08-23-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 23, 2023
I drove part of the way back to Houston yesterday, spent the night at a hotel, and ran by the grocery store to grab something to eat for dinner. There was a frozen vegetarian meal that looked good, but after getting back to the hotel, I could not open the plastic surrounding the meal. I eventually did, but it was both frustrating and embarrassing to be losing a battle with a thin piece of plastic. In Luke 15, we find a group of parables, including the woman who lost one of her ten coins. You only have ten; how is it that you lose one of them? It’s frustrating and a bit embarrassing, but when you find it, it feels like more than just a small victory. And the woman in the parable treats it like she won the lottery. Now, I don’t want to make a parable out of my battle with a frozen dinner, but it sure seems important for us to celebrate the little things in life. Too often, we spend a lot of time waiting for the big victories that may or may not come, but maybe celebrating a whole bunch of small victories helps provide hope and creates a sense of conviction in one’s search for another small victory.

Build within me, O Spirit of Strength, a belief that small successes and a few fledgling moments pointing toward a favorable outcome can bring me and the world a little hope. Help me to join the woman who brought together friends and neighbors so that what needed to be celebrated could truly be celebrated. Amen.