Shining Spirit

It’s a paradox, but I think that getting older gives you special opportunities to see the world with wonder, imagination, and a unique clarity. Nothing wrong with becoming “child-like.” That’s not the same as being “child-ish.” Wasn’t it Jesus who said that becoming child-like is the best way to grasp the meaning of “the fullness of life”? So today, why don’t we do this: See instead of just looking. Hear instead of paying partial attention. Feel instead of simply touching. Think before you speak. Engage instead of merely encountering. Now, wouldn’t that make today extra special.

Speaking of extra special, would you like to hear about a book that I’m reading. Of course you would. The title is Spiritual Literacy and it was written by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. The sub-title reveals more about this important book: “Reading The Sacred In Everyday Life.” Between the covers is a collection of 650 brief excerpts from contemporary books and movies, illustrations of spirituality in everyday life. I find it to be a wonderful doorway into seeing the world with new eyes; connecting the common to the sacred. Just thought you might like to know about it.

And speaking of extra special. I know a couple who today mark 65 years of marriage. That’s a long time, but a wonder-filled time. Extra special!

May this good day be extra special for you, too. Press on.

May they rest in peace
in the arms of the grateful green earth
covered by the pure blue sky of honor
until the trumpet sounds that final time
and all the white stones begin to sing
and time stands still and we
greet them once again
heroes and friends.
Thank you!

God is not somewhere else,
not in a dream or
a distant planet,
not to be sought but
to be recognized,
not in the yet to come
but in the was and is.

God is not somewhere else
but in the flowering tree,
in the bird that sings just
outside your window,
in the smile you received
and the embrace you gave,
in all your eyes can see
and in all your heart can feel

God is not somewhere else.

In his second letter to the church at Thessalonica, Paul tells his readers “…do not grow weary in doing good.” But it’s so easy to get weary and worn down by the responsibilities of being a caring, thoughtful human being. Refreshing and renewing, yes; but also tiring to both body and spirit. I was surprised to learn recently that the average human being on an average day makes an estimated 35,000 decisions…daily, everyday. 35,000! Some of those decisions are frivolous, but some could be life changing. It makes me tired just to think about it.

So, what is the source of encouragement and strength for Paul and the church members at Thessalonica? Paul’s advice that he passed on to Timothy was this: do everything from a love that “issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
These three sources of strength are essential for living in a high-powered world of rapid change and challenge: a pure heart…a good conscience…a sincere faith. I invite you to meditate on these three ingredients of strength and health and to measure the presence of each in your own life.

God, help me have the honesty to look at my own life in the light of Paul’s admonition, and if I am weak in any of these three things, help me to develop and grow into the disciple you desire me to be. This day I shall live with a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith in your generous love. Amen.

I’m adding this photograph to my collection of “Unusual Art”. It qualifies, don’t you think? And it reminds me that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This “beautiful” old tree tells a story about life’s chaos, or about individualism, or courage, or determination. You pick the story and sit with it for a while.

I encourage you to be on the lookout today for unusual art along your journey. If your intention is to simply “get through” the day, then put your blinders on and go. But the better way is to carry a magnifying glass in your pocket so you can stop and examine the tiny yellow flower that blooms through a crack in the concrete, or the multi-colored stone by the pathway, or the strange bug on the green leaf.

Allow yourself to be awake to awe. Find something to admire wherever you are, something to appreciate…like the old tree in the photograph. The gift of a very good creation. Press on.

I said “Smile, please, while I take your picture.” This is what I got. Can’t blame her, I guess. The house is much to small for a growing family, the kids are not tidy, and I caught them in the midst of a trying day. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen an Owl smile, so I took the picture anyway.

Smiling on cue can be hard, but there are some things that seem to bring out a smile immediately….like: good company at a good meal, refunds on my income tax, when the scale says I lost two pounds, walking through a garden with my camera, putting words together in a poem, knowing love and giving it away. What makes you smile? Make a short list and then smile at it.

