Category: Life

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 Life

Send money!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Does this work? Can you simply announce your Venmo and Cashapp and rake in the wedding presents?

It’s everywhere. The shuttle driver who took us from long term airport parking to our departure terminal had QR codes for his Venmo, Cashapp, and Paypal. Clever man. Several of the passengers scanned them for his tip. After all, who carries cash?

Our local street-corner violinist has his Venmo on the small sign next to his instrument case.

We Venmo-ed money to our friend who watched our dog for us last weekend.

Churches have Venmo QR codes in their entryways for contributions.

A few folks supported my devotion-writing efforts last spring via Venmo.

If I was going to send a gift Erik and Noel’s way, I would at least want a piece of cake. In a similar vein, I’ll donate to a local kid’s sports team if they’ll wash my car, sell me a muffin, sing me a song. But not if you’re just standing there with a bucket (or Venmo sign) asking for cash.

So you don’t have to ask a stranger for money. Your Vemno or Cashapp can do that for you. Who knows? It just might pay off.

Posted in Life

Retired?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by James Hose Jr on Unsplash

The other day my wife said, “It really bugs you when people ask you that question.” She was right. It’s a tough and uncomfortable question to answer; “So what are you doing now?” Many want to know.

This question was asked before my planned retirement date and and comes fast and furious a year later.

Sometimes it’s a friendly conversation starter. “So what have you been doing?”

Other times I feel like I need to justify my decision to retire. “What do you do all day?”

“How do you pass the time?” That one has notes of depression and meaninglessness.

A year into retirement, I feel guilty saying it’s been great. I haven’t been bored. I don’t miss my work (more on that later). And I’ve been plenty busy. Here’s a little recap of my first year into retirement.

  • I have been writing. In addition to this blog, I wrote a set of Advent devotion in 2022, and then Lent devotions for the following spring. I thought I could monetize these, but only netted $18. Having gotten little feedback, I may not write more in the future.
  • I’ve made four trips to Dallas to visit my son and his family, plus a week long fall color trip to Maggie Valley, NC.
  • I redid all the landscaping in my front yard, painted the inside of the garage, rebuilt some of the backyard kids play fort, converted the front bedroom from a guest room to a music room/study.
  • My wife and I watch some of the Florida grandchildren at least once a week.
  • My church involvement has included a biweekly small group, and a weekly men’s ministry, as well as weekly worship. I also did a year of Zoom Bible Study Fellowship with men from around the world.
  • I’ve read three books a month, often from the library. Most are detective/crime novels.
  • I get to the gym three times a week (free membership) and easily get in 10,000 steps a day walking the dog(s), doing yard work, or other stuff around the house.
  • I’ve been learning bluegrass guitar. I’m not quite ready for a jam, but I’m getting better at my pentatonic scales.
  • I’ve been sorting through thousands of digital photos, deleting duplicates, sorting, and labeling the keeper. I’ve also been paging through hundreds of journals, constructing a time line of our lives. I’d forgotten places we’ve been and things we’ve done.
  • My winter/spring garden yielded lots of cherry tomatoes and way too many jalapeño peppers.
  • I’ve attended a whole bunch of the grandchildrens’ soccer, basketball, t-ball, baseball, and flag football games, plus a dance recital.

I certainly don’t feel like I’m “passing the time” until I cash in my chips. The fact that I don’t miss my work tells me two things. First, it was the right time to retire. Second, I was burnt out.

A number of pastors at the church where I’m now worshiping get a sixty day sabbatical every five years. What a difference that would have made. I rarely got more than two weeks off in a row, ever. Some of that is my fault. I should know better than to keep going on empty.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed pastoral ministry. But I enjoy being out of that role, too. I enjoy just being me.