Surprise Transformation
Louita Clothier of Lamoni, IA, USA
But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; he Lord hears when I call to him. When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds and be silent. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. There are many who say, “O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!” You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound. I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety. -Psalm 4:3-8
We have two giant honey locust trees in our back yard. Their lacy, fern-like foliage give us continual pleasure during the summer. But with the advance of fall, they always drop large, dark seedpods, covering the entire lawn and shrub beds with a blackish mess.
This fall the locusts seemed to produce an unusually profuse crop of the repulsive clutter, perhaps brought down by all the rain. Last Thursday, too tired for the enormous job of cleanup, I simply stood at the window and grumbled about the ugliness. Then Friday morning, as I looked out the same window, dawn revealed one of those wonderful miracles of nature. During the night the ground had been silently covered with a surprising layer of snow. The ugliness of the landscape had been transformed into clean, white beauty.
A similar miracle can be worked in our lives as we make our soiled and cluttered hearts available for the cleansing of God’s grace. And, unlike the seedpods that were only temporarily covered by the blanket of snow, through the power of prayer, the transformation of our lives can be total and enduring.
Prayer Phrase
My ordinary life is a sacred place.
Spiritual Practice
Sacramental Living
“…our everyday ordinary lives are also sacred places, or put another way, the sacred place of our living. As dwellers within the Sacredness of Creation, there is potential to be aware and appreciate the holy within the ordinary. You may remember times when it felt like you were seeing the world through God’s eyes. That’s a good description for what it means to live sacramentally-to sense divine Spirit amid daily activities.” -Jane M. Gardner, “Sacramental Living,” September/October 2019 Herald, p. 5
How are you invited to live sacramentally today?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
