Clausons in Mexico

There are some days where I am more aware of God’s love and presence breaking through into my ordinary activities.  These days are a gift for my soul, helping me to keep going on the days where it is tougher for me to connect with God and others.  Yesterday was one of those days of being “drenched through and through with God’s love” (James Finley from the Center for Action and Contemplation).  As I lay in bed last night I started to name these moments, giving thanks to God for each of them.  I share them with you to celebrate with me God’s goodness…

• Lucas running with Jojo this morning, filled with joy and life, still a boy but almost an adolescent, on our walk to the carpool for school
• the warm, bright sun and the cool air in the morning
• the take-my-breath-away beauty of the many different brightly colored flower blooming trees here
• the gift of connecting body, mind and spirit through yoga, with Maya at my side playing, climbing on me or hugging me
• watching our friend Elia play with Maya, and being able to leave Maya with her for a while so I could go out by myself since Nils is traveling
• visiting the hospital to pray with Mary, the wife of Pastor Baltazar, during her husband’s spinal surgery and connecting with other brothers and sister who came to support her during this difficult time
• having an hour to myself at a local organic market, enjoying a yummy lunch, and sensing God’s Spirit at work while preparing my sermon for Sunday on the book of Lamentations
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• playing the Labyrinth game with Matías while enjoying a cold coffee on our back patio
• hearing the good news that Baltazar’s surgery went well while driving downtown and immediately praising God together at the top of our lungs with this song
• Lucas finishing the fourth Harry Potter book, and immediately asking to go to the library to start the next one.  While at the library, listening to the boys share their love for books
• the gift of a walk in downtown Oaxaca on a late afternoon from the library to a panadería to buy some bread with these three amazing children God has blessed us with
• sharing a simple, but delicious meal of lentils, plantains and bread that we all enjoyed and gave thanks for on our back porch

James Finley says during these moments we have our “finger on Christ’s pulse.  For Christ was always calling out to those around him to join him in seeing the Godly nature of everyone and everything he saw.”  May we all become more and more aware of the God-given moments of grace in our ordinary lives of love and service.

If you are interested in reading James Finley’s devotional, you can find it here.