Author: William Douthwaite

Posted in Life, memories

“I got to watch a delivery!”

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Craig Pattenaude on Unsplash

I sat in on a nursing school labor and delivery class yesterday. The professor was my wife, so I had permission to be there. Just before the lecture began, I listened as the students talked about their clinical experiences.

“I got to watch a delivery!” Timing is everything. There is no guarantee that a baby will arrive during your birth center clinical hours, so not everyone gets to witness a birth.

“I got to hold a mother’s leg to help her push.” Even rarer is the chance to assist in a birth. The nurse you’re following may want to watch from over there and stay out of the way. Or, they may give you the chance to be a part of the moment. You never know.

I smiled and whispered to my wife, “I got to watch three!” The memories of the births of my three children are vivid. I may have written about this sometime in the past, but it’s worth remembering again.

My oldest was born in the dead of winter on a snowy February day in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Sitting upright and cross-legged within my wife, he wasn’t going anywhere without surgery. When we arrived at the hospital, I was told, “Put this on, sit there, don’t move, and don’t touch anything.” In a yellow gown and cap, I sat on a stool just to the left of my wife. I sat up really tall and could just see into the sterile field as the doctor made an incision and suddenly I was a dad.

Number two, a daughter was born less than two years later in Manchester, Connecticut. She also didn’t get the memo about turning to be head down for her birthday. While the doctor knew how to turn a baby in utero, she too was born by c-section. In scrubs this time, I got to sit a little closer and had a better view of the birth. When the big moment arrived, the doctor said, “Get your camera; here we go.” I took a whole roll of film to capture her birth. In a few minutes, I was ushered out of the room, but not before the nurses handed me my cleaned-up and wrapped-up daughter and said, “Hold her while we take care of your wife.” Gladly! I rocked her for forty-five minutes until my wife was ready to meet number two.

Our youngest arrived eight years later. In the late-90’s, before lawyers got involved, vaginal birth after caesarian (VBAC) was encouraged. With a week to go, my wife was induced and I got to be an active part of a delivery. About eight hours in, it was time to push and I got to help hold my wife’s legs and hands as she pushed. Another daughter arrived, I cut the cord, and watched as she met her mom face-to-face for the first time.

I’m blessed to have experienced these moments, too!

Posted in friends, Life

You don’t know me, but I know you

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Was that crack there before?”

My heart sunk. Yep, a curly crack ran down the center of the windshield. I couldn’t see any place where a rock had hit, so the relentless summer heat and suddenly cooling-off afternoon showers must have been too much for it.

I knew that my insurance would pay for a replacement. All I had to do was set that process in motion.

“Thanks for calling your insurance agent. This is Courtney, how can I help you?”

I explained the reason for my call. She replied, “Okay, lets bring up your policy and get a claim started.” A few seconds after I gave her my name, she said, “Oh. Now I know who you are. But you have no idea who I am.”

She was right. I had no clue. But when she gave me her first and last name, I remembered teaching her as a teenager many years ago. It’s a small world.

It’s a small world indeed. I encounter people from my past just about weekly in our community. Some of them went to our preschool. Others came for vacation bible school. A few were school friends of my children. Occasionally I run into some of their middle and high school teachers. Former church members and class students, like Courtney.

These people from the past check me out at the store, take my order at the drive through window, workout with me at the gym, dine at the same restaurants, work booths at a home show, come to repair my home, and go to the same doctors.

Whenever I recognize a voice or a face from the past, I feel better. Suddenly, the world feels like a smaller and friendlier place. I’m always thankful for that.

Posted in coffee, Life

Just a small black coffee…

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

“I’ll just have a small coffee.”

“Any flavors or creamer in that?”

“Nope. Just black.”

I know. Boring. But I like coffee. I like it a lot and I like it straight up. Okay, once in a while I’ll get a latte, but always with an extra shot to up the coffee concentration.

“Here you go, a small coffee.” I made a face when I took my first sip. It tasted good, but it tasted sweet. Well, some coffees have a little sweetness, so I gave it another try.

