For the love, be a hummingbird

There is this story, one I have referenced years ago on my blog, it goes something like this: there is a mighty forest fire and all the animals flee the forest and cross the river and look over the river and watch their home burn up. Out of the corner of his eye, the mighty elephant sees the tiny hummingbird darting back and forth from the river to the fire, carrying a drip of water in his beak and dropping it on the fire. The elephant asked, "What do you think you are doing?" to which the hummingbird replies, "I am doing what I can."

I know a real life hummingbird. Her name is Renee. She has been teaching in an inner-city school for over thirty years, touching hundreds of lives with her love, faith, and generosity. She, along with the love of her life, Greg, have been youth leaders to hundred of kids over the years. She and Greg have been the very definition of "doing what they can." I would venture to say they have done even more than that. They have gone above and beyond. That is pretty much their thing.

I have gone to church with Greg and Renee for about the past nine years, and even though we are now looking for a new church, Greg and Renee, along with some other great couples are in a small group at our house on Wednesday night.

Last Wednesday, we all sat in my living room planning a surprise party for Greg's 60th birthday party. There was a lot of discussion over where we should have it. What kind of cake to make. German Chocolate. Greg wasn't there that night because he was not feeling well.

Thursday night I was sitting in my kids' choir concert and my phone vibrated. It was one of my friends from small group. I answered it.

"Crystal, Greg is gone."

It took my breath.

I let out a hiccup sob and then a keen. My mom thought I was laughing. I quickly schooled my face because I didn't want to tell my kids that way. Greg is their Pied Piper. Our friend. A magician. A comedian.

I finished the concert. I walked out of the auditorium and told Garth in the lobby. He was in disbelief. We quickly made a plan to get the kids home and have me go to Renee.

I am the kind of person who never wants to impose on someone's grief, but all I could think is that if it were me, Renee would be the person who I would want with me.

You see, Renee's prayers are the ace up my sleeve. I don't know how many times, especially in our adoption, where I would send her a prayer request and she would be on it. She is one of those people who doesn't just say she will pray for you, she prays on the spot for you. Talking to God like He is right there and is her best friend.

My dear Renee has been such a rock for so many people for so long. Right now she needs us.

I read an article that Glennon Doyle Melton wrote about the concept of sistering. It is a construction term used when a beam has to go a long distance in holding up a house. Too much distance and too much weight will surely make that beam bow, which can ruin the integrity of the entire house. The way that it is addressed is to take two other beams and attach them to either side of the board for support. That is what sistering is. This technique allows the main beam to do its job, but it doesn't have to do the job alone.

Renee needs us to sister her now. To support her.

Because Greg was not able to get life insurance due to his myriad of health problems, Renee has to come up with the entire amount for the funeral before Friday, December 15. The cost is $8000.

Now is the time to be that hummingbird. Even $10 would be such a blessing.

You may or may not know Renee, but please do what you can. Helping with this is following God's direction to the letter. James 1:27 tells us what pure and faultless religion is.

Please pray for Renee to have comfort. To have the peace that passes understanding in this painful time.

Here is a link to the GoFundMe page.

Here is a link to his Obituary.

*Update: I have had over 400 people read this post in the past 10 hours since it went live. If every one of those people would have donated $10, the remainder of this need would have been nearly met by now. 

Looking for the 'Why'

It seems to be so much of human nature to try and figure out where it all went sideways.

When relationships fail.

When people are mean.

When someone shoots up a crowd.

We want to know 'why?' What could we have spotted along the way that would have allowed us to prevent it. What clue did we overlook? Where did it all go wrong?

I saw on the news that they will be performing an analysis on the brain of the killer.

Is evil visible under a microscope?

Perhaps they will find there was some brain damage. Some sign of dementia. Who knows. But most probably they won't find a solitary thing. No reason. No answer. Just endless questions and broken hearts.

We live in a culture where answers are at our fingertips 24/7. There are no more unanswered arguments. I can't disagree with my husband on something without his iPhone flying out of his pocket to settle it once and for all.

I think that we have lost something through that.

We have lost the ability to live in the tension of not knowing.

Maybe I only speak for myself, but I don't think so.

I think that if we step back we can culturally identify, not just as those seeking answers when something awful happens, but also as those wreaking destruction and mayhem as well.

I see such nastiness everywhere. Meagan Kelly started a new morning show and  had a rough few days getting started. Now, I don't follow news, or Meagan Kelly, or anyone else for that matter, but for awhile I couldn't open up a browser without seeing her name and headlines about how much people hated her, etc.

There are real people with real feelings and real families that are being attacked in vicious and cowardly ways.

Fingers point at the POTUS for eviscerating people via social media, but it is not a problem isolated to him or started by him. There is a cowardly spirit at work in the hearts of so many. A cowardly spirit that sits behind a keyboard and constructs witty slander in order to get what we want. To eliminate our perceived enemies.

It is ridiculous and bullying behavior.

I have been on the receiving end of some of that recently, and I can say that it isn't fun. I can say that it stirs up all sorts of feelings and frustration and retaliation.

But I can also stand and say that it ends with me.

Maybe if more people stood up and stopped with the anger and the quest for the 'why' when sucky stuff happens we would live the more beautiful way. In fact, forget 'maybe,' we WOULD live a more beautiful way.