Foreword... Heart to Give
The life of a follower of Jesus Christ demands courage —
courage to open our hearts and receive God’s guidance and love… courage to love those who think, feel, or look different from ‘us’… courage to be authentic, vulnerable and without pretense.
The poetry and prose pieces in this initial volume of Second Thoughts represent the heart of our congregation. In these words of joy, sorrow and searching, we encounter God’s presence, God’s embrace — and perhaps catch glimpses of ourselves.
May the truth that resides and resonates in this volume be a resting place for you. As you savor these words, may they embolden you and give you courage to open your heart — to share what God is still writing upon it. In this community of faith where Jesus Christ transforms lives, may we walk together in love, truth, and faith.
I am especially grateful for the vision and editorial expertise of Kevin Gardner, for Carol Baker and her unflagging support of art and artists, for the media production staff, and most importantly… for the courageous writers who have shared their hearts.
Thank you for this precious gift.
Dr. Michelle (Shelle) Louer
Director
of Fine Arts
“I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Jeremiah 31:33
God in 30-minutes or Less
My house-sitting job found me in the unique home of an architect with lots of nooks and crannies and layers. I actually got lost trying to find the main hall. The sun was brutally hot, and I had a bit of a bug, but the coolness on the inside was working its charm. This day’s tedious work left me drained and debating about ordering dinner instead of searching the kitchen for cooking supplies. I lost the argument with myself and ordered a pizza from a company that promised delivery within ‘thirty minutes or less!’.
Little did I know then how desperately I would hold onto that promise.
The view from the kitchen was miraculous, with lots of trees on a hill, a crystal blue lake, a light breeze rustling the underbrush and plenty of land. When I stepped out on the deck, the click of the door behind me was ominous. Suddenly, the view was not so incredible. I was locked on an empty porch, 40 feet from the ground, hungry, a little sick and in my pajamas. It didn’t take long for the seriousness of my situation to sink in. My bare feet couldn’t kick through the thick glass. What if I hit the glass and cut my hand? Jumping would likely result in some broken bones.
The sun went behind the trees and it started to cool off quickly. Think! Yelling myself hoarse didn’t get any response from the laughter that carried across the lake. Their family dog was below wagging his tail happily. “God help me. I’m in trouble here,” I prayed. Just then I heard the faint echo of the doorbell ringing. My pizza was here! The dog took off around the house and barked incessantly while I continued yelling for help.
I still think about that day sometimes. Long after the pizza was gone the miracle of God’s protection remained. The homeowners wouldn’t be back in the country for a week. One neighbor was on vacation, the other in the hospital. I had the beginnings of the flu. Tammy, the delivery person, told me she almost left because she was terrified of barking dogs. The garage door was open, so I directed Tammy to the hidden house key, and she found her way through the maze of a house to reach me. To this day I am convinced that too many hurdles were jumped through to be a coincidence.
When has God protected you? If you listen to His whispers, God will provide for your needs—maybe a pizza in 30 minutes or less!
Beth Dawson
Emeralds
Deep within the temple of my heart lies an ark holding timeless treasures. Let me lift the lid on sacred stones grown priceless through the years.
Inside are precious emeralds with lustrous facets of wonder, laughter, faith and people who have known my love. Is it you that sparkles in the corner?
You see, it’s in the search for gems that Grace is revealed to us. Go ahead… peek behind the curtain. The Wizard has so much more in His bag!
Kevin Gardner
Cleopatra’s Egyptian mines were once the world’s primary source of emeralds. In this ancient culture, green was a sacred color associated with fertility of life along the Nile. Pharaohs were buried with emeralds …the symbol of eternal life.
The Eternity of Flowers
Through God’s Grace we are enabled To know Wonder — To find and embrace Hope, To discover Faith.
In the Light of Faith, true Belief, We learn to see the beauty Of His Creation — its Complexity And its Joy.
Through our Faith we are redeemed by The Love of the Triune God, Saved from destruction By the shadow of the Cross.
In God’s Light a flower grows for each of us — In an infinite field of blue, green, and yellow; it Spreads out to follow the arc of the sun, Replenishing each year, an unending song.
Whether cornflower or chicory bloom, They linger in estival glory — eternal witnesses with Pathways wending toward some final Gloaming, As He chooses.
At the sight of such a soft, blue spread We are readied for His Peace, we are All flowers, but then no more than a Blanket for each other, in His eternal care.
William Alfred Ghormley
A Poem for the Sanctuary Choir
Unusual communion —
One common breath
Taken in audible unison, The music already sounding In the mind’s ear.
Harmony lingering in mid-air — Embedding scripture
Into time and place
Into soul and memory
One melody at a time.
Sally McGuffey
Colors
Green is the very Color of quiet — Green from the window, Green underfoot.
Blue is truly the Color of music — Light blue hum Deep blue song.
Grey is likely the Color of dreaming — Silver in sunlight Granite in shade.
Sally McGuffey
My father was a man of contradictions. At IU he studied voice but gave it up to play quarterback for the Fighting Hoosiers. When World War II called him to service, he flew Corsairs over the South Pacific. He could tell war stories that would capture the attention of seasoned veterans. After the war ended, he began his career as a corporate pilot. My dad managed the aviation department at Inland Container Corporation. He flew three U.S. Presidents, as well as CEOs and board members of additional corporations, such as Eli Lilly and Exxon Oil.
On my 13th birthday my dad presented me with a beautifully wrapped package that he brought home from California. He was anxious for me to open it, and when I did, inside was an exquisite hand-painted jewelry box that played Beethoven’s Fur Elise. It was so beautiful, it made me cry. He said he loved me so.
Conversely, when I turned 16 my dad handed me a pickaxe and told me to go out in the August heat and break up the soil to create a pathway in the backyard with slate stones. He said I needed to build some strength and endurance. I was appalled and thought surely he couldn’t mean this. Why me? I was on my way to meet friends at the mall, and surely my older brother was better suited for this task. But I knew better than to ask questions. For weeks I dutifully hacked away at the sunbaked clay soil until I had laid every one of those stones and he told me my work was good.
When my dad wasn’t flying airplanes, he was often singing for church services, weddings, and funerals at our Presbyterian church in Indianapolis. He was the tenor section leader in the church choir that my mother directed. My dad had a lilting Irish tenor voice that could make grown men weep.
When someone in our extended family died, my father would surreptitiously pay for the funeral. This included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. He said no one in grief should have to worry about funeral expenses. He was a tender, compassionate and generous man. For my parents’ 25th wedding anniversary my dad arranged to have a concert grand Steinway piano delivered to our house as a gift for my musician mother. He said it was because he loved her so.
My father has been gone for three years now, but as I hold some of his possessions in my hands, like his World War II medals, or his beloved hand-carved ivory figurines from Japan, I can feel his soul inside me; beside me. He is never far from my thoughts, this man of contradictions. From him I learned to endure the hard times in life, but also to love with tenderness, compassion and generosity. For I loved him so.
Janet Blank
