Lynna Clark

By Lynna Clark

“Hey man! Don’t be takin’ my donkey!”

That’s what I would’ve said if a couple of strangers came up to my house and started untying the family beast of burden. I mean, how will we get the firewood home, or take grandma to prayer meeting? You can’t just go around taking people’s stuff all willy nilly.

“The Lord needs it.”

Jesus told his friends to say that when He sent them to fetch the donkey. Apparently that’s all it took. The owner had no problem sending his valuable property with strangers. He wasn’t promised a great return on his investment. He wasn’t promised the donkey would be brought back fed and watered… or even returned at all. All he knew was that the Lord needed something he had. If I had a donkey, I can hear myself reasoning…“Sorry guys. It’s the only donkey I’ve got. You’re gonna have to find yourself another mode of transportation. I just made the last payment. Had to finance it for seven years, but finally it’s all mine.”

“What? The Lord needs it? The Lord has everything. Why does He need MY donkey?” I’m afraid me and my donkey would’ve missed the Jesus parade… the only one He ever had. In fact, I think I would’ve missed a lot of things.

I don’t believe I would’ve climbed a tree to get a better look. People would surely laugh at a grown woman perched in a tree. I wouldn’t have called Him up for a night time meeting so He could answer my questions either. What would the neighbors think? I doubt I would have given my lunch to Him when everyone realized it was time to eat and there was no food. What good would my little pitiful sack lunch do? And I KNOW I would not have stepped out of a perfectly good boat to go traipsing across the choppy sea. Who would take such a risk?

Not me.

In fact, everything is just fine the way it is. So Lord, I’m here for You… right here in my cozy house, with plenty to eat, and my nice warm bed, surrounded by things and people I love, with my precious donkey safely tied outside.

Hmmm… Sounds like a parade off in the distance. I wonder what I’m missing.

By Lynna Clark

I have two sisters who are twins. Not with me, with each other. Otherwise I guess we’d be triplets. Anyway, they are nearly four years younger than me. Unlike me they are still very active. They play Pickleball regularly. Both of them still get outside and walk often. They have card playing buddies and get together with them for tournaments and such. Best of all they still teach Bible classes and love their students. Tamra teaches elementary boys in her church while Janice brings weekly studies to ladies of advanced wisdom. Oh how I love them both. They make me laugh and think and think about laughing. Though we share the common thread of sisterhood, we are very different. While they enjoy people and love a good party, or fellowship as the church folks say, I tend to be a homebody. Please don’t make me go. My favorite plans are cancelled plans. I don’t even own a welcome mat because I don’t want to be a hypocrite. Annyyywayyy…

There is a running joke between us sisters about three old women who live together. These ladies live a confused life, much like my own. The other day we were trying to remember how the joke goes but couldn’t get it right. If that wasn’t so sad, it would be funny. Eventually sister Tamra texted it to us. It goes something like this.

Three elderly ladies lived together. One was upstairs and called down in a panic. “Somebody come help! I’ve got one foot in the tub and I can’t remember if I was getting in or out.” The second lady headed upstairs to help when suddenly she stopped on the staircase. “Oh no! I can’t remember if I was going up the stairs or down!” The third lady who was sitting at the dining table shook her head and commented. “I hope I never get that forgetful. Knock on wood. Wait… was that the front door or the back?”

So when Tamra sent me the text, I replied: “Since I can’t get in or out of the tub by myself, and I sure can’t be climbing no steps, can I be the one at the table? Knock on wood. Hang on. There’s somebody at the door.”

I have no idea where I was headed with this story. I guess the moral of it is to enjoy life no matter the season. Maybe even laugh, or think, or think about laughing while we still can.

Knock on wood.

“In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.” -Psalm 94:19

By Lynna Clark

I’m kind of clumsy when it comes to social graces. Like Don Rickles on the Andy Griffith Show, I’m rather inept. To me, people are scary… down right intimidating. However, for twenty years I worked at the front office of a small school. All day long I dealt with people. I was a little bit good at that. I think because I could help them quickly and they’d be on their way without too many words. If I had to make a phone call, I learned to practice what I would say beforehand. Even now, I do the same. Like last week I needed to check on strawberry plants at the local nursery. In my head, I had the questions ready but when a gruff old dude answered, my words came out “blah blah blahder berrydo have you some?” Also “what is the time of which you shall be closed?” I sounded like Yoda but not as intelligent. Maybe that’s why I write.

