The Missing Pieces
A small pair of binoculars sits in my desk drawer.The dark green color on the binoculars has faded over the years to a greenish brown tone. I take them out of the drawer from time to time and look for wildlife. Eagles, hawks, egrets, herons and of course, hummingbirds. A thick black strap is attached to each side, making ease of wearing them around my neck.
The strap shows signs of age as frayed pieces of fabric escape to the floor when I touch the binoculars. Tiny strands that were once strong now are soft and fall apart easily. As the torn pieces escape in the air, they remind me of dust floating aimlessly.
I wonder if now is the time to replace the binoculars with a new pair.
Deciding to hold on to them for a while longer, I attempt once more to place the worn holder around my neck. OOPS! The string releases from the side. I quickly grasp the binoculars preventing a crash on the hardwood floor.
The once strong holder is now at the weakest point and cannot bear the load any longer.
Perhaps there can be a repair. Surely, that would cost less than a brand new pair of binoculars. I begin to closely study the place where the tear happened. Pieces are missing. Little pieces that will need a magnifying glass to find. On hands and knees, I search the floor. A flashlight, a magnifying glass, and determination to find the three tiny missing links.
Frustration sets in. Nothing is found. Well…only a piece of cracker that somehow made it’s way to the floor. Wait, when did I eat a cracker? Moving on.
Alan searches for the missing pieces, too. Nothing else is found. We give up.
No repair. We’ll have to buy a new pair online.
Time comes to vacuum. If those pieces are on the floor, the vacuum will find them. No. Nothing is recovered. The missing links have completely disappeared.
We say we’ll never know what happened and why we can’t find three little items on the floor.
Life goes on. We walk on the floor every day.
Then…it happened. Grandson Rowan visits. He walks across the carpet and says, “Mimi, what’s on my foot?”
Yes, there on the bottom of his foot are the missing pieces. How did this happen? We are thankful there were no sharp pieces and no injury. They stuck to his foot like stickers.
Three little pieces to a binocular strap and they were found by a three year old boy.
We laugh. We thank Rowan. Alan finds his special tools for small things and begins a repair process. All is well.
I look for God’s message in this situation. I remember God wants us to go to Him for all things. Big pieces and little pieces of our lives. Did I remember to pray and ask for help in finding the missing pieces? No. I tried to solve the problem on my own and it didn’t work. God allowed Rowan to find the lost items. An innocent child to remind me of what is important in life.
Don’t worry. Take our “missing pieces” and worries to God. He will guide us through every moment. Something like a small pair of binoculars and their torn strap can bring a lesson of faith and patience and joy.
Thank You God, for bringing joy to life.
Do you have any “missing pieces” in your life? Have you taken your worries to Him?
Have a blessed day,
Mimi aka Melissa
Shoe Tissue and Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy…
I’m laughing out loud this morning. Yes, the new year has begun and God is already giving me ways to laugh at myself and find joy. I appreciate the ways God shows me how to find joy every day.
One of my Christmas presents was a beautiful pair of bedroom slippers. The kind with the “no slip” backing, cozy and soft inside and cute on the outside. I couldn’t wait to try on my new slippers. I imagined my toes snuggling up to the inside of the shoes. No more cold feet on the floor. This was going to be fantastic!
Slipping my right foot into the opening of the shoe, I paused when I reached a certain point. My foot would not budge any further. I had already double checked the size. Yes, that was correct. What could cause my foot to only enter halfway into the shoe? Perhaps the size was marked incorrectly? Perhaps my foot was swollen due to eating too many salty foods the day before?
Reasons began filling my thoughts.
These slippers were cute and looked like they would make my feet comfortable. Why weren’t they fitting? Disappointment began to set in.
But, wait….
Yes, you may have experienced the same thing with a pair of shoes you tried to wear.
Silly Mimi! Looking inside the slipper, I noticed a large ball of tissue paper inserted in the toe area. That paper was placed inside to give the shoe form. Hooray!
