My Christmas Letter 2011!

 

Merry Christmas!

 Most of my life seems to be lived in the ordinary, day-to-day.

Here are some of the unordinary things that happened this year:

My Living Funeral:

In January, a group of young people I’ve mentored surprised me with my own “living funeral”.  What’s a “living funeral”?  The idea comes from the book, “Tuesdays with Morrie”, which tells the true story of Morrie, who was terminally ill.

After attending a funeral, Morrie commented that it was such a waste for people to say all those nice things about someone when they aren’t there to hear them.

To remedy this, Morrie decided to throw his own funeral early, while he was still alive.  At his “living funeral”, people shared the things they wanted to say, and Morrie did the same.  His “living funeral” was a huge success.

So a group of people gathered to celebrate me and to tell me publicly the things they wanted to say to me.  It was really special.  I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such quality people.

Wait, a “living funeral”?  Like in “Tuesdays with Morrie”?  Do they know something I don’t?

The Blizzard of 2011:

Sno-pocalypse!                 Sno-mageddon!                  Sno-lapalooza!

Snowly Cow!

Need I say more?  That was a dump load of snow!

Couldn’t it have drifted on my lawn where it wouldn’t have caused me any trouble?  Nope, it had to drift up to 31 ½ inches in the center of my driveway.  Oh my aching back!

Milwaukee Visits:

I had numerous visits to Milwaukee this year: the Wisconsin State Fair, free tickets to Ten Chimneys (the summer home of a couple past Broadway stars), but the highlight destination was the Lakefront Brewery tour.  They got the crowd liquored up before (and during) the tour, rather than after, which made it possibly the smartest, funniest, and best brewery tour ever!  Plus our guide was hilarious…or was that the brew?

My Poor Windshield:

In September, I was driving North on 53 going about 60mph (the speed of traffic.  I swear), when an SUV in front of me ran over a log that was on the road.  I’m sure the driver of the SUV didn’t see the log or have much warning it was coming.  There is no way anyone would have driven over a log that big if they could avoid it.  The SUV’s back tires kicked the log up into the air, catapulting it straight at my car.

It was almost like a 3D movie where everything went into slow motion for a couple seconds as I saw the log flying at my car, with no time to prevent it, as there was a car on either side of me.  Then everything went back into fast motion as the log crashed loudly into my windshield and roof on the passenger side.

 A protruding piece of the log penetrated the windshield upon impact, sending glass flying inside the car.  The main part of the log broke off immediately and went flying over the car, leaving a chunk of wood hanging out of the windshield, as you can see in the photos.  Thankfully, there were no cars behind me, so the log didn’t continue to do more damage, and no one was hurt.  I’m glad I didn’t have a passenger at the time.  It was crazy!

Oddly enough, only a few months before, in June, I was driving on 53 when a semi kicked up a rock that chipped a hole in my windshield.  Within an hour the chip became a crack and spread across the windshield.  So I had just had the windshield replaced three months before when the log came flying at me.

What is going on out there on 53?  This wouldn’t have anything to do with the “living funeral” would it?

I Own an iPad!:

One of the guys I mentored, and his wife, bought me an iPad this year!  It was a complete surprise!  I was blown away.  So far I’m loving it!  I use it every day.  I’m so hi-tech!  I’ll miss you Steve Jobs.

Kelly’s Getting Married:

My niece, Kelly Sherlock, plans to marry Erich Neugebauer in January, 2012.  They are currently deep in the planning stage.  I look forward to celebrating their wedding.

11/11/11 in Iowa City:

When I was a freshman in college around thirty-two years ago, I made a crazy commitment.  The day was either November 11th or the time was 11:11pm on a different day.  A small group of newly found friends at the time (I don’t even remember who was all there) were walking back to the dorms from downtown.  Triggered by either the date or the time, someone mentioned that someday it would be 11/11/11.

After some playful banter, I think it was my friend, Amy, who came up with the idea that we should all meet again on 11/11/11 at that very spot, the corner of Clinton and Market, in Iowa City.  Someone else added that we should meet at 11:11:11 on 11/11/11.  As I recall, we all agreed.

