He is a crafty one

I wasn't going to go to church today. It's cold. I didn't feel like putting on nice clothes (you know, ones that require a bra). Yet somehow, for some reason, I found myself getting dressed and going out the door.

As usual, our minister today preached first to the children in our congregation, reading them a story before they went down to their Sunday School classes. I loved today's story. It was about noticing things. She reminded them that just because they don't pass pyramids, like in Egypt, or lonely bears fighting to survive, like on the North Pole, every life has interesting and important things to notice. (Like your neighbor, who named her dog Shirley and dresses Shirley in sweaters for walks when it's cold.) While good for the children, it's also important for me. To stay in the here and now. To stay aware and enjoy the world around me.

Then our closing hymn seemed directly at me. #350: "The Ceaseless Flow of Time." The final verse goes, "The past and future ever meet in the eternal now/to make each day a thing complete should be our New Year vow."

I'm surprised anew by the ways God reaches out to me. He is supporting my intention for 2018, my OneWord.