When Morning Guilds the Skies . . .

There is a hymn that begins, "When morning guilds the skies, my heart awaking cries, may Jesus Christ be praised!" (UMH #185). As I drove to SUMC this morning, I found myself singing that hymn.

It takes me about 35 minutes to head down 27 from my home to the Church. Most mornings when I come to work, I have just fed children and cleaned up the kitchen, gathered up my work materials and dashed into the car worried about traffice and if I have time to stop for coffee. But this Sunday was a bit different. I am on the road early on Sunday morning - I usually am in the car by 6:30 or so- and the morning was cool with no humidity and the promise of a bright blue sky. I found myself noticing just how green and lush the trees were (even though the lawns are in pretty bad shape), how bountifully abundant everything seemed in the increasing light. And suddenly I found myself singing and praising our Creator God.

We have just spent a week in Vacation Bible School celebrating the awesome nature of God's creation - from supernovas to "this fragile Earth, our island home" (Book of Common Prayer). It was a fun and busy week and I spent most of my time anticipating what needed to be done next to make things go smoothly for our children and volunteers. I didn't do much praising, never mind NOTICING just how awesome the creation really is!

My drive in this morning was a wake up call of sorts - a chance to simply BE in the presence of all that God has made and marvel at it. I wonder how many of you (particularly the Moms out there) are like me. There is just SO much to be done each day and not enough time to do it. I am never actually IN the moment that is happening right now; I am always anticipating, planning and making the next moment happen.

But that isn't what we are called to as followers of Jesus. We are taught to pray, "Give us THIS day our daily bread," to be like the lilies of the field "neither toiling nor spinning." Rather we are to relish, celebrate and reflect the goodness and the glory of God at all times.

The Bhuddist monk Pema Chodron writes, "This moment is the perfect teacher." I was reminded of that this morning as I was driving to work. Present in the moment, I was taught-again- to notice, to give thanks, to praise God for all that IS in the moment which is happening RIGHT NOW.

Children are often the best at helping us to practice this moment being the perfect teacher. Particularly during the summer months, they notice more than we do the way the light plays through the leaves of the trees, how ants can carry more than their body weight, the juiciness of a fresh, ripe berry and the delight of being in water. They live in the NOW and their joy in it can help us to remember that us grown-ups were also created to experience the delight of the creation, to know ourselves as part of it and to live in relationship with the One who caused it to be.

I hope your summertime includes lots of moments in the RIGHT NOWwith children!

Grace and Peace,
Elizabeth