"Do You Love Me?

A Tribute to my Wife

Fifty years ago today, a beautiful lady walked down the aisle on the arm of her Dad, Marvin.  She was an incredible, wonderful lady who I had the grand fortune of taking to be my wife.  Now, four children and 14 grandchildren later, (of whom I am extremely proud!) we celebrate in the quiet of our family room.  (That is a great term, isn't it? "Family Room.")  Where would I be tonight without the steady love of this lady named Sharon?  She is one who is always content to stay in the shadows, faithfully supporting me and being the "wind beneath my wings."  She is the one who cleans up after me (and all of the grandkids!) and does it without complaint.  She is beautiful inside and out.  She loves Jesus and she loves me.

I went you tube tonight and listened to my favorite love song and sat here and cried.  Tevye sings to Golde,

"Do you love me?"  

"For twenty-five years (50 for me) I've washed your clothes

Cooked your meals, cleaned your house,

Given you children, milked the cow.

After "50" years, why talk about love right now?"

"But do you love me

It ends like this:

It doesn't change a thing, but after 50 years, It's nice to know.

It sure is.

Just thinking!

After going to a couple of funerals involving sudden deaths, and hearing of other friends struggling with the big "C" word, these words came to my mind:

About the time you begin to feel immortal,

Death slaps you in the face

And the sting of death brings you back to reality.

But lest you feel trapped

In the dark tomb of inevitability

Remember,

HE sets the prisoner free!

Free to live life abundantly!

Free to soar above the pain and hopelessness of sin!

And free - finally and forever free

In the unrestricted glory of the presence of Jesus!

Forever Free!!

Cryderkids at Great Wolf Lodge

Yesterday, Grandma and I took Ashlee, Aaron and Katelyn to the Great Wolf Lodge for a getaway. We actually left right after church on Sunday, drove the 3 and a half hours (listening to Katelyn ask, "How many more minutes?" a thousand times! Ha!) and then unpacked and hopped into the nice warm pool.  Grandma even went down the "green" slide again!  She is getting quite brave, (or her memory is so short she forgets how scary it is!)  We had sandwiches in the room, went back to swim only to find out they close the pool at 9:00 pm!!!  So back to the room, watched TV (three men and a baby!...very cute!) and then to bed.  Another morning of swimming, hot tubbing, and floating down the lazy river.  Finally we left, stopping at Lakeside Charlies in Cadillac (after going by the old homestead in Mesick) We had a delicious meal there and then on home.  Tired, but satisfied that we had a fun day! 

Florida trip

We took our annual trip to St. Petersburg, Florida during March and April.  What made it special this year is that we spent time with the Mark Cryderman family and the Kulagas.  They all stayed with us at the Sands of Treasure Island and then we met again in Kissimmee at a neat motel.  Then the Kulagas, Heather, Matt, Michael, Kara, Beth and James and us went to Disney.  It was hot and very crowded, but we had a great time.  It is good to be home now.

Does Jesus really talk to me?

OK, let me explain....

When I left home and went to college, my Mom and Dad and I would talk quite often.  Now back then there weren't cell phones, and besides, my folks lived in Japan so we couldn't even talk on the telephone, it was so expensive.

But, you see, I knew my parents very well.  When I was with them, I watched them, listened to them, saw them in every type of situation, and I had heard them talk so much, I could almost predict what they would say before they said it.

In fact, if I would do something wrong when they were near, I knew they would tell me that it was wrong and what would happen if I continued it.  But I also knew that when I pleased them they would say.  "Bill, you make us so proud!" or "We are glad you are our son!"  

I would hear Dad say, "You're driving too fast!"  "Get your homework done."  and Mom, "Clean up your plate."  "Go make your bed!"  (Sound familiar?")  I still hear them talking to me.  But it's a little different.

Well, the more we get to know Jesus, the more we can hear his voice.  When we read the Bible and learn about Him, what He says, and what He does, it begins to teach us His "character" and pretty soon we can pretty much know what He is going to say, because we know Jesus!

So no, I don't hear actual voices, but just as sure as I am writing, I know when He is happy with me, and when He is disappointed, and when He wants me to think about something and then do it.

I hope this helps.

Let me tell you a story

I want to tell you a story.

