ORDINARY DAYS

February 4th isn’t anything special. It’s not Valentine’s Day or President’s Day or even National Pickled Herring Day. In the church calendar it’s nothing but Thursday after the fourth Sunday after Epiphany. It’s an ordinary day in ordinary time. In my experience ordinary days can be a problem for the Christian faith. Exciting, special days remind us of the wonders that God has done. Really bad days send us fleeing to the merciful Father. Ordinary days, however, don’t make us do much of anything but go through the regular routine of life. When everything is running along just so, we tend to take God for granted. That’s the danger.

Actually, there aren’t any ordinary days. All days are gifts from God. As the psalmist says: “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:23).  We need to be aware of God in the ordinary things of life. Spending time with grandchildren is a moment when God is present. Visiting someone in a nursing home is a moment when God is present. Watering your flowers is a moment when God is present. Sitting and meditating on one verse of Scripture is a moment when God is present. It takes a little effort to pay attention to God. We have to be intentional about paying attention. But when we open ourselves to God, we become aware of the many blessing that we have received and will receive. Being aware of the presence of God makes every time special, even February 4th.

Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-14, and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Pastor Wayne