Reflections

Our lives are the unfinished house in which we dwell...Philip Simmons

I recently finished re-reading this book.  Written by a New Hampshire author who lived near the White Mountains and faced ALS, Simmons slowly saw his body shut down.  In the midst of physical limitations, Simmons set down to reflect on the world around him.  He writes about the list of projects we all have around our house, rooms we want to improve, and ideas to make our house better.  Sometimes we are slow to act on those ideas, because we like the idea of dream about our homes more than the actual work.  Simmons writes about mud season in the Northeast, that time in-between winter and spring, when the seeds beneath the ground are doing the messy work of growing.  He writes about the art of doing nothing.  That is the chapter I struggle with the most.  All the personality tests I have taken tell me that even on vacations I need to feel like I accomplished something.  It can be as simple as "taking a hike" or reading a book, but I need to plan.  There is an obvious downside to being so structured...not only is it harder to go with the flow...it takes energy to always have a plan.  Yet, the point is not to feel back...the point is that the blessing can be found in the imperfections...rather than our successes.

That is actually very Biblical.  Read the stories of Noah (who gets drunk after the flood...but you would too after being stuck for 40 days on that boat) or Jacob who schemed his way into a blessing or even the goody-too shoes Joseph who plays a trick on his brothers...and that is just Genesis.  Scripture is full of story after story.  Even Jesus at one point treats an unnamed woman as less than a beloved child of God...calls her a dog...to say we all have unfinished lives means all of us, even the very Son of God.

But more importantly, Simmons is the embodiment of the truth that our spiritual life is not separate from our actual, day-to-day lives.  Going to the store, watching fireworks, eating a picnic, going to church, our work, our volunteering, etc...all of that is our spiritual life.  Trying to find God in the midst of the ordinary, the imperfect and beautiful and broken life, is an invitation for us all, especially for us as people of faith.

This week, I invite you to look at your calendar...really, get it out...I'll wait for you.

(insert hold music here)

Okay...now look at it.  Every activity...how does that bring you closer to God?  And because I believe God's still speaking and creating presence can be woven into everything....how does eating, sleeping, going out or staying in or going to the doctors or moving about your daily life bring you closer to God?  I invite you to ponder that prayerfully this week.  As you and I do that...may we all sense more than a trace of God's grace.

Blessings ~