Sacred in the Ordinary
Aw! Welcome the thunder and the rain! At last! God’s mercy are new every morning!
Abruptly, dark clouds can loom over us and in a matter of minutes, a storm of monumental proportions of thunder and torrents of rain can pelt us. In my own little world, I can imagine God looking down on us as we scurry around to find shelter from the storm. Am I illogical to think we might bring Him incessant entertainment?
Then, as if the storm never came, in a matter of minutes we might only hear a faint rumble of thunder in the distance as it passes on to other locations. What seemed to be storms – was God giving the earth a refreshing outpouring of rain to quench its thirsty land.
I remember when my children lived in the Seattle WA area. Rain came so often that umbrellas were a must-have. It never bothered me OR my grandsons. Rain meant outdoor entertainment. As soon as the rain came – out the door they would go to splash in the puddles. They embraced the rain!
Then there is US – avoiding getting wet with all out determination. Well, maybe not in this weather season of extreme heat and lack of rain for so many months. I saw people walking in the rain yesterday. They were so thrilled for that wet wondrous stuff, that they were like children again!
My blog today is to help focus us on embracing life – some of the most ordinary times of daily routines and even the unexpected times of pelting rain. Oh to be children again when we realize that God gave us those puddles of rain to play in.
Children don’t really see the inconveniences, the distractions, the ups and downs of life like we do. They see the “puddles” to play in. Oh that we, too, would embrace the puddles. Those puddles might be the reminder we need to open our eyes to God being there with us – in the ordinary. The sacred isn’t separate from the ordinary.
It is all intertwined, each moment and each thing, as a beautiful gift from God. Children see His majesty in a simple puddle, and they delight in Him.
My friends, do we recognize Jesus in the simplest moment? Do we see His face in the elderly neighbor going for walk, the friend who is having a hard day, the overwhelmed mom at the store who doesn’t have enough money for her groceries?
Do we truly see His face in a lonely widow, the homeless man standing beneath the sun with tired eyes, the differently-abled child trying to keep up with his or her peers?
That, my friends, is recognizing Jesus in the ordinary of life. And, THAT is the sacred in the ordinary of life – recognizing our Father’s love in the simplest moments.
Jesus said to His disciples: “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the One Who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest. ” (Luke 9:48). Doesn’t that realization make you want to jump in some puddles?