Dear Friends,
I spent last week in Wisconsin visiting my dad. We didn’t do anything fancy. We played cribbage (he beat me 6 games to 4 and took me for 42 cents.) We went to his church and stocked the shelves of their food pantry. We saw a couple of movies (Breakthrough, a good film about faith and prayer; and Dumbo, a live-action remake of the Disney classic). We watched the Brewers. We went out for dinner at the local pub where they still have the best French Dip in the world. And we drove around our hometown, taking a good trip down memory lane. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it sure was nice.
When I had called my dad about a month ago and asked if I could come home for a visit, he said, “Sure… but I am not dying!” To which I said, “Exactly! That’s why I want to come.”
Sometimes we convince ourselves that something needs to be big or fancy or exciting in order to capture our imagination or command our time. It is too easy in the community of faith to think that God is only present in the big things, or that God is most active in emergencies. My trip back home reminded me of God’s gentle presence in the small, unremarkable, mundane moments of our lives.
Our lives are busy. They are full. There are lots of things vying for our attention. It is easy to miss the beauty found in the ordinary moments that unfold all around us.
So do me a favor this week. Play some cribbage (or whatever game you enjoy). Turn on the ballgame. Go see a movie. Eat a really good sandwich. And know that God is in those moments with you.
Grace and Peace,
