There are two pictures in my journal: In one picture, it is dark out. There aren't any lights on the gravel path. We are in a cemetery. He is walking in front of me with a backpack on. He holds his longboard in his left hand. His dimples are showing, and his eyes are shining. … Continue reading With Both Hands.
Life is a gift. And she knows it. She knows it while she sits alone at her house. She rocks in her rocking chair. She dusts the picture frames. She waits for the grandkids to call. She paces the floor. She pulls out her husband’s old shirt and wraps herself in it. Life is a … Continue reading Just Three Words
A grizzled old fellow pulled up to my fishing shack in a bulky RV. I pushed open my shack window and looked up as I leaned out, “Can I get you a day use parking pass today?” I asked. He replied with an immediate yes. I told him the price and he gave me his … Continue reading not in me
What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Who would you talk to? What people would you reach for Christ? What job would you pursue? Where would you go? How much would you give? What would you say to your co-workers? What would you say to your friends? How many new dreams would you have? … Continue reading Note To Self
Sunrise at the fishing shacks They pulled up to my window. Their van was piled with fishing nets. I couldn’t see their license plate in the dark. The vehicle windows were tinted, so I couldn’t see inside either. One of the back windows rolled down slowly, and a mid-twenties woman leaned out. She wore fishing … Continue reading A Book By Its Cover
I choked in a breath of air as I pushed open the door to the smoke room. In the far corner of the room I could barely make out my coworker. I moved across the room and sat in the cold chair next to her. A cigarette occupied the space between her full lips. She … Continue reading Nursing: A Painful Process
My mind whirred like the noise of the mower. I drove back and forth across the ball fields, making sure my mow lines were even. Thoughts rattled around in my head. I lost track of my straight mowing line and almost ran over a softball. Focus, Abby. I saw the company van pull up. My … Continue reading Mulling While Mowing
He sat next to his buddy who was listening to the radio in the lunch room. His eyes followed me while I walked back and forth to each different hall. I had a laundry basket balanced on one hip, a stethoscope around my neck, and a medicine book in my free hand. A blood pressure … Continue reading A Promised Dance
Even the Thai Ronald McDonald knows how to show respect...Thailand 2011 My younger sister and I sat at a coffee shop in Cambodia. Our caffeinated brains buzzed while we discussed what it means to transition through life as an MK. “Abby, I don’t understand what the big deal about being a missionary kid is. We’re … Continue reading MK: Who Am I, Really?
I have a hole in my heart. I keep trying to shove things into it, but nothing fits. Nothing works. The more I try to shove stuff in, the more I realize nothing goes into the hole. I end up feeling raw and hurt from trying to cram things where they don’t belong. I am … Continue reading Psalm 63 and Peanut Butter
