Life Giving Moments

I've been thinking about what "gives me life." We spend a lot of life going through the motions.

But life giving moments remind us:

• Why we're here
• What is true and beautiful in life
• What's worth working for, worth fighting for

I find life giving moments when I come home to my loving wife and share our days with each other over a good meal.
I find life giving moments when my dog with his giant ears comes flopping, bumbling toward me with his tongue sticking out.
I find life giving moments in a good movie over popcorn.
I find life giving moments when someone encourages me, and also when I encourage someone else.
I find life giving moments when I worship with different people, or in a new way that I'm not familiar with.
I find life giving moments when I see someone who is in pain talk about how much God has meant to them.
I find life giving moments in having new friends over for dinner.
I find life giving moments when I break bread and share the cup with you.

I could go on... but the real reason I share all this is that we all need to keep our eyes open. It's easy to fall under the spell of a fast-paced life. We can become glazed over, and feel like automated machines... wake up, work, come home, sleep. It happens so easily.

But we need the eyes to see life giving moments. I think all the things I listed above are gifts from God that God sends me to remind me how precious, meaningful, and beautiful life really is. He sends them to remind me that He is my Creator, that He is still in charge, and that He is very, very good.

What gives you life?

Are you listening?

God is still speaking, are you listening?

My mother, who has been caring for a brother and a son lately, told me that when she goes to pray, lately she has found it much more helpful not to say words, but just to sit there quietly and meditate. Because as she says, how can I listen if all I do is talk?

God is still speaking, are you listening?

We can hear the waves of the ocean, we can hear the wind blow through the trees, we can hear the voices of those we love. That's not hard. But how do we ever hear the voice of someone we cannot see or touch? Is it possible or is this all just superstition?

I find that more times than not I hear God by just listening to the waves of the ocean, or the wind in the trees, or the voices of the ones we love. When we put on the ears of faith, we can discover a whole world where God is speaking at all times and in all things.

God is still speaking, are you listening?

Some say scripture is old, antiquated, irrelevant. Well if you read the words like a novel or a history book, that might be true. But if, when we read it, we let the words echo off the walls of our memories, bouncing between the past, our present and what lies ahead of us, we discover these are no mere words. We find truth that echoes through decades and generations. The faith of our forefathers and foremothers transmitted to us. Not just words, but the very Word of God.

God is still speaking, are you listening?