In Praise of Something Greater Than Myself

I am always fascinated by overheard conversations. I wouldn't exactly call myself an eavesdropper, but I like it when I catch snatches of someone else's conversation. Once in Starbucks I listened to a lively debate between two women behind me -- tea vs. coffee. I was tempted to whirl around throw my arm up between them and say, "Ding, ding, ding! That's the end of round one!" I didn't, of course, believe it or not, even I have boundaries.

A while back I caught a fragment of  a conversation my students were having. One said, jokingly, "What's the meaning of life?"

The other said, more seriously, "Nobody knows that." Several of their peers joined in and before long one student's half-saucy remark had sparked a wildfire in my first period. As so often happens in the classroom, all of them turned toward me at once. In their eyes I'm always the 'tie-breaker' because being in charge automatically makes you right, right? (Ha!)

"I can't say I know everything about the meaning of life, but I have an opinion," I said. I stood there by my desk thinking about how much that question has haunted me since I was their age or maybe even younger. Suffice it to say that I've thought about that question a lot. The student who asked the question in the first place raised his eyebrow and said, "So?" 

I hesitated. "I tell you what," I said, "I'll write it down on a piece of paper. Then at the end of class if you still want to know, you can come by and pick it up." We were supposed to be talking about Latin American poetry-- Gabriela Mistral waits for no man.

Sure enough, the student who asked the question popped up to my desk and read the paper. He nodded and passed it off to other kids who'd gathered around to see what I'd written.

To glorify God and enjoy him forever

That's what I wrote on the paper. In all my questioning, mulling, thinking, and brooding, that's the best conclusion I've ever reached, and even that isn't entirely original, John Piper phrased it for me.

I've been enjoying my spring break for about a week; it will be over before I know it. I haven't done anything riotous or extravagant. I've just been resting and generally enjoying the silence -- that's what I have needed most to do. So before I am catapulted once more into the fray, I'd like to take a minute to enjoy God.

Nature

 

I've been spending as much time as I can outside. I can't get enough of it; sometimes I want to sleep out in the backyard just to be close to the trees and the sky. (If you know my husband, the thought of me sleeping out in the open by myself would give him a panic attack, and he sure isn't going out there with me.) So I'll just have to take what I can get. Here are some things I saw out there this week.

 

There is always beauty to be found in nature. We simply don't see it as often as we should.

 

 

Okay, I know it's just a weed, but Emily Dickinson got it right. NATURE rarer uses yellow
Than another hue;
Saves she all of that for sunsets,—
Prodigal of blue,
Spending scarlet like a woman,
Yellow she affords
Only scantly and selectly,
Like a lover’s words.

 These tiny violets decided to cover the ground and announce the spring. Some tiny honey bees were visiting them, but they were quick and a little camera shy.

 "Even the winter won't last forever. We'll see the morning; we'll feel the sun. We'll wake up in April ready and able, sowing the seeds in the soil.." ~Audrey Assad "Even the Winter"

 The stability of nature awes me. The sun rises every day. Nature  moves forward. Babies are born. Rain falls. Think about how hard life would be if we couldn't count on the normalcy of our physical world. What if gravity were unpredictable? Think about it.

 



Prayer

It's a mystery. How is it that I can talk to God about something and it helps? How is it that anything I say or any intention I send out into the universe even matters? *Shrugs* But it does matter somehow, to God I suspect. He listens. It's so crazy because I walk around thinking about God in an abstract way then, BAM!!, something happens, a prayer is answered, and he's so close. He's really there -- not just in theory -- present in the moment with me. If you've never experienced that, I hope someday you will.

 

Here's an example. When the terrible tornadoes ripped up Alabama in 2011. I was, of course, states away. I heard about it from the mouth of my brother-in-law before I ever saw any news footage or anything. I'd been assisting with funeral preparations for my husband's grandmother. For a hot second I panicked. I hadn't heard from anybody. I didn't know anything.

 

Then this unexplained peace came over me, and I wasn't worried any more. I knew in this inexplicable, intuitive way that everybody was fine. To understand the situation fully, you need to know that I pray for my family and close friends every day, by name. I ask for God's protection on each of them and other stuff: problems they have, their spiritual growth, and our relationships. At the same time, let me say that I don't think prayer is a magic spell that makes everything the way you want it to be. It's not. It's surrendering things deep down to God's superior power and wisdom.

 

When I finally got in touch with my dad, I found out that everyone was safe, not a scratch.

 

The other stunning thing about prayer is simply God's availability. It's boggles my mind that whenever it suits my fancy the creator of the universe will give me his attention. I mean, It's not like he's busy managing the cosmos or anything. Sheesh! It makes me feel a little funny just thinking about it. "God, something isn't going my way, and I want to talk about it right now!" Imagine the voice of Veruca Salt here from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. "I want an Umpa Loompa NOW, Daddy!"

 

God should really say, "Too bad for you. I'm busy, Brat." But he doesn't. Instead he says, "Okay, let's talk." Then he waits on me and listens to me. Wow. 

 

 

Small (or not so small) Blessings

 

I am drinking a cup of Earl Grey right now, and I certainly haven't gone seriously hungry in several years. Not everybody can say that.

 

Sometimes when it's cold and rainy I crawl into my bed and think about how lucky I am to be so warm and safe.

 

Every member of my family is healthy right now. Enough said.

 

I slept late today. HURRAH!

 

Words. Books. Novels. Music. Movies. Thanks for that, God.

 

I have never spent a day unloved. Support and encouragement is just a phone call away.

 

I can speak freely about my beliefs and my church family worships without the fear of being persecuted or arrested.

 

I could seriously go on, but I think that's enough for now.  

 

One Last Thing:

 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him, all creatures here below. Praise him above, ye heavenly host. Praise father, son, and holy ghost. Amen.