Annyyywayyy…

It turns out I’m not real savvy with the technology talk either. Someone was trying to call while I was listening to a Marco message from Permaculture Daughter. I thought I could just hit the orange button that popped up to see who was calling. But somehow I got Google assistant who said, “Try saying, ‘Remind me to take out the garbage.’” So I hit that button trying to get rid of her since my cell was still ringing and Marco was still playing. Of course Google Lady said, “Okay! I will remind you at nine o’clock tonight to take out your garbage.” She seemed so pleased to help that I hated to disappoint her. Without practicing, gently I said, “No Google Lady. Do NOT remind me about the garbage to be out at nine o’clock.”

Bless her heart. I think she was trying her best, but she informed me in her very-pleased-to-be-of-service voice. “Okay! I will remind you NOT to take out the garbage at nine o’clock.” So I gave up on her and hurried to answer my incoming call. But alas. They were gone. So I continued the tour of my daughter’s backyard garden on Marco. At least I’m savvy enough to send her a well-deserved thumbs up, heart AND happy face. I’m sure she was impressed. Plus! No words were harmed in the process.

Sadly, the call I missed was something from a desperate prince who needs money. I’ll have to catch up with him later. Maybe I’ll just text him so I can plan my words. I sure don’t want to insult the royalty which is surely him by misspeaking. But first, I might ought to take a nap. I have a call scheduled past my bedtime to remind me NOT to take out the trash.
Lord help me!

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight O Lord my Strength and my Redeemer.” -Psalm 19:14

By Lynna Clark

We have three grown daughters scattered about making their little corners of the world better. During a recent weekend the one living nearby was at a beach retreat with ladies from her church. I checked the weather app and was happy to see she was enjoying 73 degrees and sunshine. Wow. How perfect. Our middle daughter had plans to visit the farm of a friend who is into Permaculture… whatever the heck that is. I had to Goggle it. She too had great weather for the Permaculturing adventure. Woohoo!

However, as I checked the weather for our poor firstborn living in the Midwest, she was experiencing something called “frozen fog.” I have never heard of such a thing. I wondered if she were to drive through it, would it scratch her car.
That can’t be good.

Later that day I decided to make homemade banana pudding. You know, the kind mama made by cooking egg yolks. Since the local daughter has a gold mine in her backyard [she raises chickens and therefore has eggs] we have a generous portion of the motherlode. After adding four yolks, a little flour and sugar to a warm pot on the stove, I stepped away to grab the milk. Literally two steps to the fridge and two steps back. Of course there’s no telling how long I peered into the coldbox trying to remember why I was there. Upon returning to the stove I discovered darkness hovered upon the face of the deep. I snatched the pot from the flame but it was eternally too late. Scorched globs of gunk greeted me and I knew.

That would not be good.

So I started over. Different pot, fresh ingredients, lower temp and constant stirring would surely lend a good result. Mama would be proud. Later after it cooled and thickened, I relished the sweet pudding over bananas while I watched the birds outside my window. Naturally I dribbled pudding on the reading glasses hooked in the front of my shirt. As I tried to remove it, the pudding smeared all over the left lens. Okay, so I may have licked it off. But even after dousing my glasses in water, things were still foggy. But at least it was not frozen fog. Because that would surely not be good.

Ahhh sweet Saturday! A day filled with sunshine, scorched pudding and fog. I’ve come to realize; even with the good, the bad and the ugly… my life is pretty good. It’s hard sometimes to recognize just how good we have it. Scripture says it like this.
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” -1 Corinthians 13:12

Soon the fog will lift. Pain will disappear and the truth will be evident. In the grand scope of things, life really is pretty darn good.

By Lynna Clark

We used to have the best doctor. When David’s A1C registered high, she gave him a plan to lower it. Of course the plan came with a stern warning about his consumption of grits and other Southern manna. But her advice worked. Even better, she treated him like a son and praised his efforts each time he had bloodwork. She was so encouraging that his blood pressure, which usually shot through the roof like a rocket during a visit, came down to somewhat normal. But then she committed the unpardonable.

Our beloved Mrs. Caroline Adams retired. Dang encouraging grandma. Oh how we miss her. Life will never be the same.
As you surely know by now, I am a delicate flower. Currently I’m going through another health issue on top of the mystery illness I deal with. Of course the older I get the more the crazy symptoms pile on. In fact I told the Lord this morning that I am tired of asking for help and getting none. I decided to just quit asking. Then the story in the Daily Bread devotional spoke of the eerie quiet in a Russian orphanage where the babies learn not to cry because they know that no help will come. What a terribly sad commentary. Just as I finished reading the article the Lord reminded me of this verse.

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle.” -Psalm 56:8

Apparently Somebody does care.

Then I wondered how large that bottle must be. Since I’m a big ol’ crybaby, the Lord probably uses a five gallon bucket… or three. So let’s do this.

