Rev. Kathi's Message
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
Brown paper packages tied up with strings,
These are a few of my favorite things.
I have favourite things, and I’m sure you do as well. I am still in a Thanksgiving mood this week and I am grateful today for my favourite things. I have a favourite mug that fits the curve of my hands in just the way I like; it keeps my tea warm while gently warming my fingers. I have my favourite recipes for dishes that I make for special people or special occasions. I have a favourite sweater – it is very old and very worn – but when I wear it, I feel like I am being hugged. The opening words of this song from The Sound of Music remind us that favourite things can be a help on days when dogs bite and bees sting.
I am grateful on the days when my faith is not so comfortable. I appreciate being given the eyes to notice how God’s people are hurting and the heart to respond. I know that it’s good, for me and for the world, when I speak out against injustice, bigotry, and cruelty. On the days when faith irritates me into action, I feel power and stamina that I didn’t know I had. And I feel exhausted from stretching myself in unfamiliar ways.
There are other days when I need my faith to fit me comfortably, like shoes that are broken in but not yet broken down. I need to be able to settle deeply into God and wrap myself in love, like a cozy blanket on a comfortable couch. I need to be able to inhale peace and exhale anxiety until I remember again that I am a beloved child of God. I lift prayers of thanks for those who speak up and speak out while I recharge and restore. I know that tomorrow it may be the other way around. I am grateful that none of us is in this alone.
Loving God, we give you thanks for the days you prod us to action and for the days you give us space to rest and be nurtured by your love. Open our eyes and our hearts to see you in both kinds of days. Amen.
Rev. Kathi
