30 days of being Thankful Nov 3
As I reflect on this day, thinking about what made me feel grateful, at first, I find myself a bit at a lost. This was a day of basically living with myself. I spent time at the church both in the morning and the afternoon and evening setting things up for worship, confirmation, our youth food fight, and a sundry of other things that needed to be done for tomorrow. In between I ran some errands, getting the final things necessary for tomorrow, and avoided doing things that I maybe “should have done” (like a load of laundry). Then, as I sat down to write this piece, I came to the realization that I am thankful for the ordinary. I am thankful for the time to do the mundane. I think the ordinary stretches us, at least me, to truly appreciate God. After all, in the ordinary I’m not looking for God to solve a huge problem or rescue me or someone else from a dire situation. I’m not giddy with the joy of something spectacular. I’m just here, living in the day to day, moment by moment. In the ordinary, God shows up and just hangs out – God is just there (or rather here) – ready to listen my ordinary questions and ponderings. Ready to laugh with me about some dumb thing I do or ready to listen to me fret and rant about where in the world did I put those tea light candles? Ready to remind me not to become so stressed and then doesn’t even say I told you so when I find them buried at the bottom of the closet. God is in the ordinary just hanging out with me. I am so thankful for that, because if I know that God takes the time to be with me in the ordinary, I don’t have to worry if God will be there when I have a huge need. In the ordinary I truly learn to trust and grow. Maybe the ordinary is God’s test for us. What kind of relationship is it if we only want God around or need God around when there is an emergency? If we let God into the ordinary, where we spend most of our time, it’s because we truly love and trust God. That we want God in every part of our lives.
So today I am thankful for those ordinary times when I can just be – with God, with myself and with others. Thank you, God, for being in my ordinary.