Removing the tissue paper allowed my foot to slip right inside and find a home. Now, to the other shoe. Same thing, more tissue paper.
All ended well. Paper removed, feet inserted into slippers and a comfy, cozy experience began.
Along with finding joy in the simple moments in life, grandson Rowan and I have created our own song to sing when we are together. Simple words.
We sing “Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy…Happy, Happy, Joy!” Sometimes the tune or the rhythm changes, but the song always fills us with joy.
When we sing these words, Rowan and I bust out in laughter. I look forward to the day when we can teach his baby sister, Eden, the words to our special song. Yes, baby sister Eden was born in November 2020. We are now blessed with two wonderful grandchildren. Thank You Lord.
Look for joy in the simple moments. Whether tissue paper in a shoe or singing a made up song, God is providing happiness and joy. Can you share a time of unexpected joy?
Blessings and Happy New Year,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson
Mama’s Christmas Pins
Mama went to be with the Lord in February of 2013, just days before her 92nd birthday. Daddy had gone to Heaven on Easter Sunday, April 12, 1998.
After Daddy passed, things needed organizing. From paying bills, filling out forms, everyday grocery shopping and more, there were lists to be checked off. Mama, my two sisters(Glenda and Carol) and I organized the house preparing for a life without Daddy.
When Mama passed, she lived in assisted living and the organizing and coordinating task was smaller due to her not having so many things in her room. My sisters and I gathered together in Mama’s room. We cleaned, dusted and held each of Mama’s possessions with love and care.
Every item had a special memory. A birdhouse Mama created during craft time. Framed photographs of family. Books that had been given to her, as she loved to read. Quilts and special blankets made by special friends. So many beautiful items. So many precious memories.
As Glenda and Carol and I chose items to place in our own homes, tears fell from our eyes. Mama had touched these precious things with her own hands. A connection of love from one generation to the next. We could feel the love in the room.
Of the various things I chose to carry home, a small cardboard box containing a few Christmas pins caught my eye. Throughout the years, my husband and I had given Mama homemade Christmas pins. We had gathered the unique creations from various places. A teacher who was talented at making pins was one place where the pins came from. A few were purchased at a local store. Mama wore a couple of the pins. Others stayed in the little box.
Opening the box, the memory of Mama wearing the pins brought joy. A simple act of wearing a Christmas pin to complete her outfit. She always wanted her hair fixed, her nails polished and her clothes fresh and clean.
I have kept that box of Christmas pins and every year, I bring them out and wear one each day. A reindeer, a Christmas tree, an angel. Beautiful reminders of our precious Mama.
Do you wear Christmas pins? There are pins for women and men.
Merry Christmas,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson
Mistaken Identity or “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”
Moving from one house to another is quite the task. Alan and I have moved numerous times in our over 41 years of marriage. Job changes have caused most of those moves. From living in apartments to townhouses to building our dream home to finally believing this latest move is our “forever home”, we follow the idea of “finding joy wherever God sends us”.
Since moving from Virginia to South Carolina three years ago, we have lived in three homes. Each of those three homes is located in the same area, just different sections. When we first arrived in SC, we didn’t know the area, so we rented a nice townhouse instead of buying. The neighbors on that street are some of the best people we’ve ever met. The ladies still gather for special occasions and if someone has a need, the “Draymohr Girls” are there to help and pray.
With that home no longer for rent, we searched and found another townhouse just a few streets away from the first one. Once again, God provided great neighbors who show care and compassion for everyone. We often see neighbors from both places at the local grocery stores. We’re able to visit and catch up on the latest happenings in the lives of these special friends.
This year, 2020, we finally made the decision to purchase a home. This is our favorite neighborhood and we wanted to stay. Our search began and in just a short time, we found a home to purchase. Offer made, offer accepted, closing date set, movers scheduled and we began packing up the boxes.
Alan and I have lived in this new “forever” home since the middle of August. The neighborhood is filled with families of all ages. What a blessing to hear the laughter of children and to watch families taking walks together. This is a wonderful place. We thank God for providing this home and the friendly people who have welcomed us with open arms.