The next time we get to wondering if anybody cares at all, let’s practice this. Let’s go ahead and cry out to the Lord and know He loves us enough to collect all our tears. His Son also cried out. He even wondered why God had forsaken Him.
I bet His bucket is even bigger than mine.

By Lynna Clark

Don’t you love seeing daffodils this time of year? Around our house they seem to be popping up everywhere. My neighbor has three large flowerbeds loaded with them. So pretty. Their big ol’ heads nod at the cars passing by like “Look over here! Winter won’t last forever! Hitch up your britches and face this passing season.”

At least that’s what I hear. But I’m a few bulbs short of a full flowerbed.

In our yard we can count on daffodils popping up first in the woods to the back of the lot, then in various places around the house. This year a few rogues sprouted in the middle of the grass in the front yard. We’ve lived here a long time and those have never been there before. I guess they washed in from some random place and decided to bloom where they were NOT planted. There’s bound to be a lesson in there somewhere… though at the moment I can’t think of what it might be. I just know that each morning when I open the front curtains, their presence brings me joy.

Last night just before bedtime we flipped past the news. Generally speaking, I don’t watch it. But this caught my attention. Those who’ve studied Biblical prophecy have known for years that in the end times, right about when Jesus is ready to return, Russia and China will become allies.

Guess what was on the news. Yep. It was the first time I had ever heard of those two countries getting together as a possible superpower. Apparently the world is changing and there is not a lot I can do about it. The way I see it there are two options. I can wring my hands and cry out to anyone who will listen that the sky is falling. OR I can look to the One Who actually controls what’s going on and trust Him.

Today, as I open the curtains to see the daffodils nodding back at me, I rest. Though it is winter and the news forecast is bleak, there is hope for this season. I will continue to walk with the One Who has held my hand throughout my entire life. With His love He has calmed all my fears.

Do you know the Lord enough to trust Him?
It might be time.

By Lynna Clark

Did you ever have the pleasure of meeting my mom-in-law Nina? She was feisty, funny, and fierce. If one of us did something she considered socially unacceptable, she’d purse her lips trying not to comment. But she’d point her old crooked finger at us with a warning. Personally, I witnessed the wrath of the pointy finger on many occasions. Usually it was accompanied by a twinkle in her eye because she also had a great sense of humor.

For example, back in the days before internet, she had to phone in the info for the kids’ sermon she’d be giving at Trinity Baptist. One week the person at the newspaper misunderstood. Instead of printing ‘by Nina Clark” it read “by nine o’clock.” So naturally we had a t-shirt made for her with 9 O’CLOCK printed across the front in big bold letters. She SAID she couldn’t wear it because it would “bend her hair” if she pulled it across her head. I remember thinking that hair wasn’t going anywhere with all that AquaNet in place. Apparently she could read minds because that was one of the many times I was the recipient of the accusatory finger. There was no accompanying eye twinkle.

Do you recall the time Jesus used His finger to write in the dust? No wait. You’re not as old as me. Let me tell you about it. The story is found in John 8.

Some very self-righteous men who had the law memorized and followed it religiously brought a woman before Him. How embarrassing to be caught in sin then shoved in front of the public. It would be bad enough to be videoed over-eating at the Golden Corral. But her sin was considered pretty scandalous.

Instead of pointing at her with condemnation or even just a stern warning, Jesus knelt in the dirt and used His finger to write. It’s a mystery even now what He wrote. The story goes that one by one her accusers left… from the oldest to the youngest. Makes you wonder what in the world the Lord wrote in the dust. Oh how I wish I could have been there to get the scoop on those guys. I can just imagine how the poor woman felt as she stood there waiting for the other shoe to drop; or in her case a stone to be hurled. But instead of condemnation, she received mercy, with gentle instruction. We tend to hear only the end. Like thunder from heaven it sounds like “GO AND SIN NO MORE YOU FILTHY ANIMAL!” As a preacher friend of ours says, “Four out of five folks think God is mad at them.”

I could be wrong. I mean it’s happened before. But it seems to me in the context of the story, Jesus let the woman know that He wasn’t there to condemn her. I think gently He gave her a taste of what her life could be without the sinful lifestyle. I think she left that day with a fresh start.

Romans 2:4 reminds us that “It’s the goodness of God that leads us to repentance.” Oh what a concept! To enter the presence of God covered in shame but to leave clothed in grace. That’s the true message of the cross.
No pointy fingers.

By Lynna Clark

On a rare day of sunshine in early February, my beloved and I enjoyed time on the back deck. David built a fire — well, he turned the knob to light the gas flame in our firepit. The wind was chilly so I wrapped up like a mummy. We settled in to enjoy the great outdoors. We might be old, but there’s no shortage of adventure at the Clark house. Being Saturday, it was a busy day for overhead traffic. Small planes from our local airport circled often. We wondered if it was practice day for would-be aviators, or if they just got a kick out of seeing old people point and wave like they were in a parade.