 

I have been trying to "practice the presence of Jesus" in all that I do.  It is not always easy, since my wife, Sharon, tries to lead me astray!  Ha! (just kidding)

 

Anyway,  I usually get up around 5:30 and grab the Free Press and read it with my coffee, then have a time of Bible study and devotions and that is pretty good, but not as good as I'd like.

 

Recently, I have tried something different.

We have a couch that sits across the room.  Over by the piano.  Well, I have been imagining that Jesus dropped in and is sitting there as I read the paper.  That seems so rude, that I put the paper down and just concentrated on Him.  And I talk.   I talk to Him about my family. Sometimes I will spend a lot of time on just one of them.  Like this morning, I just talked to Jesus about my son-in-law, Matt.  No, he hasn't gone into deep sin or anything!  I just wanted to make sure Jesus knew all about the frustrations, and fears of retail management. I discovered that He does!  He knows all about Matt and He told me that He has him in the palm of His hand!

 

Then I bragged on Micah.  How grown up he is!  (Even though he dyed his hair yellow!)   Jesus just asked, "What happened to his hair?"  But he assured me that He is taking care of him and that He has a plan that He will tell Micah soon.

 

It is so neat to sit in your living room and talk to Jesus!  I mean, really talk honestly and openly to Him.  I cried and told Him that I wished that I could be more like Him.  He sort of laughed and said, "Well, don't give up.  Keep on trying!"  That made me feel so good.

 

It was moving when he pointed to the wreath above the couch and said to me, "You know, Bill, that sort of reminds me of a "big" crown of thorns!  You remember that?"  And then He told me about how lonely he felt when none of His friends was around to encourage Him during that time.  "But you know, Bill, I still love them....and they love me, in spite of how much they failed me."  

Then He said, "I know you love me....even when you fail."

 

Sometimes we just sit there, me drinking my coffee and He...well I haven't offered Him any coffee yet.  (I am not that crazy!)  But I know He is right there.  I want to ask Him questions, but I will wait until another time.

 

This morning, I told Him about all our grandkids.  I described them, (He already knew) and I told Him how much I want Him to take care of them and let them grow up to be great saints of His Father.  And He reminded me, "You know, Bill,I have a special place in my heart for kids.  You've read in the Good Book how I took them in my arms, and how I said the kingdom of heaven will be chuck full of kids.  Don't you think I will watch over them like a hawk?  (or maybe an “angel!”...He laughed again.)

 

This is not the result of Alzheimers, or overdosing on the cough syrup.  It is a practice of mine until it no longer serves its purpose. The interesting dilemma though, is,....How do you get up and leave? How do you start reading the paper again.  When Jesus sits across the room from you.....nothing else really matters!

 

OK, OK, don't call the nursing home.

 

More later.

 

It works!

Pardon my absence, but I couldn't get on my blog for some reason.  I am back and will post as often as I have something worth saying!

Christmas is over!

Well, there were a lot of tears this afternoon in the Cryderclan households.  Even Grandma and I had our moments of loneliness.

Is it possible to have 24 people together in a lodge and not have even one major argument?  Well, we made it possible.  

Grandma made a humungous smorgasbord with honeybaked ham and smoked turkey.  Heidi made a traincar load of a delicious mexican flavored soup.  Liann and Mary made a baked potato lunch with all the toppings, Mary brought her well known baked goods, cookies, candies etc.  Of course the Kirkland coffee was always brewing!  Heather's baked spaghetti, and the trimmings was an immediate hit.  Oh, did I mention the pizza salad a la Heidi, and the mexican nacho dip by Liann, or the pumpkin, apple, cherry pies and brownies by Mom/Grandma.

We had the winter olympics, talent night, hockey night, video night, a piano recital by Crisilee, and a bean bag toss game that Chris and I made.  Michael, Chris, Crisilee, made dvd's, Bill digitized zillions of Grandpa Jopling's movies as a gift to his mom. (Made her cry!)  Ashlee made an excellent video reminding us of the genocide in Darfur.  (Made us all cry!)

So now it is quiet here in the Senior Cryderman household.  But if you listen carefully, in our hearts, we can still hear the laughter, the magic tricks, the games, the songs, all of which remind us of what a wonderfully diverse, yet united family we are!