God in the Ordinary

Life is noisy. Life comes at you whether you want it to or not. Life is ... life! Sometimes you can't turn off the noise until you've had a few hours of sleep. Then, boom, you're wide awake. I wondered for the second week in a row, why I lay wide awake again, even asked God ... why? why? Tried a mantra of 'I'm sleepy, I'm sleepy, I'm sleepy." Not enough sheep to count. I think he asked me to stop thinking, just listen ... and you know what I noticed in the silence of the night last night?

How loud it is outside at this time of the year!!! Night insects, bugs and crickets … perhaps their last hurrahs? The melodies and cacophony was almost deafening. It made me take notice and at first I thought, oh great, I'll never get back to sleep. But as I laid there, still and listening, it made me remember a more protected time in life, when was a young kid, hours of silence and listening, perhaps even a bit bored, at my grandmother’s house, upstairs, above the hub-bub of my little brothers and the extra loud TV (she was deaf ever since I can remember), reading Readers Digests – thousands of stories (grandma’s a pack rat), the radio slightly static as you couldn't quite tune in a Buffalo radio station with top 20 music. Slightly warm breezes blowing in the window, delightful smells from the kitchen, wafting up the stairs (she’s an awesome baker and cook and thinks you need to eat continually). Then there was Grandpa's huge laugh as he asked anyone to pull his finger in the garage turned into the coolest spot on hot summer days, complete with its own refrigerator! My brothers giggling as they played the ump-teenth game of dominoes or 'pee on your neighbor' card game with him. The pop of yet another soda can(that’s when it was special to drink pop). Hey that brings back tons of lulling comfort to a noisy heart and mind but more assuredly, a chance to revel in God’s gentle presence – and His voice - extra-ordinarily concise and clear.

Turn My Darkness Into Day

Praying that your week is getting off to an awesome start. I’ve been contemplating/considering/praying about taking a college class this semester and knew today was the decision-ary day. Last week, I continued to gather information and see how the ‘door’ was opening … I always wonder though, am I forcing the door open or is this a God leading thing. I’ve felt His hand through it, as its origin came from a source I would not have probably expected in early June. So this morning on the way to work, I just simply asked the Lord, so what do you think now? An old hymn, probably learned in grade school, came to mind. “Holy Spirit, Light Divine, Shine upon this heart of mine, chase the shades of night away, turn my darkness into day.” At the same time, this tune was rumbling through my head, I was trekking towards work … and sure enough, there was the breaking of day a “chase the shades of night away” if you will venture with me on this. I think I received my answer … the sky was literally breaking in two, there was a darkness, and a band of light beginning to stretch across the horizon, a very definitive band of light. It was cool. Some low lying clouds of different textures and colors and were also literally being chased (moved) by the daylight breaking through. And those of you who know me, know that ‘something’ told me just a mile or so earlier, to get out my camera (see picture!). The class? Doctrine 101 (really called THY301). Ground floor pre-min stuff, but I know the Holy Spirit can use that class to turn my darkness, what I do not see or know, into day through that possibility. I’ll be making my two last connections today… next prayer? There is some sticker shock in the cost of the class, but that too has promise of not being an obstacle. I challenge you to consider the question, how do you make decisions? The first session of Willowcreek Leadership Summit, Bill Hybels talked about decision making … I know some of my courage in this particular decision came from that. I could go on a personal story with how intimidating college courses (any course for that matter) is with how God fashioned my brain … that too entered my prayer time as a “are You sure God?” this morning later on down I-94 … but I think you know my brain!