I said to my wife, “Taste this. Does this taste sweet to you?”

She took one sip and said, “Oh, yes.” She made a face. “Artificial sweetener.”

I hardly ever take anything back at a restaurant or coffee shop. But this day I did. “I think there’s sweetener in this. I just wanted black.” It was no problem. They made me a new cup. Much better.

My wife ordered a latte made with almond milk with just one pump of vanilla. Her typical order, nothing complicated.

After a few sips she lifted the lid and said, “There’s not much milk in here.”

I tried it and said, “That’s not a latte. That’s just coffee with milk in it. A latte is mostly steamed milk.”

She didn’t take her cup back. The poor guy who took our order was either inexperienced or having an off morning. He wasn’t a barista, just a young man working behind the counter. And the pastries were really, really good.

This coffee shop opened up in a rundown area of town in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood. Sponsored by a church, it subsidized many children’s programs, employed people just getting into the work force, and made important faith connections. They started in a bus, traveling from place to place. This permanent location had only been open for a few months. You can check them out here.

Trying out coffee shops has become a new hobby. They are tucked away in strip malls, industrial parks, and the corners of larger stores. With our coffee radar switched on, we’ve discovered many cool places.

Posted in Life

Birds in flight

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Sam Bark on Unsplash

I get to watch all kinds of birds from my backyard patio. Birds are distinguished by their size, color, and song. But I’ve also noticed that they have different flight plans, too.

The herons fly overhead in a straight line. At both dawn and dusk, they are on their way from one body of water to another “as the crow flies.” They are all business, and probably frequent the same ponds and lakes in search of fish.

The cardinals, however, flit from yard to yard and tree to tree. Each male and female pair playfully flies in and out of the wooded lots, as if playing a game of tag, in search of seeds to eat.

The hawks circle hundreds of feet overhead, watching for the movement of a rodent or snake in the grass. They never seem to be in a hurry as they keep an eye out for their next meal. Their wings never seem to move as they catch an updraft to keep them aloft.

The hummingbirds hover before flowers or feeders like miniature helicopters, their wings a blur.

The geese are way up there, long haul migrators in a v-shape.

What’s your flight plan today? An easy, relaxing glide above it all, a long trip, or a frantic day filled with activity?

Posted in Gospel, Life

Yard sign evangelism?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

On a recent dog-walk around the block, a couple of yard signs caught my eye. A homeowner displayed two familiar (at least to me) scripture verses in front of his or her house.

“Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

“Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die'” (John 11:25).

Classic words filled with gospel truth. As I walked by and got a picture, I wondered, “Who will those signs affect?”

Well, for one, it affected me. That good news certainly resonates with me, a follower of Jesus Christ.

But what if you aren’t a believer? Would a typical non-Christian even know the meaning of the words repent, resurrection, and gospel?

This neighbor’s intentions were good. God’s Word is powerful, creating, saving, and changing people’s lives.

But Jesus never delivered that good news in sound bites. These sentences are part of a relationship Jesus had with people. These words are part of a longer conversation Jesus had with people who were questioning, grieving, struggling, and searching for hope. When Jesus said, “Love your neighbor,” he didn’t mean hand out a brochure, tweet a bible verse, or put up a billboard. He meant get to know them, find out what they need, and then help them with that need. Let them experience the gospel before you talk about it.

Scripture verse signs simply blend in with the For Sale signs, contractor signs, clean-up-after-your-dog signs, political signs, security system signs, no soliciting signs, and yard sale signs scattered throughout the neighborhood.

Let’s honor Jesus with something a little more substantial. God sent the good news in the form of a person. He still does. It’s you.

Posted in Life, Travel

Some of my heroes: shuttle drivers

Posted on by William Douthwaite

During a typical trip to Dallas to visit my son, we encounter at least four shuttle drivers. This latest trip they made my travel a pleasant experience.

