The Cookie

It's hard to believe we saw him again after thinking we never would.

See it's been about 5 months, since we had our run in with Chester, not his real name of course, because you just never know who is reading blogs anymore, so let's just go with Chester for now.

We first met Chester on a brisk, grey morning in March this year. We were headed to pick my oldest daughter, Caitlyn, up from school and had arrived a little bit early. So we decided to park the car and just wait outside.

I picked up my phone and left her a message just in case we missed each other when school let out and the kids begin to pile into the parking lot. Sometimes you can get lost in a crowd of students because once school is out, it will be the fastest you ever see students move in your life.

So content that she had a message waiting from us, plus that missed call message, we knew somehow, some way we wouldn't miss each other.

So my youngest sits next to me in the front seat with her Nintendo DS propped up in her hands battling whatever unforeseen enemy needs to be defeated and saving the earth in the process, at least its what is sounds like to me.

I lean my head back on the head rest behind me, and put my sunglasses on so I can keep an eye on students walking by without them knowing I am looking at them and occasionally closing my eyes off and on.

That's when Chester showed up.

Kailee, my youngest daughter, looks up and points at him and tells me she doesn't think he belongs here.

If you could see what Chester was wearing, and what he looked like, he obviously didn't fit in.

He wasn't a student that would be attending this school. He looked much too old for that. It look like either time or the elements had taken a toll on him.

He looked at us as he passed by, and sat on the small concrete stone wall just outside the school.

Perhaps he was here to pick someone up or perhaps he was just waiting for a ride home.

He kept looking around rather nervously like he had done something criminal or was going to be in trouble if someone saw him here.

So there Kailee and I sat, just looking at Chester sitting on the stone wall just off to the left of my car. He stayed there for about 10 minutes and when the bell buzzed that signaled the end of another academic day, he ran off.

We tried to look back and find him but he managed to disappear behind some cars and we didn't see where he went.

We had gone back a few times before school ended and when I asked my daughter, Caitlyn about Chester, she didn't seem to know what I was talking about.

I guess that meant Chester didn't go to school or wasn't a parent of one of the students.

The odd thing was, the poor thing looked hungry and hadn't had a bite to eat in quite some time by the looks of him. We would have offered him something to eat, but he didn't look like he would trust anyone anyway.

You can imagine our surprise when Steve, Kailee and I went to pick Caitlyn up from school the night of her dance just yesterday. The dance had let out at 5pm, since it took place during the summer for her school club.

We had mentioned to Steve while we waited outside the school for Caitlyn about the odd run in with Chester earlier in the year and wondered if we would ever see him again.

Steve noticed Chester first. The minute Kailee and I saw him, we instantly recognized him. He hadn't changed much since we saw him last time. Same old appearance and he still seemed anxious and frightful at the same time.

This time, we had just finished shopping at Target and at least had some bags of cookies and snacks with us. So I took it upon myself to try and offer some food to Chester. Kailee even suggested that since he may be afraid of another bigger person trying to talk to him, perhaps she should try.

So I waited for Chester to stop and this time he sat beneath the trees instead of the stone wall. I couldn't have blamed him since it was unbearably hot that day. Poor thing, I bet he must at least be thirsty.

I walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk and reached in for a box of cookies I had just bought. I pretended I didn't see Chester but out of the corner of my eye, I could tell he was watching me. I couldn't fool him.

But he didn't leave. He just waited. Kailee went and sat on the wall and began to talk to him as I walked over to him. He didn't say anything. He just kept watching us. Perhaps the years had taught him to be wary of strangers or perhaps like most people, he was treated harshly by someone in his past.

You could just tell that by looking at him that we needed to gain his trust. We kept talking to him and asked him if he might be hungry.

He just gave us that blank stare where you can tell deep inside someone's mind that they are wondering whether to trust you or simply run away. At least he wasn't leaving. So we passed a few cookies to him.

