I was not looking forward to yesterday’s work on our eternal basement remodel project. Fighting through a spaghetti of wires, removing the dirty old, scratchy fiberglass insulation at the top of the wall and replacing it with new, nicer foam board left me looking for more pleasant things to do on that Saturday. Things like weeding the flowers, doing the dishes, trimming my nails…. anything else, looked good. However, I knew I had to take care of this before I could move on.

Recently, I was told of a young mother and three kids ages 4 and under who decided they needed to visit Gramma and Grampa. So they hopped in the car, buckled in and equipped with toys, snacks and other necessary supplies, hit the road – a 14 hour road trip. Yikes!

 As they rode along and as the children’s entertainment lost it’s luster, mom would say to them “I know this is hard…, but we can do hard things.” That became her mantra as they drove through the day. “We can do hard things.”

In the last year or so I’ve come across folks who find themselves in the middle of ‘hard things.’ Challenging, difficult events that try their patience and test their faith – aging parents, serious heath issues, problems at work, problems at home, relationship issues, taxing work loads, students who are a pain, difficult decisions, death, grief, crises of faith – have them questioning God… How long? What am I doing here? How do I pray? or Where are you?

Hard things abound in life.  Yet we have the assurance that we belong to Jesus, body and soul. We can do all things through Jesus who strengthens us. In Christ we can do hard things.

So, I’m here to report that in comparison, my little basement problem was trivial.  The traveling mom and kids arrived safely. Gramma and Grampa, no doubt, greeting them with smiles and hugs.  And maybe this is how it will be when we go to be with Jesus. Him greeting us smiling, arms open, and reminding us that …. together we did hard things.

I can do it.  That’s not the issue.  I just don’t like it much.  Packing for a trip is not my favorite.  What if I forget something?  How can I decide what ‘outfit’ I want to wear next Wednesday? Shoes?  Gotta have them, but which ones?

I’ve packed for a two week trip to Israel and a weekend jaunt to Boston.  I packed to travel in an airplane, a train, a backpack and a car.  I’ve packed for warm weather and cold.  I can do it I just don’t like it.  I can find many other things to do rather than pack a suitcase.  So…. today’s gift is…. drum roll please…. I’m packed!

Unless it’s going to be cold and need to find my hat and mittens…

A half hour –

… behind the library, with

…50 two liters of pop, and

… 150 mentos

FUN!!

Today’s gift.

Snow.
The four of us…
tromped through it,
shoveled it,
rolled it,
rolled in it,
sledded over it,
sunk into it,
tunneled through it,
shaped it,
tossed it,
plowed through it…
We rolled huge snowballs,
built snow forts,
sledded down the hill.
We played!

Today’s gift…

This weekend’s flight into Boston was my second one ever and the second time in under a year. Last year’s visit was with a group of colleagues heading for a teacher’s convention. For this year’s version I was alone, going  to visit family in the area. The trip went well. No drama. No stories to relate to the folks back home. Pretty dull except for the view out the window.

When I fly, usually I’m an aisle guy and that was the case this trip as well.  Last year’s trip I was in the middle of pretty good nap when we descended over Boston Harbor to the airport. I missed the whole thing.   This time I was determined to catch the bay view.

And I did! Three seats away from the small porthole size window I saw small swatches of the harbor. I couldn’t make out much, just a little bit at a time. I wanted to see more, larger chunks of the beautiful bay. I guess the only one with the big picture was the pilot. I wasn’t in that seat. That’s a good thing.

I did mange to capture a window seat on the bus, the Silver Line, that took me from the airport to South Station where I was to catch a train to my final destination.  It was a bigger window, indeed, covered with a layer of winter grime that dulled the view. A view which changed little as we crawled though stop-and-go, mostly stopped, traffic. 

Inching along like that was frustrating. I couldn’t see where we were going, what was ahead or why we were going so stinking slow. Frustrating, yes. But I thought more than once that I was sure glad I wasn’t driving. The bus driver knew the road, knew how to get to our destination and could safely negotiate the bus around whatever obstacles were slowing us down. Indeed, I’m glad I wasn’t driving.

I made it to my final destination without a problem. I greeted my family, played ‘Sorry’, tramped around in snow that reached to my knees. We ate supper and as is the practice read from the Bible – Psalm 23… Another window. 

There are times when I wonder what’s ahead for me, where am I going, what does the future hold? But sometimes I can’t see past the next few days or weeks. I can’t seem to get the wide view, the big picture.  My window is too small. I can’t see where God is leading, yet I wonder.  So, today’s gift is the realization that I am not in the pilot’s seat or driving the bus, but…

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23

Today’s gift…

We sang this today in church.  I thought I’d share.

O God beyond all praising,
we worship you today
and sing the love amazing
that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder
at every gift you send,
at blessings without number
and mercies without end:
we lift our hearts before you
and wait upon your word,
we honor and adore you,
our great and mighty Lord.

Then hear, O gracious Savior,
accept the love we bring,
that we who know your favor
may serve you as our king;
and whether our tomorrows
be filled with good or ill,
we’ll triumph through our sorrows
and rise to bless you still:
to marvel at your beauty
and glory in your ways,
and make a joyful duty
our sacrifice of praise.

-Michael Perry

I just loved today’s concert! The choir was excellent! The music was glorious! Due to the raging snowstorm, the appreciative crowd was very small.

What I appreciated most was the chat at the end by director Anton Armstrong. He told us that the choir’s purpose was not to entertain but to share their faith via the music… and they did… Isaiah 40, Micah 6:8… and then their signature song ‘Beautiful Savior,’ “…for whom we sing…,” he said.

It was a great concert!

St. Olafs Choir – Today’s gift.