With all the moving from one place to another, I had an embarrassing moment (or two). Alan and I went to the local home improvement store to look at storm doors. Of course, there is always something else to check out at the home improvement store.
As we walked to the checkout line, a nice lady, wearing a mask, said, “Hi, where have you been? I talked to you one day and the next day, you were gone.”
Recently, we had been invited to share refreshments and fellowship at a new neighbor’s home. (Social distancing, of course.) When I saw the lady at the checkout counter, my mind immediately thought that she was one of the new neighbors.
I began trying to get the right words out, without embarrassing her. “Oh, remember, we visited with you at the neighbors house. Remember, we live near you?” I kept referring to the new neighbors. The nice lady gave me an odd look, although I could only see her eyes and forehead due to the mask.
I kept attempting to explain who we were and how we knew each other.
All of a sudden, Alan placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him and shaking his head, he said, “No, dear. That’s not her. That’s a friend from the other place.”
My embarrassment began to show as my face turned red and my mask became sweaty.
Apologizing, I began sharing about the new neighbors and how we had moved in August. My words rambled and rambled.
Our friend from the other neighborhood just laughed and said, “No problem. I understand.” We continued with conversation and laughter.
For a few days afterwards, I still felt embarrassed when I thought of my mistake. Then, I took my worry to God.
God reminded me there was no need for embarrassment. We all make mistakes and sometimes, we can laugh at those mistakes.
A true “Mimi” moment. Thank You God, for covering me with Your love.
Have you ever had an experience with “mistaken identity”? What was the outcome?
Blessings,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson
The Leaning Bed of Henderson
A recent move from a rented townhouse to purchasing our own home involved many “to do” lists. Alan and I chose to rent a home when we moved from Virginia to South Carolina three years ago. After renting two beautiful townhomes in two years, we finally made the decision to purchase in the same neighborhood.
We put an offer on the home, it was accepted, and with papers signed, our new home was ready. Packing boxes, placing items for sale and giving items away happened almost daily. Donations to various organizations and friends helped those boxes become lighter.
Most of our furniture had been with us for years. Our dark cherry wood bedroom set reminded us of the Virginia mountainside. Although we have lived at the beach and the mountains, we’ve always had dark wood furniture.
This time, we decided that one day we would purchase “beach” furniture. That day would have to wait for now, but we could hope and dream about a headboard and nightstands, dresser and chest of drawers that looks more like a beach theme. A lighter color or maybe white furniture would be something to consider. Add that to the “to do” list.
God works in the most amazing ways. Two nights at the new home and all was well. We were settling in nicely and enjoying the new surroundings.
As I prepared for sleep by washing my face, putting on comfy pajamas and waiting for Alan to turn off the lights and t.v. in the living room, I prepared to get under the covers.
Situating myself on the side of the bed, I heard and felt a sudden sharp movement and sound.
“Crack!”
The connecting slats on my side of the bed had ripped away from the headboard. The bed now slanted at a strange angle and I slid off the side.
Immediately, I began laughing. Thinking about how God gives me the most funny and unusual experiences, I couldn’t stop laughing. Standing and looking at this lopsided bed made me think of all the stress of packing and moving and how amidst all that stress, God provided laughter.
“Alan, did you hear that? I broke the bed!” I shared while walking to the living room.
“No, I didn’t hear a thing. What happened?” He asked.
After explaining the situation and both of us laughing, we had to decide how to sleep. Alan decided the “leaning bed of Henderson” would work for him. He suggested I sleep on the guest bed.
Picture this. This six foot tall man slept on a leaning bed all night while I rested in a nice guest room bed. Yes, I do believe he probably almost rolled off the bed a few times, but he wouldn’t admit that.
This past weekend, we finally ordered a new bed frame. A nice beach theme. For now, the mattress and box springs are on the floor. The new bed won’t arrive until October.
In the middle of moving stresses, God reminded me once again how laughter can be found in the everyday moments of life. A broken bed provided laughter and the necessity to add “buy new bed” to the list of things to do “immediately”.
