Shining Spirit

Follow your path today. Step carefully. Admire the beauty as you walk, but don’t lose sight of the miracle ahead. Walk gratefully, for others have gone before you. They blazed the trail upon which you walk; they call us forward. The gifts of God surround you. Walk in trust. Press on in faith. The blessing is in the journey.

If you were the 15th star from the left, the little white dot, or if you were so far back in the picture that you can’t be seen, or if you felt like you could never be recognized because there are so many…you would still be known and loved by God, unique and special.

That’s just how it works. Look in the mirror. There’s not another you. Maybe your critics would say: “One’s enough!” Don’t believe them. The place wouldn’t be the same without you. You’re the 15th star from the left. You are seen and known and loved. Truly.

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.