The first picked us up at long-term parking and takes us to the departure terminal. We waited less than a minute for him to pull up next to our car, load our larger luggage, and learn who we’ll be flying with. With a big smile, he welcomes us onto his little bus. Without losing his cool or breaking a sweat, he negotiates airport traffic, an amazing assortment of clueless, rude, and impatient drivers clogging up the drop-off spots. He unloads all our luggage onto the curb and wishes us well on our journey.

After we land in Dallas, we grab our luggage and head to the pickup area for the car rental shuttle. All the car rental companies share one building, so there is always a crowd watching for the arrival of the big blue shuttle bus. After the driver makes sure all our bags are in the racks, he begins our trip to the rental center. On my most recent trip he welcomed us to the Dallas-Fort Worth and encouraged us to take advantage of the many things to do, like taking bull riding lessons! That got a smile from everyone on board.

On the way home, we first dropped off our rental car, and then hopped on a big blue shuttle bus that would take us to our departure terminal. Even though the sun was barely up, the driver was enthusiastic about his job and cheerfully welcomed us on board. Before pulling out, he reminded us to be sure we had all our belongings from the rental cars, from phones to chargers to luggage. But, most importantly, he reminded us to leave the car keys behind.

Once we landed and were ready to head back home, a shuttle driver picked us up to take us back to our car. After we got on board, he welcomed us back home and waited a few minutes for more passengers. None came, so he pulled our and as soon as he did, his radio alerted him to more passengers. He chuckled and said, “I was looking right at them, and they were all on their phones! But don’t worry, another shuttle will be by in a few minutes.” He then told us that some long term parking shuttles only run once an hour! He pulled up to our parking spot and put all our luggage into the back of our car.

It takes a special kind of person to deal with travelers all day long. Some are frantically trying to make a flight. Many are tired and cranky. Others have way too many bags to carry or have a bunch of kids to keep track of. These drivers get you there quickly and safely, smiling through it all.

I’m not sure if they are trained to work with people, or whether it comes naturally to them. But this last time to Texas, I noticed and appreciated (and tipped them for) all they did.

Posted in Life

When he saw her, the look on his face was priceless.

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Ludovic Migneault on Unsplash

We walked into church just as the congregation started singing the first hymn. The only one who knew we would be there that Sunday morning was my daughter-in-law. She gave us a big smile as we slipped into the pew. Two of our granddaughters were sitting with friends a row in front. The youngest was with a friend in the row behind. My grandson was on the other side of his mom. We made the trip under the radar to surprise my son, whose church was celebrating his ten years of ministry there.

When I tapped the shoulder of the oldest, her eyes got big and she mouthed, “How did you get here?” I answered by putting my arms out like an airplane. Next to her, number three, gave us a big grin. Looking behind us, the two-year old just gave us a look. And when we got the attention of my six-year-old grandson, he kind of smirked as he read along with the service.

I was sitting on the aisle, in plain view of my son as he did his parts of the service. I thought for sure he spotted us. But he didn’t until the other pastor got up to preach. At that moment, looking out into the congregation, my son spotted his mom, tilted his head, furrowed his brow, and flashed a quick smile, totally surprised to see her in the crowd. The look on his face was priceless. My wife’s recently grown-out hair made him pause, too, reacting to a look she hasn’t had for a long time.

The whole event, including a potluck lunch after worship, was a successful surprise for my son. He sensed something was up, but had no idea what had been planned. Afterwards, he commented that the bigger surprise was how good the food was. Previous potlucks hadn’t been as well-prepared as this one.

It’s hard to pull off a surprise like that. The churches I served were never able to do it. I would pretend like I didn’t know anything when I got a copy of the email sent to the congregation about a surprise or gift. Letters to the congregation would be left in the duplicator where I would find it when I went to make copies. People would apologize to me for not being able to attend an occasion that was supposed to be a surprise for me. Apparently no one had the spiritual gift of keeping a secret!