At the time, I remember thinking, “Wow, I’ll be 51 years old!  I wonder what my life will be like then.”  It seemed so far away, a lifetime away at age 19.

I don’t think most of the group took the whole thing seriously.  I may not have either, if it wasn’t for my friend, Amy, who kept the dream alive with me throughout the years.  She was the only one I remember ever mentioning it again after that night.  We would sometimes mention, “Eleven, eleven, eleven,” as a phrase like, “I’ll see you again someday”.  Amy was the only one from that group that I thought might actually show.

A few days before the fateful day, I found out that Amy wasn’t going to make it.  It was completely understandable, though it was still a bit disappointing.  It seemed like such a cool idea to actually meet after all these years, on that day, at that time.  I hadn’t seen her in probably eight years.

I wrestled a bit with whether or not I should still go.  I felt melancholy about showing up with no one else there to meet, yet I had made a commitment that I would be there, and it’s important to me to live up to my commitments as best I can.  This was one I could easily keep.

So, thirty-some years after making the commitment, I found myself standing at the corner of Clinton and Market in Iowa City at 11:11:11am on 11/11/11!  I did it!  I went!  And it was awesome!

No one else from the group showed up, but I had a great day.  It was a day of celebrating my life, reminiscing on the past, experiencing the present, and wondering about what the future might hold.  I felt very grateful throughout the day.  And although no one was there with me physically, I did feel like someone met me at the corner.

A couple days prior, while I was wrestling with going and feeling blue, I sensed what I interpreted as God’s Spirit communicating to my heart an invitation, “Come. Meet Me at the corner.”  I sensed that I should definitely go on this pilgrimage.  I wouldn’t be there alone.  He planned and wanted to meet me there.  I felt His presence with me at the corner and throughout the whole day, celebrating me and the life I’ve been given.  We had a great day together.

My friend, Amy, and I tried to connect that day via cell phone and FaceTime.  Who knew thirty years ago there would be such technological advances?  Back then, I had a rotary phone in my dorm room and typed my papers on a portable typewriter.  That was hi-tech!  Unfortunately, my cell phone carrier didn’t have service in Iowa City and the University wouldn’t let me bum off their internet connection at the corner to use FaceTime on my iPad.  I guess technology still has room for advancement.  Though we tried, Amy and I weren’t able to connect that day.

I had lunch with my niece and nephew, Emily and Scott, who currently live in Iowa City.  Who would have guessed that I’d have a niece and nephew, and that they’d live in Iowa City when 11/11/11 came around?  That too felt like a piece of God’s provision for me, having people to meet in Iowa City after all.

Someday I would love to write a couple n0vels.  (Some of you may feel like this Christmas letter has turned into one!).  One of the novels in my head was birthed from the pledge we made during freshmen year, the idea of two people meeting again on 11/11/11 at 11:11:11 o’clock in Iowa City after 30 years and all the things that had happened in their lives in between.  It would not be the story of my friend and I; that was simply the seed that sparked the story in my head.  It was great to be there that day to experience the sights and sounds of the day, in case I should ever attempt to finish writing this fiction story.  I’ve felt somewhat inspired to write since then, so Lord willing, Oprah’s Book Club list, here I come!  Cha–ching!

I drove back home the same day and stayed up and celebrated 11:11:11pm in my living room, which has become a safe haven for so many people, including me.  It was like a meaningful closing ceremony, bringing the day to the perfect end, bringing both my past and my present together in one special day at 11:11:11 on 11/11/11.

Merry Christmas:
During this celebration of Christ entering the world, may Jesus lovingly enter into the ordinary and unordinary circumstances of your life.  May He meet you at a corner where you might need to be met.  May He help you deal with the heavy burdens and unexpected obstacles that may come flying at you.  May He celebrate and bless you while you are still alive.  May He shower you with gracious gifts, bring you love, and help you experience playful moments on this tour of life.  And may He draw you into deeper intimacy with Himself in a way that you’ll sense in your inner being somehow mysteriously saves you.

Merry Christmas!  And Blessed New Year!

In His Love,
Randy