Goin' 70's Because 2016 Is Not All That Great

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."   ... John 16:33

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Warning: to be read with a sense of humor, although, Honey, I'm not altogether kidding.


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Thirty-six years ago, Tom told our pastor he'd like to be more involved in our church, have some greater responsibility. Oh, the visions of grandeur inside his head. 

Our pastor said, "Wonderful! We need someone to, every Saturday, lead a service over at the senior citizen's hospital."

Oh my. Not exactly what Tom had dreamed of. 

But you know? For two years of Saturdays, Tom and I ministered to the elderly folks and, in time, grew to love them. Of course, they really loved baby Naomi, but hey, being second best felt ok.  

Anyway, we noticed a popular thing amongst the elderly was to live as though tonight was 1940 rather than 1980. To let ones mind go back there (and stay back) and pretend and view Today through the eyes of Yesterday when they'd felt stronger, freer. 

Some folks did this by choice, others by just-couldn't-help-it. At age 21, I didn't understand all that, but, oh dear--I certainly get it now. 

Today's civil unrest and its aftermath, especially, feels so tragic and I find myself wanting to avoid all news forms. And sometimes God does say that's all right. But other times He asks me to read/watch the news--not bathe in it, though, and always while receiving Grace--so I'll know how to pray and speak with others whose minds are being shredded by all this.

But what I've found myself also simultaneously creating? A sort of 1970's home base for my head. A place where life feels calmer and predictable, even, while I watch 70's tv shows whose endings are always the same and where I listen to its tunes and gather colors, decor and funky trinkets of that era around me.

A retro place of escape world where God and I can talk. And why take it to the 1970's? Why besides the fact that I'm going all senior-citizen at just age 57?

I blame those crazy estate sale houses Tom and I visit every summer weekend. Yeah, it's probably their fault, for (I've noticed) I step away from their not-redecorated-since-the-1970's-ness all positively giddy. I like giddy. It's kinda rare.

Last weekend? I stood inside a boy's bedroom which still had Joe Namath newspaper clippings (and sports magazine pull-out posters) up on the grey-paneled walls. And trophies and Scholastic sports paperbacks and baseballs. 

That 'boy' is now at least 63 years old. 

Oh my goodness, another time capsule house, with swoony vintage music playing, even, and, after my tour, I had to yank myself out to our car lest I become willingly lost inside a (probable) vortex. All dreamy-eyed I left with these:

(That dish towel had to be from the 70's. It was quality. And orange.) We drove away and, like a magpie I chattered, asking Tom if he'd noticed the Joe Namath stuff from 1967 (he hadn't) and told him darn, the house had been sold and we so neeed one like it and---

---but Tom doesn't want to move right now. 

Oh well. So the challenges to my imagination and determination remain and I'll continue to create my own personalized retro 70's world because I can. I'm determined to be un-whiney and not hopeless and, instead, able to create my own better-suited-to-me world. With balance, yes. 

Maybe that's really something of value in 2016. It's gotta be better than just crabbing over at Facebook, certainly. 

And now, also, I'm understanding what those elderly folks tried to show me all those many years ago. Probably one must reach a certain age to see it.

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."  ...Psalm 32:7

(My hiding place just has a 1970's flair to it. heh.)



We are not helpless! God will enable us to run our race well and strong and with our sanity intact till the end.



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Oh, and that Secret Language book in the photo? I'd owned another (not quite so nifty) copy, but lost it on our October train trip. I couldn't recall the title so to replace it, so wow! How kind of God to lead me to another one on a dusty upstairs shelf of an old house.

Happy sigh.

And did you love those cute custard cups, or what?  :) 


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Oh! Just discovered that a short story ebook by Deborah Rainey is free for the next three days. Hooray! Find it here.

And here's an updated version of her book, Nearly. For your Kindle, just $2.99.

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