Hi everyone,
Today was a good day. I’ll admit that I woke up and grumbled a little bit because it was one of those days that I just really didn’t want to wake up. I spent a lot of time yesterday sitting cross-legged on the floor so those of you who are my age and up might know what my legs felt like today. I’m just getting over a cold and I still feel a bit of grogginess in my head. So it was tough just to get out of bed (it’s for this exact reason that I set my alarm a bit early so I can hit the snooze button multiple times without worry of being late…).
Then I got to church and started setting up. I still can’t figure out why our livestream is so jittery and I can’t get rid of that buzz in the audio. It was about 15 minutes before service started before anyone who didn’t have to be here showed up. It just felt like one of those days. Not bad per se, but just not great.
But then service started. The space had several familiar faces that we hadn’t seen in a bit and it warmed my heart. We gathered after worship for fellowship and food. I had some pretty good conversations with some people that I don’t get the chance to talk to much and shared some laughs with others. Although the day started not great, it ended up being just that, I must say. As in, it was great.
This isn’t to say that only more people in church and good food can make a day great, but I think it’s our encountering God through our relationships, fellowship, and gathering that can brighten any day.
Here are the texts for next week:
Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 95
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42
These encounters with God are seen in these texts that we have for next week. Even when the days or situations or life in general seems not so great, God remains with us and provides for our needs of nourishment and growth. From the grumbling Israelites forgetting about all that God has done to Paul reminding the Roman church how God saves to Jesus’ conversation to a woman who found herself at the margins of society.
God was with them all. And continues to do so.
We might not see God through the fancy foods that we’d want like the Israelites may have. We might not see God through our own willpower like how the Roman church might have. We might not even see God in the flesh right in front of us asking for water like the woman at the well did. But we might see God in the chance encounters, conversations, and relationships that quietly and subtly remind us that hey, in spite of all the downs that we often face, life can be pretty great.
Because God is with us all. And will be always.
Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash