Chaos and Rain, and a Simple Sweet Gift

"Hi there, what do you think about abortion?"

I've asked this question...more times than I have cared to count.

I'm going to tell you a little story about my day yesterday, which I love.

After doing GAP, (the Genocide Awareness Project, now called the Human Rights Project) twice, I became a part of a group in my own town, called Windsor Against Abortion, which does... pretty much what it sounds like.

We are out on public sidewalks every week showing the truth about abortion, and having educational conversations with anyone who will stop at our invitation.

We always run into problems. Every week. It's basically a given, I believe because the devil does NOT appreciate our work, and will try every angle to stop us from being out there. So this week we lost one of our members, spent half of our activism time searching for her, (well at least I did, the others thankfully were able to set up right away) stood in the POURING rain with our signs, and didn't have very many conversations.

It just happened to be the week that a bunch of new people came to join us.

"We look SO unprofessional," I couldn't help feeling. "They're never going to want to come back."

So in our debrief time, I made sure to mention that we will be much more organized in the future, and I felt that it was most important to thank them for coming, because this work is not easy. It's not inviting. It takes guts and courage to step out of your comfort zone and come. They need to be appreciated, and FEEL appreciated.

However, before I could even say thank you, we hear a car honking near us. We thought we knew who it was, so my younger sister runs over and talks to them through the window, I watch as a loaded tray of Tim Hortons cups are handed out the window.

She returns to tell us that it was not who we thought, it was my brother in law's sister, who we don't know very well, but she saw us and bought us all hot chocolate, without even knowing who we all were and why we were out there.

I felt, as my wet hands closed around the warmth of the cup, that God was saying, "Thank YOU for coming today."

He wanted to say thank you first, because He knows that as much as its good for the new people to be appreciated and feel that appreciation, it's the same for me. Sometimes I would really like to know that my effort is not in vain, and God sees me wandering around the streets of downtown in the rain looking for a lost team member, trying to make this thing run in order to stand up for children that so many don't care about, but He does.

If anyone who was standing there with me on the wet sidewalk today is reading this, there's a reason I wasn't the only one who got the hot chocolate. God appreciates your effort just as much.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James‬ ‭1:17‬

Leaves and Why We Love Them

Each season does have a charm of its own. :)

We have a really big front yard, and an even bigger back yard. It would not be exaggerating to say that our front yard was at least three times the size of our neighbors' front yards. We have two big trees in our yard, one of which is a very beautiful tree, a very rare tree, called a Ginkgo Tree.

For anyone who doesn't know what this fabulous tree is, I have heard that there are only twelve in Canada, and only two female trees, one of which happens to be in our front yard. So..... how did it get there? Let me tell you. Once upon a time there was an old man in Japan, who--

Just kidding. ;) I have no idea how it got there, and I don't personally really care, I just wish it never had gotten there.
Well, that is not entirely true, in the spring and summer I love it, it is a huge, gorgeous tree with bright green Chinese fan shaped leaves, and the leaves are actually quite interesting to chew on.

(Don't ask me how I know that :P)

This is what it looks like at its finest,

These are its leaves on a less overcast day,

But what I failed to mention was why I mentioned this tree in the first place.

Anyone who has ever raked a yard decorated by a female Ginkgo Tree must have been laughing at my explanation of the tree, note: I said I love it in the spring and summer.

It not only has gorgeous leaves, but, I lament, it also has fruit. I have also heard that they are a delicacy in Japan, (the fruit) so if any Japanese people want to come buy them off of us, please do, we would love to be shed of them.

They are the only fruit I know of which reek so horridly in the harvest time that if you accidentally step on one, your shoes are forbidden to enter the house until they have been thoroughly washed. Did I mention that their nickname around here is Stink Bomb?

So, in leaf raking season, not only do we have 20+ leaf bags in front of our house, about a third of them have been attained at the expense of many a person's poor nose.

But, the way I look at it, it's good for us. It builds character, as Calvin's father would say. (From the comic, Calvin and Hobbes) Yes sir, we will all grow up to be good strong leaf rakers/baggers, and will be able to stand any kind of horrible smell. :)

And now it is all done. (Mostly) We just finished bagging 99% of the leaves in our yards, and have come back in to a nice warm house with rosy cheeks and cold hands, with the promise of hot chocolate coming to us.

Yes, every season does have a charm of its own, and this one has marshmallows. :)

I hope you enjoyed this post, and come back to read more about me and my adventures some more. ;)