We just laid them down and waited. We waited to see if we could be the people he begins to trust again. At that moment Caitlyn walked up and we had to motion to her to be quiet, because we were trying to help Chester. We didn't want him to be afraid. If the only thing we did that day was offer food to someone that was hungry, perhaps it would make a difference and he wouldn't be so afraid anymore.

Soon, Chester got up and walked over to where we laid the cookies and picked one up. He kept looking at us the whole time like he thought it was some kind of joke. We told him that if he wanted more, he could have the whole box. We just wanted to be his friends and at least give him something to eat if he was hungry.

He ate them all, and when he was eating the last one, a bunch of kids came running out of the school and Chester took off. Perhaps he thought he was going to be picked on or perhaps these were the kids that had made him distrust people.

Whatever the reason, Steve magically caught our encounter with Chester on film just in case something were to happen to him later.

As we left the parking lot, we realized that Chester had a home and we would be seeing him again real soon. I thought I would share that special moment when Chester was eating our cookies. Looking at it even now, brings a smile to my face and makes me realize that we can make a difference just by trying. Even little things make a difference in the life of someone when you show them you care.

What do you think?

Blog of the Week! ~ This Day!

Here it is Sunday, August 23, 2009 and once again God was wise enough to give me the opportunity to highlight another great writer in the blogging community to share with all of you today.

I came across Susan's blog from one of my many blog hopping days. You know the ones were you stop at someones blog, look at the list of blogs they are following, find an interesting name, you click on it and off you go.

When you arrive you find yourself someplace fantastic. Some place you wonder why it took you so long to get there and make this a new part of your family. Susan's blog did that for me. I found her blog This Day! through one of those adventures. When I stopped and read her blog I found that she is one of the most amazing people who has completely dedicated everything she does for the glory of God. From riding her Harley to writing her morning blogs, she is completely and honestly sold out for God.

Please join me in getting to know Susan much better as she has graced me with the privilege and honor of an interview with her.

1. Tell us a little about yourself we wouldn't know from reading your blog.

This is a tough question. There is so much of my life that you wouldn't know by reading my blog. I'm really introverted when it comes to talking about my personal thoughts and feelings. I think this blog is one way God is breaking down the barriers I put up. One thing you definitely don't know is that I didn't meet Jesus face-to-face until I was over 30 years old. Crazy, isn't it? That makes me very young as a believer. Hey, I kinda like the sound of that.

Anyhoo, you see, I grew up in a broken home where God wasn't discussed much. My dad raised me, my brother, and my sister. Dad did the best he knew how, and I'm grateful for his commitment to raising us. The little exposure I had to God and the Bible came from my grandparents. My grandparents lived several hours away and I didn't see them often. So this gives you an idea of how often the Lord was mentioned to me.

Yet looking back, I can see that God tugged at my heart from a very early age. There were different times in my life when the pull from God was very strong but I didn't understand what it meant or how to respond. Then in the summer of 1990, the Holy Spirit descended on my heart. At the same time, God opened the door for a friend to help me understand that it was God's voice calling me and what it all meant. I vividly remember the day I walked up to the alter, submitted my life to Christ, and accepted Him as my personal Savior. Retelling the story to you and seeing it in my mind's eye still stirs up tears of joy.
2. Where did you come up with the name of your blog "This Day!"?

The term "this day" was part of my prayer one day. I was praising God and thanking Him for "This Day." Working through prayers and requests for our children, family, friends for This Day. When I finally submitted to God's calling for me to write the blog, I struggled with coming up with a title. God brought to my remembrance that prayer. Eureka! Great title, Lord! Thank You very much. (Yes, I actually talk to God like that.)

I also wanted to incorporate the title into my posts. Sometimes I ask a question about today, This Day, or comment on how that applies to my life today, This Day. I think it's important to acknowledge that we only have today. Because today, This Day, God calls us to accept Him: "now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).

3. Why did you start blogging?

I'm starved for attention! hahaha Just kidding. Actually, I started blogging at the encouragement of my dear blogging friend, Laurie Pace. She is an exceptionally talented, godly woman who saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. Thank you Laurie for your encouragement and prayers.