Thank You Lord. You always remind me of Your love and protection. You give laughter and joy even in the midst of unpacking boxes and checking off “to do” lists.
Have you ever broken a piece of furniture? Is there a funny story? Share with us.
Blessings and giggles,
Mimi aka Melissa
The Falling Toad
My morning routine includes opening my eyes and saying “Good morning God. Thank You for this glorious day and all Your blessings.” Before my feet touch the floor, I am thanking God.
Once I am dressed and ready for the day, I head for the front door.
Opening the door, I view the beauty outside and feel the early morning temperature. Once again, I say, “Thank You God, for this glorious day and all Your blessings.”
This simple routine starts my day with comfort and peace.
On a recent morning, things took a different turn. Placing my hand on the doorknob and twisting to open, I heard a slight “thud”. The humidity sometimes causes the door to “stick” a little so I thought that was probably the reason for the odd sound.
No! As I opened the door, a gray toad fell from the top of the door into the foyer.
My scream was probably loud enough to wake the neighbors. Luckily, no one came out to see what happened. Maybe my scream wasn’t as loud as I imagined.
There sat a gray toad in the foyer.
“Alan, come quickly. There’s a toad in the house! Help! How do I get him out of here?”
Alan replied while sitting in his chair in the living room. “What did you say? A toad? Where? How did it get in the house?”
“No time to explain. Get him out before he starts hopping around.” I didn’t want to see that toad jump and hide behind furniture where we couldn’t find him. All sorts of scenarios played in my mind.
Walking to the foyer without any speed or worry, my dear husband asked, “Where is it? Where’s the toad?” I explained that the toad was right there in front of him.
My superhero husband used a floor duster to scoot the little toad back outside. I think the fall must have stunned the toad. The toad sure stunned me.
My peaceful morning blessings were interrupted by a gray toad and laughter. Well, laughter once the toad was back outside.
I am not afraid of all creatures. I just don’t like when they interrupt my peaceful morning and try to come into the house.
Come to think of it, that toad probably thought I interrupted his quiet morning routine.
Silly toad. Stay outside. Please don’t linger on the front door. I am thankful it didn’t fall on my head. If that had happened, you would have heard me screaming all the way to your house, wherever you live.
This silly experience gave me time to pause and consider how easily I can be distracted from sharing time with God. What began as a peaceful morning giving praise to God, turned into a few moments of fright and frustration.
I’m glad the toad was put back outside and that I could continue saying, “Thank You God, for this glorious day and all Your blessings.”
Have a blessed day, and watch out for falling toads,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson
Toad photo courtesy of Pixabay
“Did you open the garage door?”
Alan is working at home due to the coronavirus. The dining room table is his office. We have a room designated as my home office, so I have all my writing materials together in that room.
On a recent morning, I was upstairs and heard the garage door open and close quickly.
I called out to Alan, “Were you just in the garage? Is everything okay?”
I was hoping he did not see an unwanted creature in the garage. I pictured Alan standing in the garage, seeing a snake trying to come inside and then, Alan pressing the button to close the garage door as quickly as possible. All sorts of scenes were playing out in my mind.
Perhaps he was oiling the garage door chain, maybe he accidentally opened the door and hit the button to lower it again.
His answer came. “No, I wasn’t in the garage. I’m sitting here at the dining room table.”
My reply. “Did you hear the garage door open and close?”
The look on Alan’s face was priceless as I walked downstairs and saw him sitting at the table.
“What are you talking about? The door didn’t open. I didn’t hear anything.”
Well, I almost asked if he had his hearing aids turned off, but decided against inquiring about that.
“Okay. It must have been my imagination. I thought for sure I heard the door open and close.”
I was still confused and wanted to find the answer.
Taking a break from writing, I sat on the couch to watch some “mindless trivia” as we call some t.v. shows. Right as I found a comfy spot, the garage door opened and closed again.
“There! Did you hear it that time? That was the garage door opening and closing again. I knew I wasn’t imagining things!”
