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Last Saturday found me going to St. Louis. A young woman in our congregation gave birth to twins and I went to visit her and see the babies for myself. Driving home I was surprised to see snowflakes falling from the sky. It is not that I am surprised at it snowing but to be snowing after a week in which some of the temperatures had gotten over sixty degrees. The snow kept coming and when I got up on Sunday the snow had covered not only the ground but the trees and shrubs as well.
Interestingly by Sunday night the snow had melted. In Illinois the weather can change quickly. Reflecting on the weather is a reminder to me that life is much the weather. It is filled with many changes. I know that my life has gone through many changes. I have been single and married. Living in more than one community has brought me many different challenges and joys. When I became a father my world was enlarged and never the same. I would have never dreamed but being a grandparent continues to bring out a side of me I find delightful.
It would appear to me that the one certainty of life is change. Through all the changes experiences of life that I have gone through I have found my faith in God to be my rock that I have clung on to for safety. Today I am thankful to the One who is Eternal and gives me a solid foundation to build m life upon.
Today I took a bike ride with my spouse, Phyllis. We had a great time. The weather was wonderful and it appeared to me that Spring is starting to show its beauty. The flowers are beginning to pop up. I am always amazed at how nature puts on a beautiful show. There really is nothing like it. In fact nature on more than one occasion has provided food for my soul.
There is so much beauty that is all around us. I am blessed to have been witness to some great inspirational moments. This past Sunday I saw the full moon that just seemed to be hung for me. One of the problems of all this beauty placed in my path is that more than once I have just not really stopped to take a real look at all around me. Sometimes I get busy riding my bike and don’t see the beautiful sites all around me. Running through my mind is the thought that in life one must stop and smell the roses.
As Spring makes it appearance I pray I will see that beauty in this season and in all seasons. Creation that is all around me is truly amazing. Happy Spring to all!
Phyllis, my spouse, wants to get out of town. She is going to Indiana on a mission trip. But it is not just an ordinary mission trip. She is cooking and helping out a group from where my son, Markus, goes to church. One of the more unusual features of this trip is that it is in the community they live. Those on this trip take a week off work and participate in local missions.
Staying home and doing missions does not seem as exotic as going for a far away place and because of that fact is often overlooked. It is strange to me how often we overlook the needs that are so close to home. Could it be that we miss God’s call to us right where we live? Or perhaps the daily routines of life close our eyes and hearts to the needs all around us?
I am on a daily mission to follow God wherever I find myself. For me it starts with a heart that sees and follows God in my daily living.
Waking up in the middle of the night is not a good happening for me. Believe me when I write I need sleep. Losing sleep can cause me to lose perspective about many issues. So, I was not happy this past week when I awoke at around 3am. My mind was thinking about many issues. The main issue was my spouse’s health. Phyllis has expressed some concerns about a lump on her breast. So, I was lying there thinking about the many implications of her health concern.
Realizing neither of us were young people made my thoughts go down some paths that were disturbing. As my mind chewed on those night thoughts I had two realizations. The first was how short life really is. I have heard it before from so many others, but truly it only seems like yesterday that I was a young man with a young family. Secondly, I realized how little control I have in life and especially in my own life. I cannot stop the aging process or guarantee my physical health or anyone else’s well being.
Once those thoughts came fully into view I was forced to let go and let God. There really was no more I could do. Strange how my struggling stopped when I knew it was all in God’s hands. I am sure I will wrestle with this again but I hope not in the middle of the night.