When I started, my intent was to improve my writing skills and document how God impacts my life. God is so personal. He wants to be a part of every detail of our lives. Yet, He is perceived as some spiritual being who is out there somewhere or is all about controlling our lives. Some think God wants to force us to give up our lives or that we have to change to be accepted by Him; when in fact He accepts us just as we are and is all about adding to our lives abundantly. He wants to bless us in ways that bring a joy and happiness we can't get from anyone or anything else. My goal is to demystify God and bring Him into a personal light so others can experience His unconditional love for themselves.

4. If we stopped by your state, what are the three things we would need to see while we were there?

Illinois is such a large state with very distinct regions that covers so much area the climate varies dramatically between the north and the south. When you mention Illinois, most people automatically think of Chicago where there are world renown museums, restaurants, shopping, architecture, the Navy Pier, and.... did I mention the shopping?

I love visiting Chicago, but there is so much more to Illinois. Springfield is centrally located in the state and rich in history with Abraham Lincoln's New Salem historic site, home, law practice, and tomb. In the southern most part of the state are some of the most beautiful and accessible hiking and biking trails. Some points of interest include Garden of the Gods, Giant City State Park, River to River Trail, and the Trail of Tears.

5. What is your favorite part about blogging and your least favorite part about blogging?

Let's start with my least favorite part of blogging which is coming up with something to blog about. There are days where I sit with my fingers posed to type and nothing happens. I pray, I sigh, I start typing a few words only to hit the backspace key. What can I possibly tell someone that they will find interesting? uplifting? encouraging? Especially on days when my emotional state is not any of those things. When an idea does come to me, I seriously over edit my words. I struggle with getting each sentence perfectly structured, each verb tense correct, and transitions that are smooth. Some days it seems to take forever to get a single thought down. Then there are days where the words just flow, and I am amazed at how God has turned one simple idea into a life lesson.

The openness, caring, love, friendship, and prayer support in the blogging community is my favorite part of blogging. It was something that came totally unexpected for me. Before I started posting, I prayed fervently that God would bring visitors who needed to read the words He would inspire. When God works, it's rarely the result I expect. I have been the one who has been inspired, encouraged, prayed for, and blessed by the visitors He brought.


6. If you could have grown up in any decade from the early 1800's to 1900's or 20's, 30's, 40's ... which would you chose and why?

I've lived through some of those decades. I've seen the first man walk on the moon. I vividly remember the day President Kennedy was assassinated and his subsequent funeral on TV. I remember when The Beatles came to America and when our neighbors went off to Vietnam. So I'm going to pick something totally random. Do you know the song by Toby Keith, I Should Have Been a Cowboy? I'll wait while you play the chorus through your mind or search it on YouTube. That could have been me.

I could have been Annie Oakley or Calamity Jane or Perilous Priscilla. Looking at my blog photo you might not think this about me. I have always loved horses. So much so that I have owned several, bred some, raised some, yet sold all. The only thing that comes close to riding horseback without all the work is riding my Harley, but that is a different story.

Back to being a cowboy. I love to ride and shoot and camp out. Shoot? Yes! I've handled guns since my preteen years. Dad hunted pheasant and quail. Guns are tools. Oh, and I love the companionship and friendship bond between me and my horse. I also enjoy the chores that come with being a horse owner: putting up hay, mucking out stalls, and daily and routine care. There is no better aroma than the sweet smell of alfalfa stacked in the hay loft. Yes, I could have ridden the range, foraged for food, protected myself and my livestock, and spread the sweet words of Jesus across the plains.

So there you have it, an incredibly adventurous lady who has her heart and soul completely on God and if you haven't stopped by and visited Susan, please do at This Day! While you are there tell her Hello and join up to follow her. Encourage her with all your warm and heartfelt wishes on her comments and add a new family member to your blog. You'll be absolutely glad you did.