Glimpse of Normal by Barry Hughes


On my walks I have seen many things that have inspired, challenged and touched me. My little neighbors have been speaking important words to me each day. And I am so grateful.
On this day, I encountered a dinosaur. My first thought was that on this street lived a child who is so deeply concerned about the pandemic that they were thinking about our species going extinct! But then I realized that my neighbor was simply drawing what they were thinking about - dinosaurs. They still lived what they loved. Their imagination was still functioning in fine style. Their artistic skills were spot on in this depiction of a dinosaur. I walked away encouraged. What a blessing it was to catch a glimpse of “normal”.
In the earliest years of the Church, followers of Jesus faced extreme ups and downs. For periods of time they were able to live and go about their business in relative peace. At other times, they were persecuted and oppressed beyond our imagination. Through it all, they persevered and endured. We are the proof of their faithfulness, thousands of years later. The “normal” that sustained them was the heartfelt belief that God was with them. In good or bad, God was with them. They would remind each other of this truth in whatever ways were available to them. They stayed connected. They stayed in love with God and each other.
May these words be a glimpse of “normal” for you today. God is with you. Get in touch with what you love and live into it. Draw a dinosaur. Call a friend. Say a prayer. Find something for which you can rejoice. Let’s spend a few minutes today being normal.
Peace.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

God is at Work

Image
In the early morning I was struck with this image. It seems to have it all. Green leaves. Red leaves. Clouds. Blue sky. The cross high and lifted up to the sky. It seemed to me that there was the stuff of several good photos in this one place and at one time. So I took the picture. Life is like that more often than not, isn't it? Good and bad. Happy and sad. Calm and chaos. Peace and turmoil. The season of Advent and the celebration of Christmas acknowledges this reality. The people of old resigned to their fate, yet hoping in the future. John the Baptist bringing the good news that the time had come, yet thundering away at one and all. Mary afraid, yet faithful. A baby is born that changes everything, yet the world remains still weary and violent. But, in the midst of all this, in the midst of the whiplash of everyday life, God is at work. God is present. God is calling. In all of it. In every bit of it. Through it all, God is with us. During these holidays, when joy can be mixed ...
Read more

Home

Image
  I came across this interesting tree the other morning. I was immediately transported back to my childhood and one of my favorite boyhood books, “My Side of the Mountain”. It was about a boy who went off by himself to live in the woods and to find everything he needed provided by nature. I don’t recall how many times I read that book in my elementary school years, but it was plenty. As I recall, he made his home in a tree that had a natural door, much like this one. I dreamed of following in his footsteps and doing the same in the woods behind my house. I never did. Home comes in all kinds of versions. Opulent mansions. Simple cabins. Modest middle-sized houses. Some people have the amazing ability to create home even when they are without a physical home. There are heroes who keep family together through tough transitions and the hardest of times. They commit to staying connected. They love one another. They are accountable to each other as they lift up the heart of what it means...
Read more

Loving Embrace by Barry Hughes

Image
One of the joys of walking each day is passing my neighbors. I may not know their names, but I feel I know many of them from our shared walks. I have names for them in my head, based on the dogs they walk or at what place on my route I usually pass them each day. I am amazed at how many people seem to be creatures of habit, like myself, walking the same course at the same time every day. I must admit that I do wonder, from time to time, what name they have given me as they pass me every day. On occasion, I see people who are new to me. On this morning I came upon the scene of a woman leaving a house for her walk. Suddenly, two small boys rushed out, barefoot and dressed in pajamas, urging her to wait. She stopped and turned, and with beatific smile embraced both boys and shared a few joyful moments with each. It was a touching and heartwarming sight. I imagined that the woman is grandmother to the boys. She is here visiting and these boys awoke as she walked out the door. They did not ...
Read more