Like Lazarus, We Rise Again
Today I am grateful for the people, starting with my parents, who have taught me about perseverance over the course of my lifetime. I am also grateful for the faith I have in my life today.
I am not a regular church-goer. I go once every few weeks. I don't mind going. I just use my time for different endeavors on Sunday mornings. Those other endeavors are often of a spiritual nature as well. I went to church yesterday though, and the gospel reading was about Lazarus and his resurrection. A miracle of God. It's a story I have always found intriguing. It always gets me thinking about deep spiritual matters and what is possible if we have faith.
But I actually witnessed another kind of miracle yesterday. I like the minor miracles. The daily miracles. The kind of things we notice when we are paying attention. It was easy to spot yesterday's miracle. You could hear it and see it and smell it. It was a lovely day in April. It felt like a bit of a miracle after the last few months we have had.
Sure, we had snow on Friday. Sure, we have complained frequently about this harsh winter we just survived. But, oh the joy of a nice day! The neighborhood was full of walkers and runners, kids playing, my son and his buddies out biking, grills going, raking being done, patios being used. The ice cream truck was even in the area. People were out. That is the key part here. People were outside.
I had to go to the store for a few things in the middle of the afternoon and our community was teeming like I hadn't seen it teeming in a long time. Lazarus rose from the dead after 4 days. We have risen again after over 4 months of winter. Not just any winter. The coldest winter since 1936.
Each morning I rise again and there is a new day before me. Gratitude practice both helps me appreciate the gift of this day and provides me energy to move forward into it. For that and more, I am truly grateful.
I am not a regular church-goer. I go once every few weeks. I don't mind going. I just use my time for different endeavors on Sunday mornings. Those other endeavors are often of a spiritual nature as well. I went to church yesterday though, and the gospel reading was about Lazarus and his resurrection. A miracle of God. It's a story I have always found intriguing. It always gets me thinking about deep spiritual matters and what is possible if we have faith.
But I actually witnessed another kind of miracle yesterday. I like the minor miracles. The daily miracles. The kind of things we notice when we are paying attention. It was easy to spot yesterday's miracle. You could hear it and see it and smell it. It was a lovely day in April. It felt like a bit of a miracle after the last few months we have had.
Sure, we had snow on Friday. Sure, we have complained frequently about this harsh winter we just survived. But, oh the joy of a nice day! The neighborhood was full of walkers and runners, kids playing, my son and his buddies out biking, grills going, raking being done, patios being used. The ice cream truck was even in the area. People were out. That is the key part here. People were outside.
I had to go to the store for a few things in the middle of the afternoon and our community was teeming like I hadn't seen it teeming in a long time. Lazarus rose from the dead after 4 days. We have risen again after over 4 months of winter. Not just any winter. The coldest winter since 1936.
Each morning I rise again and there is a new day before me. Gratitude practice both helps me appreciate the gift of this day and provides me energy to move forward into it. For that and more, I am truly grateful.
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