Later that day we heard of the “weather balloon” which drifted off course. No big deal, except it had lost its way from China. Hmmm…

Reports came in that it had been sighted over much of the continental U.S., including areas over several nuclear sites. Logic would tell us that a live video feed likely streamed back to China with clear and accurate pictures of our “weather.” I wondered if I would be part of the surveillance footage. As they reviewed the live feed, I imagine the conversation went something like this.
“What is big aqua blob by firepit?

Dangerous?”

“No. Just old woman in bathrobe. Got it on sale $17.99 with coupon on Amazon. She barely waddle; no big threat. But keep eye on man. Alexa say he spoke of shooting weather balloon down.”

A few hours later, somewhere off the coast of the great state of South Carolina, a couple good ol’ boys assess the situation.

“Hey Bubba, hold my beer.”

BOOM!

And the footage ends.

Sorry China. While we appreciate your keen interest in weather, we don’t actually trust you. And though politicians assure us that all is well, we don’t trust them either. Thankfully our great country is still filled with good ol’ boys from sea to shining sea who possess a strong thread of common sense. Of the rest I can hear my daddy ask, “Ain’tcha got no common?”

I’m afraid the weather balloon has revealed the answer to this burning question.

But while the jury is still out, let’s think on this: “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” — Psalm 37:7

That dear friends is uncommon sense.

Lynna Clark lives in Salisbury. Read more at LynnasWonderfulLife.wordpress.com

By Lynna Clark

Since today is Valentine’s Day I thought we’d look at Ephesians three for those beautiful verses about love that I spoke of earlier. I know. Once again, I’m a day late and a dollar short. But we had a refrigerator hoopalah over the weekend. I’ll tell you about that later. It was not delightful. But what the devil meant for evil, God turned for good. Ha! So annyyywayyy… back to the love words. Frankly, after the past few days, it’s a wonder I can think of any words decent enough to print. But here you go.

Ephesians 3:18- “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ though it is too great to understand fully.”

But wait! There’s more! The next few verses indicate that when we begin to grasp His wonderful love, a different level of life is opened up to us. The kind where His great power is available and our life is made complete. Like the writer said earlier, that’s too great to understand fully. But I think I want that!

“Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” And because of His love and power, we can “accomplish infinitely more than we can ask or think.” Wowee.

One summer, our family went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The place we landed was desolate… as in no people in sight. Well, except for our thundering herd. As far as I could see there was only a beautiful beach with pristine white dunes behind us. Gentle waves lapped at the shoreline. Dark sapphire water indicated the depth of the peaceful scene. The gorgeous sky stretched heavenward seemingly without end. To me, it was a rare picture of what we as earthbound creatures can hardly imagine.

“How wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.”

Picture that scene and warm yourself in His unending, everlasting love today. He is worthy of our heartfelt praise.

By Lynna Clark

So yesterday was my birthday. 68. I know right? Confetti flew, roses bloomed, parades were thrown and children sang. And that was just on Facebook. I felt like a Queen! Then I opened my Daily Bread for a bite of wisdom on my special day. The subject was Memento Mori, which means “Remember you will die.”

Hey. Thanks a lot Lord. That was a lovely reminder on my otherwise cloudless day. How funny. At least I thought so. But I’m a bit crazy like that. I’m actually amazed to have lived this long. I kept thinking I’d die and wished I’d hurry up. But no more! The Lord has replaced the evil years with good and I am walking in sunshine! Truthfully it’s more of a swaggy waddle, but hey! You won’t hear me complain! Well, unless you ask me how I feel. Then you’re gonna need to sit down a while to hear the answer to that. There really is no short answer.

All sorts of age related ailment are popping up. Though the doc says my eyesight is fine, I beg to differ. I was reading a book last night and it said the guy stuck his head in the gravy. I couldn’t help but wonder why a man would do such a thing. I kept reading to find out but it just made no sense. So I went back to the gravy part. Turns out he stuck his bread in the gravy. Ohhh… okay. That explains things.

Today’s verse comes from Ephesians 4:1. It’s one of those I have written out as big as a notecard will hold and put on the bulletin board near my nest. Not because my eyesight is failing but because my memory is. Like I tell David when I repeat a story wrong. I’m not a liar but I am a forgetter. Anyway the verse says, “Lead a life worthy of your calling.”

Whatever the Lord has asked us to do as our calling, let’s do that. And no matter what, let’s keep our head out of the gravy.