The World

"But to me, Baby, you are the world."

Sixteen years ago, tomorrow was a very special day. I was still in my 20's. I had been back in the US from Japan less than six months. For the first time, I was living in the same town as my brother and his wife. And just a few minutes after 12 noon, I met the most amazing girl. She was only minutes old and she was my brother's daughter. His first born. His princess. And, it turns out, his only daughter. He (along with Janet) have given me two fun, delightful and brilliant nephews since then but this one's about her. The beautiful girl in this picture.

You see, she may just look like any other girl to you, but she is a vibrant part of my world. I was in Japan when Richard and Janet called me from Birmingham and asked how 'Aunt Lara' would be said in Japanese. From that moment, the foundation of my world changed. I watched my brother sing to her before she was born, pressing his chin to Janet's belly. We all fell in love with her before she even breathed her first breath. Then there she was, two weeks later than she was supposed to be here, being carried down that hallway by my brother. She was red and screaming. Dark brown curls all over her head. A few days later, I was holding her and singing to her. I still do that, by the way. And for the first time in my life, I understood unconditional love. I realized that there was nothing this girl could do that would change my love for her. No matter what she became. No matter what choices she made in her life. My love could do nothing but grow for her. I have had those moments with each of her brothers, too.

Now, here we are. Tomorrow she turns 16. She has done nothing but grow more amazing and more beautiful. She has such talent and heart. While she and her brothers do not and can not mean more to me than my Lord, they are a huge part of my world. You might even say vital. You might never have a chance to meet her, so I thought I'd do the honors.

There she is, the most beautiful of nieces! My Carlie! Sweet sixteen. I love you, my dear girl!

Failure

A few days ago, I was in the middle of heavy traffic on one of Alabama's busiest highways, Hwy 280. All I wanted was a pedicure and there I was, stuck in non-moving traffic. Everyone in Birmingham knows about 280, and we all HATE it!!! Sitting there I looked at all the stopped cars and buildings in front of me. There on the right, just after the I459 overpass, it was. A towering symbol of one man's failure. Several years ago, Richard Scrushy came under indicted for money laundering, extortion, obstruction of justice, racketeering and bribery. He pleaded not guilty, but was convicted in 2006. Sometime before all this mess, he received the ok to build this beautiful, yet useless, building. It's purpose was to become the latest in cutting edge of health care. The world's top digital hospital.

Everyone in Birmingham is familiar with this building that towers over 280. This empty building. It has become a constant reminder of all the things that Scrushy did wrong. And that made me wonder. What if our failures were placed in blinding notice of the world on the busiest highway in town? What if they were so tall that they were visible from far away. What if they had outer walls of glass and mirror so that they reflected every time the sun rises and sets? And what if you had to drive past them at least twice a day for you and everyone else on the road to see? Pretty humiliating thought, isn't it? Our failures can feel that big and obvious, but most of the time they are not. Thankfully! While they may feel that way, at least our failures are not broadcast on the national news.

But even if they are that big and that well known, there is one thing that is bigger than that glass and steel building on Hwy 280. Can you guess? It's the Cross of Jesus Christ. There is nothing we can do that His Blood does not cover. There is no failure so large and well known that His Cross cannot shadow. While we are never free from the consequences of our sins and failures, we can ALWAYS be forgiven. Richard Scrushy is in prison right now, that cannot change. The empty, beautiful building still towers uselessly over 280 and that has not changed. A lot of people lost their jobs and savings through his actions. That will not change. But our God, Who is in the business of forgiving, has made Himself available to forgive Richard Scrushy. He has also made Himself available to forgive you. No matter what you've done. No matter how visible your failure is or isn't. Pretty cool, huh?

Seventy-one years ago, tomorrow, my father was born. In the Mississippi delta, September of 1938, there was no hospital for a delivering mother to find. I don't know what, if any prenatal care my grandmother had. We have no way of knowing my Mamaw's actual due date for Papa. I still wonder just how far along she was in her pregnancy. The only information I have is that, after eight healthy deliveries, my grandmother gave birth to the man you see in this picture. Thankfully a doctor was there to help my Mamaw. When the doctor held my father in his hands, there looked to be no hope for Papa's survival. Papa was tiny. Too small to survive. Too early for his lungs to have developed. Papa's body fit into one of the doctor's hands, while his head fit into the other. Premature births can be a devastating experience and the parents are not promised tomorrow. Papa weighed in at about 2.5 pounds. The doctor believed that this baby was dead. Until... Don't you LOVE that word? Until my father let out a bellow. The doctors response? Nothing wrong with those lungs! Don't you love it?

This wonderful man who raised me truly does have a set of lungs. Ones that should not have been fully formed when he was born. At first he slept in his older sister's baby doll bed. When winter came, he slept in an open dresser drawer. I hope that you someday get an opportunity to hear my father sing. He followed the Lord's call into music ministry. He's seen countless changes in music. He even recorded a record when I was a little girl. No one sings How Great Thou Art like my Papa. Lisa & I believe that they honestly don't make them like our Papa! When he calls my office to talk to me, he announces himself as Papa. So you can call him that too. So, I welcome you to celebrate Papa's (Donald Moore) birthday tomorrow. That's what we will be doing.