Personalities and fonts

I find the whole concept of fonts interesting. Fonts are a lot like people. They have their different moods, and even with their basic personality they can be emblazoned with bold passion, or even a tad emotional in their italics. Some fonts are fun and not too serious. Some are playful and childlike. Some fonts are straight and narrow, never veering too much to the left or the right. Some are expressive and flow on a page. Other fonts are square and blocky and well, you know, solid.

I was at a conference over the last couple days and found myself people watching. On the exterior, some of the people were beautiful, graceful, and just seemed to whisper “look at me.” It made me wonder if they ever had any problems. They just seemed to move with elegance (like Monotype Corsiva). Some people were tall and thin, perhaps common and conservative in their dress, the kind who could be your cousin or quiet neighbor who drives a mid-priced sedan (think Arial). I noticed folks who seemed to smile and have any easy way about them that just made you want to “hang out” (a.k.a. Comic Sans). There were the few who added a little comic relief because they were anything but common (much like Webdings) that make you wonder “what, err, who was that?!” It was very easy to notice the few who were bold and “in your face.” There was no ignoring them and it did not take long to realize that there was not room for many perspectives other than their own in the room (ever seen Indy?).

I don’t know about you, but depending on the day, on my mood, on the weather or any number of contributing factors, I tend to identify with any number of different fonts. Most days I am probably much like Verdana…comfortable and predictable. There are some days that I just feel a touch more special but not necessarily out of the ordinary, like Georgia. Rarely, but every once in a while, much like Hanger I’m sure people look at me and wonder “what got into her today?!” while a little more frequently but not consistently I feel like things are just flowing smoothly and I am in my groove, like Lucinda Handwriting. Over the years I have come to embrace some of these differences.

After I got passed my initial impressions of “I would have nothing in common with that individual” or wondering “Does she feel as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside?” I enjoyed embracing the individual differences of my fellow attendees. As a lover of fonts, I sunk in my daydreams like a comfortable couch, as I thought about how much fun God must have had when he first created all the different animals, but even moreso as he created man/woman with all our different personalities, styles, and traits. Just like all the different fonts which are all created for expression and communication, God created each one of us for fellowship, companionship, and communication with Him! Not one of us is more valuable or special in His eyes, but enjoyable in our uniqueness!

Heartfelt Prayers of a Little One

I love the prayers of children. They are so honest. They don't sensor their thoughts or hide their fears. They don't aim to impress nor do they worry about their vocabulary or what people might think. It is the prayers of my own children that moves me to consider that which I might otherwise filter in my conversations with God. Below is one of the recent dinner time prayers of my youngest son. There was no question where his thoughts were "in the moment"!

“Dear God,

Thank you for my mommy and my daddy and Bay, and my whole family. That you for roses and flowers. Thank you for hot dogs and strawberries. Thank you for ketchup and for You. Thank you for the letter “z”, which is my favorite letter. Thank you for all the letters. Thank you for fans and for forks. In Jesus Name We Pray, Amen.”

I smiled throughout, which must have tickled him pink (or red, since that is his current favorite color), as I know his eyes are wide open the duration of his prayer. I can practically "hear" his eyes bouncing to and fro around the room as he decides what else he is thankful for in that moment. I can't honestly say that I can recall the last time I thanked God for hot dogs, strawberries, ketchup, or forks. But I am thankful for a little five year old boy who never stops teaching his mother that we always have something to be thankful for.

Thanking God for You, my children with heartfelt prayers, forks, and so much more,

Peace in Obedience

Today when I was in town and standing in line waiting at a store to use the Kodak picture maker, I watched a mother and her child. They had on the same white shirt with black sleeves. The child’s hung freely around her waist, while the older woman’s shirt hugged every crevice and curve. I had nothing better to do than watch while I waited. The mother was speaking with the manager and was very adamant in her expression of how she had been mistreated previously by one of the clerks. I didn’t bother to follow most of the discussion, as I was just glad I was waiting to use the self-serve kiosk. But what I observed was troubling to me. The mother was involved in a lengthy discussion of the how’s, why’s and wherefores, and all the while, her little girl of perhaps seven years of age was trying persistently to get the older woman’s attention. First she tugged on her shirt, pulling the hem further and further below her waistline. When that was ineffective, she repeatedly patted the older woman’s arm all the while the mother never missed a beat and carried on with her conversation while shooing her daughter away. Then I noticed that the little girl began to pinch the older woman’s arm…first a wide pinch that in the right place might simply mean I love you, but as her pinch became smaller and smaller, (and as I knew, more painful and made me squirm in sympathy pain), the older women continued to ignore and brush her intrusion away. The little girl finally left in a huff, and pursued her own interest.

I thought of this in relation to my dance with God. While I don’t believe that he ever shoos us away, I do believe that we go to him and bug him and bug him incessantly all the while ignoring when he implores, “Not now child.” God always answers prayers. Sometimes He answers "yes," sometimes "no," and sometimes, "not now." When His answer is the latter, I tend to get impatient, don’t like His answer, and then many times march off in a huff, all the while determined to do things my own way and in my own time. I want to be patient as I wait on the Lord. As I listen to Beth Moore’s explanation of the word in her Breaking Free Bible study, I want to know and experience God more, glorify God. I want to have peace with God. Doing things my own way and not trusting in the sovereignty of God is not the path to peace. Obedience is. I hope that little girl in the store today learns that lesson earlier in life than I am!