Being a father is something I treasure. Being a father means teaching, role modeling, nurturing, loving, caring, listening, providing, and cheerleading with your children. But many times, being a father simply means hanging out and being. It was a beautiful spring day as my six-year old Jake and I fished on the edge of Grandpa’s pond. The weather was perfect, not too hot – not too cold. The fish were slow to bite that day, so it didn’t take Jake long to become preoccupied with other things. He threw rocks; he ran around the pasture, he played at the water’s edge looking for frogs. Eventually Jake tired out and kicked back in the tall grass. Minutes later he called me over, “Dad lay right here beside me and tell me what you see.” Lying in the grass, I looked up and noticed what now had Jake’s attention, big puffy clouds were slowly moving through the sky. “I see a dragon with a long tail and big ears.” Jake laughed and said, “Where? I don’t see any dragon!”
We laid there for the longest time, watching the clouds roll by and laughing at the many things our imaginations allowed us to see. I see a boat. I see an elephant. I see mom. I see the dragon again. After an hour of cloud gazing, Jake said the neatest thing, “Dad look, I see God.” Now he really had my attention, “Where?” I asked. “Right there, see his mouth and his beard, and over there is his finger pointing to all the other clouds.” “Yep, you’re right – I see Him too.”
If two tired out fishermen can see God on the bank of a pond, lying in the grass and looking toward the sky, then how much more can we see God in the everyday things of life? I see God in the children of our congregation, who come with imagination and wonderment each Sunday. I see God in the people who volunteer their time in various ways within our community. I see God all around me each and every day. If we truly believe that Christ is risen, then we must see evidence of God’s continuing work in the world. What if we opened our eyes wider? What if we listened more intently? What if we took more time to be still? What if we practiced the art of just being in the presence of the Almighty?
We need not look to the clouds to see God. God is right here, among the faithful in the everyday things of life. May we learn to pause, to wonder, and simply BE in God’s holy company.
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed, Alleluia! Pastor Derek
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