My heart raced as Alan went to the door leading outside to the garage. He checked the switch plate and the garage door for anything out of the ordinary. Everything looked good. Nothing strange. No reason why the door would open and close without us using the clicker or the wall switch.
We discussed calling a repair person and imagined how the conversation would go.
Something like, “Yes, we have a garage door that opens and closes by itself.” Can you imagine the person on the other end of that call? They would probably think we were a bit strange.
Back in the foyer, Alan asked if I knew anything about the white vehicle in front of the house. I did not have any information. We considered maybe someone was visiting a neighbor.
About the time we had considered various options as to why the door was opening and closing, Alan received a text on his phone.
The rental company representative of the home we rent had stopped by and brought an extra garage door opener for us. She didn’t think we were home and so she tried the opener several times and left it on a table on our front porch.
Mystery solved. Alan and I laughed and laughed. Then, I had to send a message to the nice lady explaining how she had given us the giggles and a true mystery with her actions.
Again, I thanked God for giving us laughter and joy. Amidst all the turmoil going on in the world, God provided something simple that caused us to pause and laugh.
Remember our family motto. “It’s Always A Story With The Hendersons”.
Have you ever been in a funny situation? Share with us.
Have a blessed day,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson
Do Turkeys Have Exercise Class?
Watching the wildlife in our backyard is amazing. Ducks, geese, herons, egrets, lizards and turkeys all have a great area to roam freely. A forest behind the house is filled with pine trees that hold woodpeckers and bluebirds.
The male turkeys and female turkeys are often seen traveling in groups. They pause and nibble on the tall weeds, picking off seeds and bugs. Male turkeys show their feathers in hopes of attracting the females.
Sometimes, only the males walk by and other times, only the females. Then, there are those times when all the turkeys travel together. One turkey looks to be in charge. The other turkeys follow.
This morning, I noticed a different situation with the male turkeys. Three big fellas ran past the back door like they were headed for some place important. Running to the right, they kept the speed up for a whole block. A few minutes later, they returned running in the opposite direction.
The back and forth kept going on for a while. One turkey was slower than the other two. This reminded me of gym class when I was a young girl. I was often the slow runner and left behind. The other turkeys didn’t wait for this guy to catch up. They kept running from one end of the block to the other.
The thought entered my mind. “Do turkeys have exercise class?” Seeing those turkeys run quickly made me wonder why they were running. Could they be trying to escape a predator or were they running for fun?
My thoughts sparked questions. “Am I running away from something? Am I lagging behind in my faith?” Today, I am searching my thoughts, words and actions to see if I have been “putting off” or “running away” from studying His Word. There are no time constraints for me, as we are quarantined. Housework can wait. Reading His Word and sharing conversation with God can’t wait. There is no need to fall behind like I did in exercise class. I can share my thoughts with God at any time.
What comfort knowing that God will search for me when I fall behind. He will seek and find me.
Maybe the turkeys are having exercise class. Maybe they are running for fun. Maybe they run as a mating ritual. I don’t know. I will pretend they are having exercise class. That makes me laugh.
As for me, I will run toward God. He is waiting for conversation. He is holding out His arms waiting to give comfort and peace.
Have you found yourself running away from something lately? Share your thoughts. Your message may help someone else.
If you see any turkeys running back and forth, enjoy the sight and know they might be in “turkey exercise class.”
Blessings,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson
SEARCHING FOR THE TRASHCAN
In the quiet of the early morning, when yard sprinklers turn on to wet the soil and birds begin singing a “Good Morning” song, I hear the sounds of the trash pickup truck in the distance. A loud engine roars as the truck stops and goes to allow the workers to retrieve trash cans from each side of the street.
The engine disturbs the gentle tranquility of the morning. I am thankful for the cans to be emptied. Peeking out of the front window, I notice the workers moving quickly from one side of the street to the other, emptying each can and rapidly walking to place the cans back in the correct place.
