Seeing God in the small things

We've had some wonderful weather in southern Maine this past week. Today, I just sat out on the deck for part of Ryan's nap and enjoyed the warmth and the sunshine. It was beautiful. As I watched the birds and looked at the flowers slowly popping up, I couldn't help but be reminded that there is a person who created all of these wonderful things.

That reminded me of the sermon two weeks ago at church. We were looking at Luke 24 and how the disciples wanted Jesus to stay with them (this was after he rose from the dead). The guest speaker urged us to find Jesus in our everyday lives giving an example of how simple that can be.

He told a story of how a little boy's mother packed him a lunch and let him spend a sunny day at the park. When the little boy got to the park he noticed all the tables were filled with families sharing food, except this one table. An elderly lady sat alone and he figured this was a good place to sit and eat his lunch. They exchanged greetings and when the little boy opened his lunch he noticed his mother had packed two of everything and he proceeded to share it with the lady who wasn't eating at all. He talked and she listened.

The day ended and he returned home. When his mother asked him how his day was he said he was glad to have spent it with God. She asked what he meant and he told her about the old lady sitting at the table and that he had shared his lunch with her and that she had reminded him of what God is like. She was a good listener, he explained.

The same old lady went to the nursing home that night and when asked how her day was she also said she enjoyed her day with God, commenting that the little boy reminded her of how thoughful God is and how he provides for us. They both saw different aspects of God in each other.

Another story I am reminded of when I think about God being made known to us is the story of a new family. The wife attended church regularly, but the husband couldn't be bothered anymore. The day their child was born the doctor handed him to the father and, as most fathers do, he looked his son over with much care. He stared at his ear and marveled to his wife at how perfectly it was made. It was the first time he'd seen God in a long time. When he returned to church the pastor asked what made him come back and the father said, that looking at his sons ear had made him realize that God wonderful and loving.

Today I found God in nature and in the joy of the sun. Sometimes it's the small things in life, like a warm sunny day, that help us realize how big God really is and how much he loves us to have created such wonderful things for us to enjoy.

May you find God in even the small things.