Passwords

The past few days I've had the pleasure of having our oldest granddaughter stay with us. She and Grandpa get along somewhat better than the youngest one, who's three, right now. They don't butt heads quite as much, and I'll let you come to your own conclusions on that one.

Nevertheless, having a five-year-old around this week brought out my old schoolteacher vibes, and I was anxious to test her reading powers. Their weekly library visits seem to be making them quite the literary types already. But I was curious about whether the oldest was ready for any sight words.

My sister, a substitute teacher, told me about an idea for sight words that seemed quite effective. A teacher put their sight words on the doorpost of the classroom and each student had to say them as they came in the room.

So we tried that method here at home and had some surprising results. The words we chose were put on the bathroom and kitchen doors, and all family members had to remember to say them before entering these rooms. Lorraine and I both thought Grandpa would need to be reminded the most to say the "passwords" because he's so forgetful; but we were amazed that he almost always remembered to say them. And not only that, he reminded us to say them more than we had to remind him!

This activity reminded me of a similar one that the children of Israel were instructed to perform during the Passover. They were told to put blood on the doorposts of their homes, as a reminder of the blood that was sacrificed for them to be freed from the bonds of slavery. The "password" for them was special indeed, and we are still told to be mindful of Christ's blood that was shed for us, which frees us from sin.

What a teaching tool that must have been for the Israelites, and still is for every follower of God today. It should be on the mind of every Christian as they participate in the Communion Service, instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper.

We all need a reminder now and then.

No Blocks Left Behind

The Scrabble game has been left out on my kitchen table for about a week now. And numerous times the board has been filled with words, with any passersby able to offer words and fit them in the crossword puzzle it creates.

It's been easy to spot Dean's words. Most of them don't make sense, or don't fit in correctly to make words from all directions. I've noticed that the more nonsensical words on the board, the harder it is to use all the blocks and finish the game. Isn't this how life is though? The more dysfunctional our life becomes, the harder it is to get to the finish line?

I find it helpful to use the dictionary or ask someone, when I'm playing Scrabble, when I'm not sure about the spelling or meaning of a word. But some people are not comfortable seeking help. It is an admission of failure, of not knowing something.

Let's don't ever be hesitant to ask our Bible and our heavenly Father though. They can give us answers and help us get to the end of the "game", with no "blocks" left behind.

I think you can guess which side of the board Dean filled!

Scrabble, Anyone?

I used to get so frustrated playing Scrabble with my husband. Before his accident, he could whip me every time in a game of chess, but he could never outshine me in a game of Scrabble. His creative vocabulary, along with fairly good phonic skills but very poor spelling ability, resulted in some pretty loud shouting matches, as we argued over what words were acceptable.

It's getting winter. And I felt like getting out the Scrabble game again today. Most every winter since Dean's accident I get it out and set it up on the kitchen table for family members or any passersby to think of words to add to the puzzle. No score is taken; the only goal is to make words using all the blocks. Some days I fill the board several times myself. It really is a challenge to use every block. I just leave it up for several days to help pass the time.

I'm really curious to see what words Dean will contribute this year. Will they be as recognizable as they have in the past? I guess we'll find out. But whatever the outcome, I'm going to try to be unemotional and patient. Perhaps sharing a chuckle with him when he tries to explain his word choices.

And while I'm at it, I'm going to try not to take the Game of Life so seriously either. Lord, help me handle the stress and drama in my life more leisurely. With more patience and chuckles.

"A Word in Due Season"

Not every day you go into a doctor's office, get a diagnosis, have treatment options explained, and head straight for surgery and then home. Unless you are seeing an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) and have laser surgery recommended.

It turns out I indeed do have angle closure glaucoma, not the most common kind of glaucoma, but one that has the potential for real vision loss, if untreated. I had no symptoms, nothing to indicate any risk for it, except that I just turned 60. Those over 60 are six times as likely to have glaucoma, I discovered. But it can occur at any age. Regular eye screenings where they dilate your eyes are often the only way to detect glaucoma, so I'm glad after four years without seeing an eye doctor, I was encouraged to go to a free screening at the local aging agency last spring.

I had actually decided not to go to the free screening that day a few months ago, but Dean's home health nurse was here and she told me to go on and go. So I did, and that set the ball rolling.

God was looking out for me, and He did it through one person, a nurse, who did nothing but say the appropriate word "go".

"And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!" Proverbs 15:23 Help me speak those kind of words, Lord. The words that send others to you, the Great Physician.