Thursday, August 28, 2008

I am NOT Mary Lou!

Don't just love those 'Ah Ha' moments?

Just about the time your heads about to explode from blindly sorting through reams of data the lights come on, and it all makes sense. Much to your chagrin, the answers were not so deep and disturbing as you thought...you just couldn't see the forest for the trees.

Confused?

Let me explain.

I've been tryin to be Mary Lou....Mary Lou Rettnon that is.

No, I've not been tryin to schlep into a teeny leotard and join the Geriatric Gymnast Society....no, so get that visual out of your head right now!

This sudden illumination is the result of trying to be something I'm just not.

During the wonderful conference I attended last weekend in San Antonio, I took pages of copious notes, legible only to me I might add.

Having posted previously and giving my overall impressions of the event, I felt compelled (self compelled I might add) to not only share my notes but my thoughts as well regarding these sessions.

Clearly regurgitating that much information is not my gift, not at this point anyway.

I do have a bunch of my Siesta's who have these gifts and have been posting like nobodies business over here. Do yourself a favor and be sure to check out their posts. Through these blogs, you can virtually join us in San Antonio without the benefit of all that humidity!

One of the many points Mama Beth made was that God has given us different gifts that we can use or not. It is important that we need discover what our gifts are, and get to using them.

Another thing Ms Beth stated should have been obvious, but apparently isn't or she wouldn't have said it

"You are not Mary Lou."

Really? I was so thinking me, perfect 10's, gold medals.

No, "You are not Mary Lou."

Actually , I should not try to be...as it would be very ugly!

Right now my 'Mary Lou' is all these awesome bloggin Siesta's. As I read their post and I feel I'm back in the Alamo Dome all over again. They are the Howard Cosell 's of Siesta-ville.

Going through my notes I've attempted to recall all the stuff I did NOT jot down. Doing so has caused me to refresh my recollection of the whole San Antonio experience...but it doesn't change the fact that regurgitating this material is about as painful to me as tryin to retell a joke...it's awful!

My dear Sister in Love, Nancy is the sweetest and funniest gal you could ever want to meet.

Can she ever tell a joke!

Nancy's turn of a phrase leaves you with muscle pains in regions of your body you didn't know had muscles. Non stop belly laughs and bronchial seizures are a regular occurrences when spending anytime with this girl.

aaand....

Let me try to retell these same jokes or stories...WHEW!!

I'm usually stammering and stuttering or cracking up so bad I can't get the thing told. More often than not,I get to the punch line and draw a complete blank. What usually follows is this...

the 'How sweet...isn't she special' look.

Sooo...I try and leave the joke tellin to those more gifted than I.

Now that we've chased that pack of dogs, the point you ask?

I've realize I need to quit lookin around into other peoples yards, lives or blogs, all the while thinkin,

'Oh, oh! That's what I should be doin or posting about',

no...that's not my part to play.

I'm reminded

"If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 1 Corinthians 12: 17-20

I particularly like the version from the Message

"I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, "I'm not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don't belong to this body," would that make it so? If Ear said, "I'm not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don't deserve a place on the head," would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.
But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn't be a body, but a monster."
1 Corinthians 12: 17-20

I just need to get about what God has called me to be, and that's huge! Not in a selling out Phillips Arena sort of way, but in finding and fill'in the shoes He's prepared for me to fill and let Mary Lou be Mary Lou. How bout you?

3 comments:

Holly said...

No, not Mary Lou. But honestly? I prefer my Tammy. She's the best!

Enjoy your vacation!!!
Love,
holly

Joanne : The Simple Wife said...

Well said, you be the best you you can be--because that's pretty amazing!

Love you dearly!

Joanne

Unknown said...

AMEN... My "Mary Lou" might bring on a FULL. OUT. UGLY. CRY. From everyone witnessing and me, too! Ain't it the truth, dear Tammy. Ain't it the truth. You are amazing, funny... You encourage and inspire and you are beautiful. You be you... Passionate, beautiful You! You do it very well!