Quite Moments With God -- In the Everyday

It was just an ordinary day. Nothing stupendous happened, yet precious images created will remain with me always.

Sunday means church for my husband and me. Today, our oldest daughter, her son and my three other grandchildren, plus another little girl joined us at church. During worship I found myself close to tears, grateful to be with loved ones. As we lifted our voices in worship my daughter and I looked at one another and then I felt her arm around me. Love embraced us.

After church, my husband and I, our daughter, her son, my three other grandchildren and the other precious little girl set off for home. We'd decided a hot dog roast shouldn't be exclusively a summertime event. In the chill of the November afternoon we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows.

The children relished very black, kind of black and nearly raw hot dogs. And while they ate, they talked about silly things, made jokes, laughed and thought up adventures. I can still see smiling faces and eyes alight with childish joy. Innocence is never wasted.

When it was time to roast marshmallows--some youngsters carefully cooked just one at a time while others piled three on their sticks. They all decided that no matter how many they were cooking that they must be perfectly browned. They waited patiently, turning their sticks and double checking to see if the color was just right. When they deemed them perfect, the children ate the sticky sweet treat, leaving melted sweetness stuck to their lips and fingers.

After the meal the youngsters piled onto the sofa and buried themselves beneath blankets as they settled down to watch a movie. A row of smiling faces waited in anticipation for the show to begin.

It was just an ordinary day, but I have new memories of bright smiles, silly jokes, and the perfection of simplicity stored away in my memory--treasures really. Treasures to be rediscovered time and again. They will be there when everything else fades.

So, gather up real treasure . . . while you can.

Grace and peace to you from God.

Bonnie