After taking care of a few morning chores, I walked outside to get our can and prepare to spray it with disinfectant. That’s just something I do every trash day.
Glancing at the can sitting on our driveway, I noticed something different. All the cans are dark brown, but ours is older and has more wear and tear on it. Scrapes and dents show on the top and sides. I used a permanent marker to write an “H” on our can so I would make sure we had the correct one each week. I don’t want anyone else having the old, beat up can when they were given a new one.
Strange. This can looks new. Checking for the “H”, a blank spot was where the letter should be located.
Time to go searching.
Hoping the neighbors were not disturbed by my actions. Here’s what happened.
1. Brought the trash can back to house, then noticed it wasn’t ours.
2. Walked that can back to the end of the driveway.
3. Walked to the next door neighbor’s driveway to check that can. No “H”.
4. Walked to another neighbor’s driveway to check that can. No “H”.
5. Walked across the street to check that can. YES! “H” was found.
6. Brought neighbor’s can to their driveway, switched and brought our can home.
Those cans make a lot of noise while moving them across the street and up the driveways.
I wondered if anyone was watching and thought, “What is that woman doing?”
A simple act of making sure we had the old can and the neighbor had the newer can. A simple act of kindness.
I laughed along the way, thinking how silly I must have looked as I walked from can to can and checked each one.
This simple experience made me think of several things. The first was to thank God for the men and women who work on the trash trucks. Those folks are out there in the sunshine and heat and the rain and cold.
Second, I thought about “trash” in my life. Have I focused on “trash” talk in the media lately? Or have I gone to God with my concerns and prayers for the world? Has my mind been filled with negative thoughts that should be thrown away or have I looked for ways to share joy and to share God’s love with others?
I choose joy and peace. I pray my thoughts, words and actions will show His love.
How about you? Is there any “trash” that needs to be emptied from your life?
Have a blessed day,
You are loved,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson
Savannah or Jovannah? Who are you calling?
Have you ever had one of those phone calls when things didn’t go the right way?
Recently, I was occupied and could not answer my phone quickly enough. By the time, I reached my cell phone, the caller had hung up. A red button on the message icon alerted me that someone had left a voicemail.
Entering the correct prompts, I waited and listened for the details of the message. Static on the connection caused the words of the caller to fade in and out. There was something about a reservation for an upcoming trip.
I remembered there was also a prompt on the phone to allow me to read the “transcript” of the call.
Awesome. I would not need to listen anymore. Just read the message.
A person named Jovannah had called to alert me of changes in the reservation. No problem, I would call back and reschedule. All would work out fine.
Tapping the buttons on the phone, I was ready to speak with whoever answered and ask for Jovannah.
A friendly voice answered and gave the name of the hotel and provided their name, too.
“How may I assist you today?” The person inquired.
“Yes, I’m returning a call from Jovannah. I’m calling about rescheduling a reservation.”
“Who are you calling? What name did you say?”
“Jovannah. She called and left the nicest message. May I speak to Jovannah?” I asked.
A moment’s pause.
“Ma’am. There is no Jovannah here. Could you be trying to reach another hotel?”
My face began to blush even though I was alone and the person on the other end of the line couldn’t see me. How could I have made such a silly mistake?
Beginning to explain, I mentioned how the call came from that number and the transcript of the message said Jovannah called.
“Ma’am, could you possibly mean Savannah? Sometimes phones record the messages wrong. We have a Savannah and she is standing right here. Would you like to speak with her?”
Laughing, I said yes and waited for this person to begin speaking.
“Mrs. Henderson, this is Savannah. I left you a message about your reservation.”
As I explained the silly mistake, we both laughed and shared about other mishaps with phone messages at the hotel.
This experience reminded me how we each have unique names. Some of us are named by family members, some are named to carry on the family line, some names are chosen out of a baby book.
Do you know how you were named? Do you know the meaning of your name? Melissa means honeybee.
You have a name here on earth. The most important name you have is “child of God”. You were created by Him and you are loved by Him. I am thankful to be His child and He calls me by name.
Blessings,
Mimi