I picked up a book at Annual Conference this year from the bargain table titled "Choosing the Amusing, Finding Humor and Joy Beneath the Rubble of Life," by Marilyn Meberg. The premise of the book is that it is always good to laugh and that if we are open to the humor, we can find it even in the most difficult circumstances.
Well, yesterday I had that opportunity. Two of my favorite people are Leslie, my Massage Therapist, and her mother Debbie. For many years now they have given me a Pumpkin Pie for my Birthday. I can say without a doubt that these are the best pies that I have ever had in my life. I am not sure what kind of spices that they use, but if I were a condemned man, for my last meal I would request Debbie’s pumpkin pie.
Yesterday, Leslie gave me one of these wonderful masterpieces and I have to admit that I almost didn’t make it home without pulling over and sampling a piece. Probably the only thing that stopped me was the fact that I didn’t have a knife, and I didn’t want to deal with the mess that digging in without a knife might have caused, although I did contemplate the scenario in my head.
When I got home, the first order of business was to sit down and eat the first slice of this magnificent creation, a few minutes later, I was out the door, taking Communion to a parishioner.
A little while later, I returned home to the most devastating sight that I have ever witnessed. In the middle of the kitchen floor was the pie pan, no pie, just the pie pan. As the horror of the situation began to come to me, I turned to see my dog, (or should I say Karen’s dog) Odie sitting beside me looking especially guilty. Suddenly the full reality struck me. Odie had gotten up on the table and had eaten my precious pie. My beautiful, scrumptious, once a year pumpkin pie! The shock was almost overwhelming, then it dawned on me, recalling the time that he had eaten an entire 1lb bag of M&M’s that perhaps I had better get him outdoors fast.
Moments like these are defining moments in ones relationship and our call to forgive is put to the test. (of course, I am not sure that we are Biblically called to forgive the dog who ate our Birthday Pie)
In case you are wondering, Odie is still alive this morning. I didn’t kill him and neither did eating an entire pumpkin pie. And, as in all things, I try to learn lessons from “beneath the rubble of life.”( I certainly think that this situation would qualify as the rubble of life.) The lessons learned would be to make sure that I put my pie up higher next time, and the second is to eat a bigger piece when I get the chance.
Ok, I am sure that there is a deeper theological lesson in there somewhere, I’m just not ready to think about that yet.
Blessings
PS: Yes, I do remember a similar situation that happened many years ago, actually I have tried to block it from my mind, but maybe I will share that story at Thanksgiving. Or do I tell the one about Ben? So much to tell… so little time…..
Well, yesterday I had that opportunity. Two of my favorite people are Leslie, my Massage Therapist, and her mother Debbie. For many years now they have given me a Pumpkin Pie for my Birthday. I can say without a doubt that these are the best pies that I have ever had in my life. I am not sure what kind of spices that they use, but if I were a condemned man, for my last meal I would request Debbie’s pumpkin pie.
Yesterday, Leslie gave me one of these wonderful masterpieces and I have to admit that I almost didn’t make it home without pulling over and sampling a piece. Probably the only thing that stopped me was the fact that I didn’t have a knife, and I didn’t want to deal with the mess that digging in without a knife might have caused, although I did contemplate the scenario in my head.
When I got home, the first order of business was to sit down and eat the first slice of this magnificent creation, a few minutes later, I was out the door, taking Communion to a parishioner.
A little while later, I returned home to the most devastating sight that I have ever witnessed. In the middle of the kitchen floor was the pie pan, no pie, just the pie pan. As the horror of the situation began to come to me, I turned to see my dog, (or should I say Karen’s dog) Odie sitting beside me looking especially guilty. Suddenly the full reality struck me. Odie had gotten up on the table and had eaten my precious pie. My beautiful, scrumptious, once a year pumpkin pie! The shock was almost overwhelming, then it dawned on me, recalling the time that he had eaten an entire 1lb bag of M&M’s that perhaps I had better get him outdoors fast.
Moments like these are defining moments in ones relationship and our call to forgive is put to the test. (of course, I am not sure that we are Biblically called to forgive the dog who ate our Birthday Pie)
In case you are wondering, Odie is still alive this morning. I didn’t kill him and neither did eating an entire pumpkin pie. And, as in all things, I try to learn lessons from “beneath the rubble of life.”( I certainly think that this situation would qualify as the rubble of life.) The lessons learned would be to make sure that I put my pie up higher next time, and the second is to eat a bigger piece when I get the chance.
Ok, I am sure that there is a deeper theological lesson in there somewhere, I’m just not ready to think about that yet.
Blessings
PS: Yes, I do remember a similar situation that happened many years ago, actually I have tried to block it from my mind, but maybe I will share that story at Thanksgiving. Or do I tell the one about Ben? So much to tell… so little time…..
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