When’s the last time I looked out and saw someone totally unexpected in the crowd? It must have been when a few friends from previous churches have stopped in unannounced. I’m sure I had a great look on my face, too.

Posted in Life

Walther, the bearded dragon

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Matteo Vella on Unsplash

I usually pay someone to get the bugs out of my house. Today, though, I paid to bring bugs into the house.

My son’s family has been pet-sitting a bearded dragon, a twenty-inch long lizard. Walther spends his days enjoying life in a hundred gallon aquarium equipped with a nice hammock for sleeping, half a log for hiding, a bowl of water, and a dish full of lizard chow (or whatever it is that lizards eat.) When his family feels like spoiling him, they feed him kale, blueberries, and crickets.

On a recent visit, my wife and I had an afternoon with the two oldest grandchildren. As we left, my daughter-in-law said, “If you want, you can get some crickets to feed Walther. Just make sure you get them coated with calcium.” Sounds easy enough.

I’ve waited in line at the pet store behind people purchasing bag of crickets. I’ve always wondered, “Who would do that?” Now I know.

After wandering around the pet store for a while we came across the cage full of crickets. It’s didn’t look like self-serve, so I told a store worker, “I need to buy some crickets.” She talked into a headset and said, “Someone will meet you there.”

A very nice woman met us at the cage a minute later. “I need fifteen crickets, coated with calcium.” “Sure, no problem.” She scooped some calcium powder into a clear plastic bag and opened the lid of the cage. I guess I expected crickets to swarm all over the store, but they didn’t. She scooped up a bunch with a special funnel and poured them into the bag. After twisting the top and securing it with a rubber band, she shook up the bag, wrote “12” on the side and handed it to me.

I asked her, “Do you enjoy the bug part of your job?” She said, “Oh,m you get used to it.” I doubted I’d ever get used to that, but who knows?

At the register, the woman ahead of me was buying hookworms for her lizard. One look at those and I was glad to only be buying crickets. The cashier talked about her own bearded dragon, who liked to relax on her shoulder as she did chores around the house. I paid for the crickets ($.13 a piece) and we headed home.

As soon as we walked in the door, Walther knew this was going to be a good day. When we dropped a few of the crickets into his tank, he snapped them right up and gave us the eye, as if to say, “Well? Let’s have the rest.”

A few minutes later my son got home from work, we dumped the rest of the crickets into the cage. In less than a minute, they were gone, just a few leg pieces sticking out of his mouth. But one cricket was hiding behind the log. It tried to crawl off into the corner unnoticed, but in a flash, Walther did a one eighty and gobbled it down.

I said, “You shouldn’t have any bug problems. Just let Walther hunt them down.” Alas, that’s not a good idea. Bugs around the house or in your garden are subject to parasites themselves. You have to buy bugs for them.

We were fascinated by the bearded dragon. But we have a strict “no reptile” rule in our house. No bugs, either. We’re dog people.

Posted in Travel

A QR experience – the right way

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A few days ago I wrote about my very disappointing QR experience at Bahama Breeze. Or should I say un-experience. Just a few days later I sat down at a restaurant that did it the right way.

We cruised around the LBJ turnpike in the dark and sailed through security at DFW. With some time on our hands we checked the dining kiosk for breakfast places. IHOP was a five minute walk to the other end of the terminal. Two “yes” votes and we were on our way.

A very nice hostess sat us and pointed to a QR code on the table. “Oh boy,” I thought, “Here we go again.” I scanned the code and brought up the menu. Pricey selections. But the breakfast sampler included more than enough food for the two of us. I punched in my choices, added two coffees, clicked on the shopping cart, and hoped for the best. I put in my credit card info, added a tip, and I was done.

A minute later a server arrived with a pot of coffee, two cups, and silverware. “Since you’re splitting a breakfast, I’ll bring an extra plate.” Perfect. She brought out our food a few minutes later.

I entered a skeptic, and left a believer. I don’t mind interacting with a live server. I don’t mind interacting with electronics, either. As long as each gets the job done.