Where did you come from??

Who are you and where did you come from?? These words of both incredulity and awe leave my mouth more and more these days as I witness my children claiming their place in the world. They are talented, interesting, confident and different, so very different from each other and from me. I marvel as I watch them express their creativity and develop their individual strengths. They have traits and abilities that just were not knit into the fabric of my being.

On one level I know I was part of bringing them into the world, so there are bits of me in there somewhere. Yet, the more they grow and mature, the more I recognize our Creator’s fingerprints all over them.  I rejoice in how they reflect the depth and breadth of God’s goodness. I am grateful for the light and joy they so readily share with those around them in their own individual, crazy ways.

This feeling of immense gratitude doesn’t stop with Liam, Jonathan and Evan however. I feel this way about all the children of our church family, not just my three. One of the benefits of being part of a faith community for a long period of time is that you witness the seasons of life. It is pure joy to see babies born and then watch them grow and develop into the wonders God created them to be, a process that continues until we take our last breath.

At a time when the state of our world could easily drag me in to the pit of despair, I am appreciative of our brick and mortar focus on family, friends and home. The intentional reflection on the people around me speaks to the abundance of God’s presence around us in ways that inspire, energize, renew and restore me.  Who are you? Fabulous children of God and thanks be to God for that.

Rev. Donna