Watch for Red Scooters

Yes, I know...it's been a few days since you've heard from me.  And I sincerely thank you for noticing!  As promised, I've been working on a piece about the Little Family.  Good news! Jennifer Little is considering writing her own first-hand account of their story.  Get stoked, friends...Jen is a fabulous writer and she's got a story FULL of God's goodness. 

Meanwhile, I thought I'd share a piece with you that I plagiarized from a blog I wrote several years ago (wait, is it plagiary if you steal it from yourself?)  Whoa...it's so interesting reading my thoughts from 5 years ago.  And I'm so relieved to report that I still feel the same way today...even more so.  I've changed the intro a little bit to make more contextual sense in this blog...but here she blows:  

"I like scooters...a lot.  They're like a motorcycle...with more whimsy.  They say, "hey, fancy motorcycle...I know you're tough and fast but I'm cute and zippy, so take that."  Granted, I've never ridden on one...but I sure do like them.  Besides, I'm thinking you don't have to ride something to truly appreciate it, right?  I mean...I've never ridden an elephant and I sure do like them a lot too.  I plan on riding a scooter and an elephant very soon.  But scooters will always have a place in my heart.  Because, well...simply put...one of my best "God Moments" happened because of a one. 

Have you ever had a God moment where even the keenest over-thought can't manufacture a logical explanation? The moments where you find yourself looking up and winking...or giving the thumb's up sign...or whispering "Holy Crap!" (ok, maybe that's just me). I've had my share of these moments, but there is one in particular that shall always remain paramount in my journey Story? Ok, settle in...

Several years ago (before I was broken enough to wallow in the ridiculousness of Grace), I spent great time and energy feeling sorry for myself. The "moment" was on one such day...yet another monotonous work day in a long string of cloudy, cold, boring, lonely monotonous work days. I was driving, destination unknown...minding my own business, grumpy, self-consumed...when I happened to glance over into the left lane. There He was, in all His glory...black leather vest, skull cap, over lapping belly, leather chaps, fingerless gloves, dark shades, unkempt beard, and most-importantly - the mandatory "Easy Rider" scowl. Only...His muscle machine was a very small, red...scooter. This man had clearly lost a bet. I laughed until I cried...and then when I realized what Abba was saying to me, His petulant Daughter...I cried until I laughed.

Since that day, I have had an all-consuming love of the "Ridiculous." It's how my Father speaks to me...pokes me...refines me...laughs with me...cries with me...and delights in me. It reminds me of a Saviour who entered the world in a stable...who dined with prostitutes, befriended tax collectors, turned water into wine, fed thousands with mere scraps, walked on water, rebuked law-makers, raised the dead, cast demons into swine...a Saviour who endured bone-deep lashings, a crown of thorns, ridicule, pain...so much pain...and death. And every time I experience the absurd, the inappropriate, the fanciful, the over-the-top, or the ridiculous...it reminds me of a God who speaks through burning bushes, makes 90 year old women pregnant, defeats political super powers with locusts and frogs, creates the world in only 7 days, destroys impenetrable walls with marching and trumpets, parts seas, calms ferocious lions, suspends death in a fiery furnace, and sends His only son to die for a world...for a woman...that doesn't deserve it. So, these moments give birth to wonder and awe...and nurture confidence in my complete helplessness. That is what the scooter tells me...and that is where I am daily flabbergasted by the profoundly RIDICULOUS Love of my Saviour.

So, you see...I figure if God can use a talking ass to get someones attention...a little red scooter certainly qualifies."

I read this blog post from years ago and I sighed aloud.  I look around today and so many familiar things are now completely unrecognizable.  The street where I saw the fellow on his scooter...is now surrounded by rubble. I find myself holding my breath every time I leave my driveway because I have to brace myself for  ruins.  I hear about a friend who attended 3 funerals in one weekend and my heart does back flips.  People lost pets, jobs, homes, and loved ones. Pain is everywhere.  But then...then...I see a sign that someone has spray painted on a a piece of plywood that reads "have water, need beer"...and it makes me smile. As chains saws buzz in the background and dump trucks haul away rubble, I sit in a kiddie pool with my two nieces as they  use me as a human play toy.  Despite the ruins, two blond baby girls can still make me belly laugh.  Good looking cops with khaki pants and guns give rise to daily jokes among my single girlfriends. Yes, pain is everywhere...but so is joy. 

Keep your eyes open, friends.  Wherever you are in the world...no matter how much your heart aches...keep your eyes open.  I beg you.  God is the God of comfort...and He longs for you to laugh again.  I'm praying that Abba fills your life with little red scooters...so that we may know a love that surpasses understanding.  Because if I've learned one thing in the last two weeks it's this:  when everything is in ruins...and familiar things are unrecognizable...the red scooter is much easier to see.