My tiny miracle...

"They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, 'We have never seen anything like this.'"
Mark 2:12

It was such a tiny miracle. Some may not even consider it a miracle--certainly it was nothing as grand and great as Jesus healing the paralytic in this gospel today! But, to me, it was God reaching right into my mind and lending me a helping hand. We are shuffling vehicles around since Sam's truck wasn't working right. After hers was fixed, mine went into the shop and I am driving her trucklette around (and trying to remember how to drive a stick! Maybe that is my miracle?) I noticed the first time I drove it the driver door needed a good slam to get it to shut all the way. I filed that little bit of knowledge deep into my brain. As I snuggled into bed one night, I suddenly remembered the truck door. The truck was in the garage, I reasoned to myself, I would have noticed the dome light on if the door wasn't shut. I tried really hard to talk myself out of going downstairs and checking it. But I did check it and, sure enough, the door wasn't shut, the dome light was on, the battery would have been dead by morning. The minute I realized that, I knew that God was active in my mind. In fact, God pushed me out of bed to check the light! Avoiding the inevitable hassle the next morning was, indeed, a miracle to me! We have many miracles in our day, Friends! Let's keep our eyes open to them and appreciate them the minute they happen! And may you enjoy many miracles this weekend! Love, heidi

The love of God...

"I could more easily contain the Gulf of Mexico in a shot glass than I can comprehend the wild, uncontainable love of God."
Brennan Manning, "Reflections for Ragamuffins"

The one thing that I have learned as an aging person is, the older I get, the less I have figured out. And the one thing I completely realize I don't have figured out is God. We have some knowledge of God and we certainly are encouraged to get to know God throughout our lives, granted. But, just when I feel I have grasped God, God surprises me again. Sometimes it helps to have a visual for our beliefs and this quote gives me a great one...the Gulf of Mexico in a shot glass! I also love the phrase, the "uncontainable love of God." Isn't that splendid? Today, let's not try to figure out the love of God...let's just bask in it. Love, heidi

Now that I am old and gray...

"God, you have taught me from my youth; to this day I proclaim your wondrous deeds. Now that I am old and gray, do not forsake me, God..."
Psalm 71:17-18

I wondered why the six-grader behind the counter only charged me fifty cents for my coffee. All the menus and signs around indicated coffee was $1.00. I reasoned it may be Happy Hour at McDonalds and went off to enjoy my afternoon brew. That is, until I went to throw away the receipt. I gasped. There it was. As clear as day, the receipt read, "Senior Coffee .50!" Senior coffee? The youngster didn't even ask if I was a senior or wanted the senior discount! He just assumed. I'm not a grandmother. I still claim a child dependent on my taxes! I am not old! I am so not-ready to be old! After the shock wore off, I laughed the rest of the way back to the office. Our perceptions of others can be so skewed. I'm going to think about that and take that into consideration when I hastily judge others. Judging someone as a senior citizen is tame compared to some of the false judgments I make. Lord, please help me to remember NOT to judge others, old, young, fast, slow; no matter what! Love, heidi

The grace to decide...

"The gradual disclosure of what is best for my life will reveal itself when the appropriate time comes."
Sr. Joyce Rupp, "Fragments of Your Ancient Name"

This is so affirming to me and fits so nicely with the message I received last summer on my retreat! As the last little chick leaves the nest, I wonder what I am to do as I move into another phase of life. I even worry that I may miss the message of what my next step is to be and miss a chance to do God's will. But when I think back on past choices and decisions I have made, they were often fairly clear at the time. Even the recent decision to add another dog to my household didn't keep me up nights wondering, "Should I? Or not?" It was so clear that Tebow-the-dog-not-the-football-player needed to be with us. Why would I suspect other decisions I may need to make would be so difficult and obscure? Oh, they may be harder than looking into the chocolate eyes of a Golden Retriever and saying, "You can stay!" But, with prayerful discernment, the information will be there and needed grace will be given. Love, heidi