April Snow

It is interesting living in Ohio in April.  On Monday - my birthday! - I walked 16,000 steps partly because it was such a beautiful warm day.  I mowed the lawn and walked three miles and played pickleball.  And now today, there is snow on the ground.  AND as I look out the window, it is really beautiful - even in April.

I am now officially in my 72nd year and find it is hard to believe.  My motto for this year - "72 with MORE TO DO"  There is no doubt that once you hit your 70's you can no longer call yourself middle aged.  The blessing of my life is that at Gender Road Christian Church where I am serving, there are many nonagenarians - people in their 90's - who are vital and still really enjoying their lives.  It has been a model to me as I - as all of us - continue to age and try to find meaning and purpose in these later years.  Inside I feel about 50, so it is always surprising to look in the mirror and see the wrinkles that are part of aging.

Some of the "more to do" that is my life is my work at the church.  I am preaching this week and living in that period of preparation that often involves a lot of procrastination in which I am still thinking and pondering the text.  The text is from John 10 and is a description of "The Good Shepherd."  I think this only has meaning if we can embrace what it means for us to identify with the sheep.  The sheep can be literally lost without the shepherd - apparently they will feed on a field until there is nothing left unless someone leads them to a more verdant pasture.  Also they lack poor depth perception which means that shadows and dark surfaces are a problem.  I can relate to both of these qualities.  I wonder how many of us looking back on our lives can see that we needed to leave certain places or people or situations earlier.  I can remember going on a silent retreat and getting a message that it was time for me to start the process of leaving a church that I was serving.  It is easy to stay too long and helpful to be connected to God's whispers that can guide us.  I wonder whether this is part of what I want to talk about on Sunday.  We will see.

Anyway, even though I know I stress over the periodic preaching that I do, it is good to ponder and sit with a text and allow it to eventually guide me into speech.  There are people who have suggested that I just take an old sermon out of the file and preach that.  For me, it just doesn't work.  All I know is that I have to be open to whatever NEW THING God is doing with me and with us. We have a God of surprises - like snow on April 21st and an old woman still preaching at 72.  God is ever new. 

 

This prayer speaks to me as I celebrate my birthday this month:

May the RENEWING  God be with you,

reacreating, enlivening, filling you with God's own life.

As you claim this life, cherish it and allow it to grow,

and celebrate it with "thank you" forever etrched upon your heart.

With love may you call others to be renewed and refreashed.

May the blessing of the RENEWING God be upon you.