I apologized to Mama Owl after taking her picture with the kids. Didn’t seem to help much. But sometimes you just have to smile your way through the tough times. Try a smile or two today…if for no other reason than you have been given the gift of another day and you are accompanied by the Presence of Joy. Reason to smile!

A quiz for today: What is the one thing that links all these lovely creatures together?
Take your time…this is a hard one. And, No, the answer is not “well, they’re all birds.” I know that, but there is something else.
White-winged Dove
House Finch
Verdin
Gambel’s Quail
House Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Bell’s Vireo
Costa’s Hummingbird
Gila Woodpecker
Lesser Goldfinch
Orange-crown Warbler
White-crowned Sparrow

You got it! They all visited my backyard this morning. What a treat. What a blessing. Thank you, Lord, for all the beauty that passes through our lives. We are grateful.

It all started with nothing
clean sheet
blank page
emptiness
and a Word spoke into existence
clouds and creatures and canyons
and caterpillars and cauliflower
and it was good.

Today begins with nothing
not yesterday or last week
not the maybes of tomorrow
just nothing.
Today is a new page
clean sheet
blank
it waits to receive your word
scribbles and symphonies

At the end of this day
the page will be full,
full of you and
all your children.

In his excellent book titled The Creative Act: A Way Of Being, Rick Rubin writes: “In Japanese pottery, there’s an artful form of repair called kintsugi. When a piece of ceramic pottery breaks, rather than trying to restore it to its original condition, the artisan accentuates the fault by using gold to fill the crack. This beautifully draws attention to where the work was broken, creating a golden vein. Instead of the flaw diminishing the work, it becomes a focal point, an area of both physical and aesthetic strength. The scar also tells the story of the piece, chroniciling its past experience.”

Contrast to my childhood friend, Humpty Dumpty, who fell from a wall and couldn’t be put together again. “Throw that thing away! We’ve got a schedule to meet.” Perfection is a hard task-master. Or, “If it’s cracked, just turn it around and nobody will notice the flaw.” Sometimes pretending leads to pain. Or, “She’s made some dumb decisions in her life. Do we really want to offer her the job?” Have you ever heard of learning from experience? Becoming strong, wiser because of life’s circumstances?

Here’s the point: Someone who lives creatively, courageously…faithfully…most often has a lot of gold filling the broken places. Gold. Not mud or duct-tape or even super-glue. Sometimes we get broken when we try…try to be thoughtful or merciful or honest and something happens to cause the crack. And when we look at our cracked selves in the mirror we settle for the Humpty Dumpty has-been pile. Wrong. Living fully means challenges, and challenges mean cracks, and cracks can be/should be marks of learning, insight and new strength.

God, give me strength and wisdom today to recognize value in the totality of my life, not just the sweet moments. Jesus, seal the cracks in my life with golden forgiveness, grace and courage. Holy Spirit, guide me today away from the walls of foolish extravagance or fearful retreat, and if I fall, patch me up with the gold of your graciousness. A thought for your Wednesday morning. We press on. Cracks and all.

When the little fragment of feathers we call a Hummingbird spies that red color in the tree branches, she knows by instinct that something nourishing, refreshing and tasty might be inviting her for a stop. She investigates. And, sure enough, the drink tastes wonderful She perches on the red railing, aligns her long beak with the small hole that is the opening to the sweet liquid, and then, bowing low to make sure her long tongue touches the sweetness, she takes her fill. She bows, as if she knows to be appreciative, to say thank you. I’d like to think that her bowing is not just a physical necessity, but also an inherent recognition of how life provides for her blessing and welfare. The red feeder did not appear in the branches all by itself. It was put there by hands and a heart of caring, and she “bows” in gratitude for the common thoughtfulness that connects all living things.

The source of that benevolence and caring? Practically, someone who appreciates and admires these tiny fragments of life, someone who prepares the feast and hangs it in the tree. More than that, though….did you notice the hanger that holds the feeder.
What does that tell you?