful service that was and what a wonderful message that was and wasn't the Lord so abundantly good.....Dramatic, flighty, weepy, weak. But to a tender heart, Aunt Marvel is the voice of love and truth. She is a sensitive and compassionate woman. A woman who loves the Lord ferverently. A humble woman who recognizes her place before God and His rightful place in and out of the universe. She is someone who does not build up walls. Therefore the Word can penetrate quickly and deeply, affecting change almost instantaneously. Everything touches her! She has not lost the joy of life. When she looks at something, it is as if she is seeing for the first time. When she smells something, it is the sweetest smell known to man! When she hears a song of worship, not only does it sound flawless to her ears, her heart sings along in perfect harmony!
She is the anthesis of a critical spirit. When she hurts, she does not hide or cover it up. She does not wallow in self pity or blame others. She simply loves the Lord and leans on Him in those painful times of trial. She seems to be completely unconcerned by what others think. She lives simply in the present. Not ignoring the past, but not carrying it around, and not anxious for the future. Just living every moment in joy and thankfulness.
More and more I find myself wanting to be aMarvel(er). Someone who is awed by the marvelousness of the Lord and His goodness. Someone who marvels at every manifestation of God's grace to a sinful being. Every precious moment has within it something to marvel at. To weep at the beauty of the Creator revealed in His creation. To bask in the illumination of the Word. To dance with joy over the repentant brother or sister. To sob with gut-wrenching sorrow over misrepresenting the Most High. To squeel in delight over the blessings of Jesus....
A few weeks ago we were on a train trip to Santa Barbara. Actually, we were coming back in the evening heading north right along the coast. All of the sudden a loud vioce filled the train car. "Praise Jesus! Look at that beautiful sunset!! PRAISE JESUS!!" It was our Pastor Greg, who was so overcome with thankfulness to God for His abundant beauty, that he spontaneously gave a shout out to God. I smiled in my seat and thought, "There is another Aunt Marvel. Praise Jesus!"
