Creative God at Play

Well, hi! Coffee time already?!

I had a good yearly doctor check up yesterday...but didn't get my final blood lab results back yet, but I'm expecting it's all good. I am tired a lot, but that's just due to J.'s travels and being outnumbered at home 4 to 1 a la single parent sort of life...not cut out for that...I need my better half ;). I need sleep. I can't do the Donald Trump 4 hours a night sleep thingie. It makes me not be on top of my game.

Today, while driving Miss C to school, the morning skies were simply glorious! No other word can describe it really...maybe magnificent? Anyhow, LOVE LOVE those sort of skies in the morning...looks like ocean waves and so colorful and bright. How can you not feel our creative God at play? How can one not be awed? How could one just think dark thoughts? It screamed: "I love you and I drew this for you! Hope you have a very good day! Let's take on this day together. I am here for you, don't forget. Let's do it together. Let's play and have fun saving souls...you can help me! Common!" For some, this would be their last sunrise and what a great one. Hope they took the time to notice it and enjoy it. Some are sick and can't enjoy it as they can't see it...I always try to remember them when I see or do things...try to do it on their behalf. Do you ever do that? I always remember them at my Masses attended, too....for those who WANT to be here (at Mass) but cannot. I hope when they die one day, they'll be very surprised to see all these Masses applied to them as if they DID attend them and attend them with love and devotion. That gives me a smile to just think about when I step inside the Church. I love giving surprises..."secret surprises" are the best (of course, we are talking good ones). Totally unexpected. Like waking up to see a pot of coffee was made for you with a little love note next to it. Like going to pay for something and being told, "No, that person already paid for you." (a complete stranger). Like that one time I was sitting in a McDonald playland with one of my little ones and I saw a beautiful mother and daughter sitting on the far end and the little girl was seriously drawing intensely--upon their departure, they passed me and the little girl handed ME her drawing....it was so cute and about God and said, "Jesus loves you!" and she also included a little bookmark. I always felt they were "angels in disguise." :) (That day, I needed to hear it, although I knew it.) But, it made my day for a stranger to do a loving surprise to me. I remember how it felt and love to do that to others. We all could use a few wonderful surprises in our days...don't you think? It's fun to give them!

Yesterday at McDonalds (I have small ones :P), I saw this homeless young man go into the men's restroom. His hair was so ragged and just sticking out, but his face was beautiful if he shaved (he could clean up to be a model). Anyhow, I thought about how lonely it is to be homeless..because you feel invisible. Nobody wants to make eye contact with you in an attempt, I guess, to make the homeless one not feel uncomfortable (& of course other reasons)...but the worst thing I can imagine is the pain of feeling invisible and totally unloved. That just flashed through my head. I thought, "That could even be Jesus in a distressing disguise seeing how we react." ("You did not know me" "Lord, when?" "When I was hungry...") I was determined to give him a warm friendly smile as he departed the restroom to make him feel "seen" and "normal." I waited. Well, I think it was Jesus in a distressing disguise because when he came out, HE cought MY eye first and gave me a warm knowing smile! Almost a twinkle in his eye, like "Ah-ha! Gotcha first!" I felt this thought rush through my head: "Jesus! You stinker! I was going to surprise you with a smile and you did it first!" :P (Affectionately, of course!) It was as if Jesus loves giving surprises as much as he enjoys getting them (more so, knowing Him! :P). Keep an eye out for opportunities to surprise Jesus, but then keep a keen out for his "right back at ya" or "ha! Gotcha first!" (and, in giving, he is sort of a "one upper" :P hahaha..but he always seems to out do you in giving surprises...and that, of course, is 'so Jesus.' ("The master comes to serve not be served") I think Jesus loves friendship & has a fun, playful personality. ("He cooked them breakfast on the beach...fish..as a surprise to them as they fished") St. Don Bosco said to play is totally great as long as you don't sin. :)) Play with Jesus...it's so fun!

Well, my coffee break is over. I have to get ready to go to my annual eye doctor visit and get new (if new) prescriptions. Seems like my eyes got worse for the first time in years..but, we'll see. Of course, I now do need reading glasses (or, as I call them, "my cheaters"). That's my reminder that I am over 40. :P My dose of humility every time I have to put them on. :P haha.

Life is so good regardless of what is going on "out there" because we have our Catholic faith and the communion of the saints and just tons of wonderful things to assist us have joy and joy in "abundance" (Jesus' words, not mine). I never understood that term for such a long time, thinking: the only person who can have joy in abundance is one who is healthy, wealthy, drop-dead perfect on the outside, has perfect family and friends,etc....but, as I aged, I realized: that "joy" in "abundance" is that "umph" that gets you through your day...your day that may be perhaps pretty routine, your day that may be full of "jerks" or "hairshirts" :P, your day that was perhaps horrible, that day you are sick and feeling pain.....that little "light" that little "hope" that little "I am not alone" that little "even now under this circumstance of feeling so tired, blah, in pain, whatever....even now, I can deep inside feel this peace...this inner peace of Christ that I'm not alone and all will be well ("Behold, I make all things new!")....this inner song in your heart that is not singing (only deep deep down..and that is your faith).... that knowledge that you can "Offer it up"...and actually get a slight joy in knowing that your day that is going terrible can be useful....very useful and profitable! You can love Jesus by accepting His Will ("Thy Will be Done" "I am the handmaid of the Lord" "Father, not as I will, but your will be done")....you just, even when sunk to the lowest depths, cannot escape the knowledge that you ARE loved, you MATTER...and that is that joy in abundance I think...because that is such a joyful thought when you contemplate it. You matter. You are loved. You are unique. You are special. You were created on purpose with a purpose...a unique plan you alone can accomplish. You were made to reflect a unique aspect of God to the world. You, pehaps, may be the ONLY Gospel someone on earth you encounter "reads"....."abundant joy"....."my peace I give you..."

Now, go take on the day! Be Catholic! Evangelize! and Play! =)))

--me :)