Ordinary Sacred

What a week! Too much stuff to take care of, so much to think about, needing more sleep than usual since I was sick last week, needing God and knowing His presence more than ever and not forgetting my prayer that I began praying in January to see the sacred in the ordinary. I want to be so alert and aware of God's gifts He gives on any given day and decrease the loss of gifts that remain unopened and unobserved.

• Abraham Heschel said, " There is a unique kind of transparence about things and events. The world is seen through, and no veil can conceal God completely. So the pious man is ever alert to see behind the appearance of things a trace of the divine, and thus his attitude toward life is one of expectant reverence."


• Ken Gire says that each new morning that God's mercies dawn on us that we have been given the gift of another day, we should greet the day with expectant reverence and reverence the day just like we reverence the Lord's Supper or communion.

So today in the midst of errands and grocery shopping, my ears, eyes and heart stayed open to God's presence. I thought of a conversation that Roy and I had at dinner last night. He was talking about Lot and Abraham. His question to me was, "What did Abraham give when he went to war and rescued Lot?" My answer he told me was straight from the commentaries, that Abraham was in covenant relationship with God, so God is blessing Abraham because of His covenant. We talked through all the possibilities and I came to the conclusion that Abraham gave his time, patience, and surely he had to pay his army combat pay to go to war and being totally outnumbered. Sometimes time and patience is more costly than money. It is my time that I guard and hoard. So this morning paying and mailing bills, Luke 6: 38 kept going through my mind. I mainly associate this verse with money because that is the context I usually hear it in, but today it opened up to me so differently. I went to Biblegateway.com and looked up Luke 6:38 in all different versions and The Message paraphrase puts it this way:

• 37-38"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity."

Erwin McManus says that being thankful and expressing thankfulness to God and to others cannot help contain the generosity that explodes and permeate our lives. I think that is how the journey has started for me to see sacred in ordinary. God used an ordinary bush, He just made sure it didn't catch fire and burn. He used spit and clay to heal a blind man. Jesus seeing the faith of friends, healed a paralyzed man. So I am on the watch for as Ken Gire puts it, "something from heaven offered to us through earthly hands...Letting us know that we are looked after and that we are loved."

We all know someone who is letting life pass them by. We all know there are people who are fearful of giving and being transparent and live rather dull and mundane lives even though they are a part of some type of exciting life, job, or experiences. No sense of adventure in the God realm. Be an ordinary someone to bring the sacred and gift to them. They might balk at first and if you hear no, you go on and do the ordinary thing to see sacred. Maybe just maybe they will catch on and have joyful moments in everyday life.

Even though Dana thinks that my recent interest in cooking is a sign of the apocalypse, it is just an ordinary way for me to help bring in Autumn. Laurie has joined in and CourtneyS encourages Autumn celebrations as well. Love what she just wrote on "Moments." CourtneyS suggested that last Monday night we all make our own Autumnal Feasts. I made Kelly's Pot Roast in my crock pot. It was delicious!

Today I actually saw that the trees think Autumn should be happening. There is a row of trees by Memorial City whose leaves are turning golden and with a little hint of a reddish hue.

An ordinary conversation after Bible study a couple of Tuesdays ago has welcomed Cassi into our lives. She is now working part time for Jason and me and for Ben and Shelley. She is a bright ray of sunshine, not only because of her competence and professionalism, but because she is joy to know.

Today, as I did ordinary grocery shopping the thought of Tortilla Soup entered my mind thus ingredients entered the cart. So sometime over the weekend I am going to make my version of Tortilla Soup. CourtneyS and I compared our recipes over Potbelly Sandwiches at lunch on Thursday. Mine has more veggies. If you would like the recipe...just let me know.

Well, this is some blog thoughts and blog happenings that happened during the week.