Extravagant blessings....

Times are hard, and conspicuous consumption is officially frowned upon in polite society as ordinary people struggle to put food on the table and keep the roof over their family's head.  To call someone extravagant, especially now, would not generally be taken as a compliment.  In fact, I think most people would be a little offended if someone referred to them that way.  Merriam-Webster provides us with four different meanings for the word extravagant, mostly to do with money or price, and mostly leading to the conclusion that extravagance is a negative thing.

But it's not all about money.  Extravagant can also mean exceeding the limits of reason or necessity, lacking in moderation, balance and restraint.  I have been thinking about that meaning this week, and I think that is the perfect description for God.  He has thrown caution to the wind with us, his creation in his own image.  He loves us thoroughly, with total abandon of reason.  No matter how often we turn away, screw up his plans, throw his grace back in his face, he continues to be there and to provide his immoderate and unrestrained benevolence for us.

God of second chances....

One of the most important lessons I taught my children was that you apologize less for the sake of the other person than for your own inner healing.  That goes double for offering up forgiveness.  By forgiving, you allow your heart to heal, and you are freed to make a different choice next time, unfettered by the mistakes of the past.

Adored, adorned or scorned?

This morning, I started my day with the news, as I do most days.  The first thing I saw was an article about the documentary, "Miss Representation," a movie, and a cause, dedicated to promoting awareness of how women are portrayed in and by the media.  It struck a nerve for me, and I immediately joined the cause.

It is not only a secular issue, it is a sacred one, as well.  Too often, religion and the Bible have been used as an excuse to denigrate the role of women in spiritual life.  They are reduced by those with an agenda to mere accessories for the important men around them, without recognizing the value and worth of half of God's precious human creation.

Feeding body is feeding the soul....

Eating has a unique place in the lives of most people.  We do it not only to nourish our bodies and keep them running, but also as a way to connect and socialize with others.  Whether it's a family dinner time, or a lunch out with a friend, food is one of the things that bring people together in shared experience.

It is a common bond among people everywhere, this need to sustain ourselves with food for the body and food for the soul.  In ancient times, some tribes had a custom that if a person ate with them, they were then under the protection of that tribe until they left.  Eating conferred not just psychological and sociological connections, but a safety benefit as well.

God's footpath...

Christians are asked one question more often than any other. "How could God let/allow/make that happen?"  It's a question that is difficult to answer, because we do not know what God has in mind.  We see only the trees.  God created not only the forest, but the whole universe.  It's not just a matter of scale.  It's an entirely different perspective altogether.

The short answer is, quite simply, I don't know.  It's not very satisfying, but it's the best I can do.

Sometimes I feel strongly that I've followed God's direction only to end up mired in quicksand, stuck, unable to get myself out.  At other times, I'm trapped in an earthquake, everything uncertain and shaking around me.  Occasionally, I find an oasis in the desert, and am unexpectedly refreshed.  Once in a great while, I end up exactly where I imagined.  Life's a skeet shoot.  My pieces usually land in the shallow swamp.